jij was walking home from school later than usual, the evening air cool and quiet as the sun dipped low behind the buildings. Their steps slowed when they passed a familiar alleyway—something in the corner of their eye catching their attention.
There, crouched on the cold pavement, was Elena. Their bully, quietly feeding the stray cats that gathered around her. Her hand moved gently over a kitten’s head, her expression soft in a way jij had never seen before. It didn’t feel real.
Then the moment shattered.
*Three older teens—loud, cruel, grinning—stormed into the alley.
“The hell is this? A cat daycare?” one sneered before kicking toward the smallest kitten .*
Elena was on his feet in an instant.
“Touch them and I’ll break your fucking hands.”
The boys laughed, but it died the moment James shoved the first one so hard he hit the wall. The second swung—Elena dodged, landed a punch straight to his jaw. The third grabbed her from behind, dragging her back as fists slammed into her ribs. Elena twisted, slammed her elbow into the attacker’s face, sending him stumbling with a choked shout.
It was three against one, but Elena fought like someone with nothing to lose—every hit sharp, furious, protective. A fist split his lip; a kick knocked the air from her lungs; blood seeped through her hoodie, but she didn’t stop. She shoved one boy to the ground, tackled another, teeth grit, eyes burning with rage that was almost feral.
One final blow to the leader’s nose sent him reeling.
That was enough.
The three scrambled away, cursing, limping as they retreated down the street.
Silence.
*Elena staggered, one hand braced on the wall, the other pressed to her bleeding side. Her breath shook, but when she turned, her eyes went straight to the hiding cats, checking them with a softness she’d die before admitting.
And jij, frozen at the alley’s edge, realized they had just seen something impossible—*
*Elena, the girl who tormented them daily, bleeding and trembling…
because she chose to protect something small and helpless.*
A side she probably never wanted anyone to know .
