Jace woke up with the same dull pressure in his chest he’d been carrying around for days. He wasn’t sure if it was the way yesterday’s cafeteria fight spun everything out of control or the new girl, Zayelle, suddenly turning the school ecosystem on its head… or Cass.
Especially Cass.
He rubbed his face, trying to push the thought away, but it clung to him like humidity.
At school the atmosphere was still buzzing. Drama spreads fast at Westbridge. Rumors faster.
By third period, the hallways felt tight with noise. People kept stopping Marvin for details which he exaggerated for maximum effect.
Someone even put Jacinta’s meltdown on t****k, slowed down, with edits like she was in a tragic movie trailer.
Jace didn’t laugh. He couldn’t. Marvin wasn’t just a clown; he was a ticking bomb t
