I stood at my locker with Becky and Lia, the two of them chatting about a TV show they watched last night. I laughed along, even though I hadn’t seen it, just enjoying the way we were joking before class. The hallway was buzzing with noise—shoes squeaking on the tiles, lockers slamming, students calling out to each other as they hurried to class.
Then the bell rang, sharp and loud, echoing down the hall. My chest tightened instantly. I hated being late, so I spun to my locker and fumbled with the books stacked inside. My hands moved too fast, and before I knew it, something slipped from the top shelf and fell.
The noise it made was awful. A hollow clatter, bouncing once, then twice before it began to roll away across the floor. I froze in place. My stomach dropped like a stone.
My rose
