Binding Hearts [3]

1.

Miray picked up her food tray and headed towards her usual spot—the most popular table in the entire school, where her group of bodyguards awaited her with big smiles.

"Everyone's staring at us," Aylin exclaimed excitedly as she walked beside Miray towards the boys' table.

The table was spacious, hosting not only Kaiden and Noah, who were the jocks of the school but also their entourage of popular friends.

Noah insisted that Miray join him to ensure she ate well and felt at ease, and consequently, Ren and Rayan found themselves compelled to sit with them, eager for Miray's company.

Before Miray could reply her cousin's remark, someone took her tray from her hand. She turned to look at Rayan, who took the tray and waited silently for her to walk toward the table. 

Miray smiled and didn't argue, knowing it was pointless as the boys always carried her things around.

They refused to let her handle anything herself.

At first, Miray felt embarrassed and tried to assure them she could carry her things herself, but the boys were extremely insistent on taking care of everything for her - her bag, books, tray, etc.

She even had the feeling that they wished to carry her as well but were scared of how she might react.

The mere thought of being carried around the school was too mortifying to contemplate, and Miray silently prayed that such a scenario would never come true.

"Hey, angel!" Kaiden's grin widened as Miray approached the table, causing her cheeks to flush crimson as the entire table fell silent, and all eyes turned towards her.

Feeling overwhelmed, Miray had the urge to run away, but the veil of her long hair provided some sense of protection, partially covering her face.

She managed a small wave before taking Ren's hand and sitting beside him. Ren glared at Kaiden, who responded with a wink, further fueling his irritation. 

He wanted so badly to reach out and slap that stupid grin off Kaiden's face, but he held himself back, not wanting to act violently in front of Miray. Instead, he rolled his eyes and turned his attention to his best friend.

Rayan placed her tray in front of her and then moved to sit next to Emir and Aylin on the other side.

Miray felt a comforting hand on her shoulder, followed by a gentle kiss on the side of her head. "Hey," Noah whispered softly, his voice filled with concern, "Everything okay?" he asked, his voice low enough that only she could hear.

Miray smiled sheepishly and nodded slightly, unable to find her voice with all the attention focused on her. She could sense the entire cafeteria's gaze directed her way, and it was suffocating.

Sensing her discomfort, Noah withdrew slightly, and the boys swiftly changed the topic to sports and some upcoming parties, effectively diverting attention away from Miray.

As the eyes on her began to fade—partially, at least—Miray allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief and relax. 

She grabbed her tray and started eating while chatting with Ren, who always had funny stories to tell. This time, it was about their English teacher's pants splitting open when he bent down to pick up his pan, showing off his SpongeBob boxers.

Miray couldn't help but burst into laughter imagining the scene. Even though she knew it wasn't polite to laugh at their teacher, it was just too hilarious to resist!