The song faded, and the crowd slowly returned to its chatter, though many eyes still lingered on Richard. The bullies huddled near the photo backdrop, whispering and glancing over with loud, exaggerated scoffs. Amber stood with them, flipping her hair like she owned the night. Chase, her equally obnoxious counterpart, kept smirking whenever he caught Richard’s eye.
Shirley felt Richard’s hand loosen on hers. “You okay?” she asked softly. Richard nodded. “Yeah. I think I’m done hiding.” He walked toward the group with a steady, unhurried stride. The conversation died the second he approached. Amber crossed her arms. “Well, look who decided to rise from the dead.” Chase snorted. “Dressed like he thinks he’s in a movie.”