Monday morning felt different. Not because the halls were quieter they never were but because a new ripple was about to enter our chaotic high school world. I tightened my grip on the car keys, my stomach doing that weird swirl that happens when anticipation collides with dread. Today, Zayelle would step into my world, and I had no idea what to expect.
Lena, of course, had already been bouncing around my room with unmatched energy. “Okay, Cass, this is it! The legendary Zayelle enters the school, and we get to see if she’s friend material or a total nightmare. Are you ready?”
I groaned and pressed my palm to my forehead. “I think so. I mean… Mom says she’s nice, Nolan seems… okay, but what if she’s like popular, mean, intimidating?”
Lena flopped onto my bed, smirking. “Then we take her
