The announcement came on a Tuesday morning.
"We have a new student joining Grade 7."
Whispers immediately spread across classrooms.
New students in seventh grade were rare.
By second period, 7C's door opened.
And she walked in.
Her name was Zara.
She wasn't loud.
She wasn't shy either.
She walked like someone who already knew she'd be noticed.
The teacher introduced her briefly and then gestured toward the empty desk near the middle.
"Why don't you sit there for now?"
That desk happened to be close to where Grace and her group usually sat.
And because 7A and 7B often mixed during breaks and activities, it didn't take long before Zara was introduced to everyone.
Julian did it first.
He was always the polite one.
"This is Grace," he said. "And that's Zoey, Ella—"
"Dylan, Ethan, David," Ethan added dramatically.
Nate gave a casual nod.
Adrian smiled slightly.
Lucy studied her carefully.
Theo just said, "Hi."
Zara smiled back.
And something about that smile lingered a second longer when she looked at Theo.
By lunch, she was sitting with them.
It happened naturally.
There was space.
She filled it.
She laughed at Ethan's jokes.
She asked Dylan about basketball.
She told Ella she liked her bracelet.
She complimented Lucy's handwriting.
And she asked Theo what position he played.
Julian noticed something small.
Every time Zara adjusted in her seat, Theo shifted too.
Not consciously.
Not obviously.
But slightly closer.
When someone bumped into the table and her water bottle nearly fell, Theo caught it first.
"Careful," he said.
Zara smiled softly. "Thanks."
Grace saw it.
She didn't react.
She just looked down at her food.
Over the next few days, Zara blended in fast.
Too fast.
She started sitting between Lucy and Theo sometimes.
Sometimes between Grace and Zoey.
But when she sat near Grace, something shifted.
Conversations rerouted.
Topics changed.
Once, when Grace was talking about a project idea, Zara interrupted lightly.
"Oh! That reminds me — Theo, you're good at math, right? Can you help me later?"
Theo nodded. "Yeah, sure."
The conversation moved.
Grace stopped mid-sentence.
Julian noticed.
He always noticed.
One afternoon, during free period, Grace was quieter than usual.
Zoey nudged her. "You okay?"
"Yeah."
But she wasn't contributing much anymore.
She laughed when others laughed.
She answered when spoken to.
But she didn't lead conversations.
She didn't suggest plans.
She didn't argue playfully with Theo like she used to.
Because now, whenever she spoke…
Zara had something smoother to add.
The real shift happened on Friday.
Lucy and Zara were walking together after class.
"You and Grace are close?" Zara asked casually.
Lucy shrugged. "We used to be."
"Used to?"
Lucy hesitated.
"It's complicated."
Zara nodded thoughtfully. "She seems… different."
Lucy glanced at her. "Different how?"
Zara lowered her voice slightly.
"Like she wants attention. Today at lunch, she kept looking at you guys when you were laughing."
Lucy frowned. "She did?"
Zara shrugged. "Maybe I'm wrong. I just notice things."
That sentence stayed with Lucy.
Maybe I'm wrong. I just notice things.
From that day on, Lucy started noticing too.
Every laugh.
Every glance.
Every time Grace went quiet.
But instead of seeing hurt…
She started seeing competition.
Meanwhile, Julian was watching something else.
Theo had started walking Zara to class sometimes.
Just small things.
Holding doors.
Carrying her notebook once when her hands were full.
It wasn't dramatic.
It was instinctive.
Protective.
Unintentional.
But consistent.
One afternoon, Julian pulled Theo aside.
"You're hovering."
Theo blinked. "What?"
"With Zara."
Theo frowned. "I'm not."
"You kind of are."
Theo shook his head. "She's new."
Julian looked at him carefully.
"And Grace?"
Theo's expression shifted.
"What about her?"
Julian didn't answer.
Because that was the problem.
Theo hadn't even noticed the difference.
By the end of the month, something was clear.
Zara hadn't stolen anyone.
She hadn't started drama.
She hadn't raised her voice.
She had simply positioned herself perfectly.
And Grace?
Grace had become quieter than usual.
Not because she was jealous.
Not because she was angry.
But because it felt like every time she reached to speak…
Someone else was already there.
And the worst part?
No one accused Zara of anything.
Because technically…
She hadn't done anything wrong.