Ava’s POV
Vanessa lunges at me, her eyes blazing with fury, and before I can dodge, her hand tangles in my hair, yanking hard. Pain shoots through my scalp, but I don’t cry out. I won’t give her the satisfaction.
“You think you can slap me and get away with it?” she hisses, her voice low and dangerous.
“You slapped me first!” I snap back, my hands flying to her arm to try to pry her fingers loose. But she’s stronger than she looks, and her grip only tightens.
The classroom explodes with noise as desks screech against the floor, students jump to their feet, and phones are whipped out to record the fight. No one steps in to help, of course. They just want a front-row seat to the drama.
Vanessa tries to yank me down, but I grab her hair right back, dragging her down with me.
“Let go!” s
