The Wallflower's Wiretap

Marcus tugged his **hat** lower. Cool kids don't wear hats inside, but Marcus wasn't cool. Marcus was invisible.

Which was exactly why he'd become a self-appointed **spy**.

Since freshman year, he'd been quietly observing—cataloging who liked who, what people said behind closed doors versus what they posted. His mental notes filled multiple group chats. Tonight's target: Sarah Miller's house party.

Marcus positioned himself against the wall near the snack table. Perfect spy vantage point. People ignored walls. They spilled secrets near walls.

He watched Jake—the massive **bull** of a linebacker who'd made Marcus's life hell in gym class—towering over some sophomore. Jake's laugh was a foghorn, slicing through the bass-heavy music.

Suddenly Jake's voice boomed: "Who's the kid in the weird hat?"

The room went quiet.

Marcus's stomach dropped. His brain scrambled for exit strategies. Front door? Back door? Fake phone call?

Then: "Leave him alone."

Sarah stepped between them, hands on her hips. "He's with me. So back off."

Jake blinked, surprised. "Damn, Sarah, I was just—"

"You were being a jerk," she said firmly. "Come on, Marcus."

She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the basement stairs. The basement was darker, cooler—a whole different world.

"You know why I invited you?" she asked, dropping onto an old couch.

Marcus shook his head.

"Because you notice things," she said. "Last week, when I was crying in the library? Everyone else walked past. You stopped. Asked if I was okay."

Marcus remembered. He'd just done what seemed obvious.

She pulled a tangled charger **cable** from her pocket. "This is me, usually. A mess. But you somehow help me find the signal in the noise."

Sarah held up the knotted wire. "Most people are so busy broadcasting themselves, they forget how to receive anything real. But you? You're tuned in."

She reached for his hand. "You don't have to watch from the wall anymore."

Marcus took off his hat.

For the first time all night, he didn't feel invisible.

He felt seen.