(Avery)
The final bell rang, and I gathered my books slowly. The day had passed in a blur of classes and curious stares, but I had made it through. That felt like a victory in itself.
Jackson, Luca, and Elias waited for me by my locker. They had stayed close all day, like silent guards making sure no one else tried what Serena had tried this morning. Her words still echoed faintly in the back of my mind, but they didn’t cut as deeply as before. With them beside me, she didn’t matter half as much.
“Ready to go?” Elias asked as I shut my locker door.
I nodded, slinging my bag over my shoulder. Jackson and Luca both gave me quick hugs, steady and warm, before heading toward their own rides home. Elias stayed with me, walking at my side as we crossed the parking lot. His keys were already
