By lunchtime the school felt different.
There was a shift in the air a new gravitational pull and at the center of it was Zayelle.
Only her second day and somehow she had every hallway orbiting around her. The popular girls loved her confidence, the boys whispered about her beauty, and every teacher seemed impressed by her perfect politeness. She didn’t push herself into the spotlight. She simply stepped into it and everyone made space for her.
Cass watched it unfold with a strange mix of pride and unease. She liked Zayelle. She genuinely did. She was sweet, thoughtful, softer than she appeared. But there was something else beneath that softness… something sharper. Not fake just carefully sheathed. Like someone who already knew too much about the world.
Lena leaned close as they walked
