cted Lessons

ords – Exa

The Unfinish

hs had passed since graduation, since Chris's disappearance, since everything changed. His classroom walls felt t

"You look like you're about to assig

ffed in his jacket pockets. The fading sunlight caught the new

ck," Sam s

"Turns out running away do

The College

y organized, with color-coded notebooks and a bulletin board full of motivational quot

whisper. "Everyone acts like this i

r wall, the one with every buildin

aya's voice cracked. "My parents

hed as they passed by, their back

: The Midnig

t 2:17 AM: *Can

fel bag, her eyes red-rimmed but determined. They drove in

" Chris fi

ing the cold air whip through her

ris pressed the accelerator. For the

: The Unexpe

in sweatpants, rubbing sleep fr

uffel bag. "We nee

oil and takeout. As Maya slept on the couch, Chris and Tyler sat o

his eventually," Tyler said, gesturi

a swig. "

24: The

e him was finding all of them on his porch – Chris, Maya, Tyler, and

issing one," Sam sa

ma top under a blazer, laptop under one arm. "If we're havi

: The Truth

hen table, the st

attacks in the

ned community co

her's deterio

s lost sc

secret p

ling coffee cups as needed. When the roo

now w

: The Plan T

ss her keyboard. "Okay, h

aya to finish her classes online without

apartment becom

n to a local publish

ction contacts fi

fer to oversee i

sembling a plan. By 3 AM, they had

: The First

nounced on Tuesday, their f

the makeshift office in Tyler's apartment – textbooks stack

reath. "I know. Bu

mother reached for her hand. "

: The Unexpe

am grading papers in his

native educational program," he sa

d. Instead, Higgins pushed

hing like this. She's...

transfer paperwork

9: The Firs

opped up as they were ar

pt your piece "Calculus and Other Lies

all over Javier's carefully organized spreadsheets. Maya laughed u

s wor

: The Unfini

gathered at Sam's house – now officially the Collective's he

the garage. Javier was teaching literacy classes at the community center. Aisha had three

e whiteboard covered in half-formed ideas, the coffe

like