The campus was already on fire by the time Mia left the lecture hall.
Word traveled faster than she could walk. Students she barely knew shot her sidelong glances, whispered behind their hands, and pulled out their phones the second she passed. By the time she reached the quad, her name was buzzing on half a dozen group chats she wasn’t even in.
“Did you hear? Professor Vale and a senior…”
“Lucas Grant lost his s**t in class…”
“She’s been f*****g him for extra credit, obviously.”
Mia kept her head high, jaw tight, but her stomach twisted into knots. The short skirt and confident strut that had felt powerful yesterday now made her feel exposed. She pulled her sweater tighter around herself and hurried toward the dorms.
Sophie was waiting outside their building, arms crossed, blonde po
