As Julian left the kitchen, the others slowly filtered out too, heading back to their stations.
The tension eased, but only slightly.
"Hey," Simara said softly, touching Autumn's arm. "Are you okay?"
Autumn forced a smile. "I'm fine. Thanks."
Simara frowned, clearly unconvinced. "I can't believe how he treated you. Like you're just his property or something."
"I'm over him now," Autumn said, grabbing her bag from the locker. It felt heavier than it should have.
They walked out of the kitchen together, their footsteps echoing in the hallway.
"Caleb's a nice guy, by the way," Simara said, glancing at her. "And he's hot."
Autumn couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. "Yeah. He is."
She didn't even realize she'd said it until Simara grinned.
"You really like him, don't you?
