(Jackson)
I walked into math class and I knew right away they were talking about Avery. The sound of their snickers was too clear, too fake, too pointed. My eyes swept across the room and the second I looked at them, they went quiet. Just one look. That was all it took.
I didn’t need to ask what the joke was. I already knew.
I moved to my seat slow, dragging the chair out loud enough that the scrape cut through the room. I sat back, keeping my gaze on the front, but my mind was nowhere near the lesson.
Avery had walked into school with her head up even when the whole place was ready to tear her down. I saw it. I saw the way she kissed Luca and me this morning, like she was claiming us right in front of everyone. That was her way of saying she wasn’t scared. But I knew better. She was s
