mor took its first real breath - and then kept breathing, breathing, breath

is thi

didn't. The blurry photo glared up at her from the cracked screen: her face inches from Jac

so tight she though

freshmen tiptoed in, their whispers bouncing

you s

eady reposting i

in that girl. W

ate nerd,

l. Rhea shrank tighter against the stall door, knees hugge

mirror was a stranger: hair wild, eyes glassy with panic. She felt peeled

ted again. And

pings, Instagram mentions, Naomi's name lig

rced her feet to move. One step, then another. Out the bathroom door, back into the hallway ri

-

er first-period class stretched like an ai

er. A girl she didn't even know whispered something, a guy by the vending machine barked

n. She didn't want to

someone's Instagram story - "New power couple?? LOL" - and a TikTok clip title

her arm - Nao

f the main traffic flow. Her Debate tote bag bumped against her hip, he

ked. She couldn't get the

eezed her arm. "It's so dumb. Peo

ight for her bones. "They keep reposting it.

rced a bright smile. "Okay, yes, it looked like

, humorless laugh. "

e-whispered, "That's her!" The other pulled o

d her back against the wall, wishin

ness. "Seriously? Go gossip abou

inched and s

om an unknown number: "Lol did you really think you

away. "It's trash. They'd gossip if a pigeon poop

vera. The golden boy with a fan club - and

kill me," s

bridge and get over it. You tripped -

f basketball players pointed. One cupped his hand

she hit the back of

're human Q-tips - all fluf

merciless. Rhea's puls

ome on. You sit with me. We're

-

ass was a

ing she'd shapeshift into the tiles. It didn't work. Heads

that

up

e's freak

d do so mu

ord a p

ossip cluster. But when Rhea looked up, there he was: Jace Rivera, le

He didn't look embarrassed. Or angry. Just... amused

ows, tilted his hea

t it felt like a match

doesn't care. So stop giving hi

ed to be

o her notebook. But her eyes kept flicking around: phones half-hidden under desks,

landed on her desk. Folded tiny

r free upgrade

n

barely draw breath. She crumpled the n

e bolted. Naomi chased

ng out in the library for lunch. Jus

ace was there - surrounded by his satellites, Liv glaring,

wn she existed a week ago - lift

wi

sm

of it matt

to R

ng the girl who vani

he was th