Maddie POV
The cafeteria was crowded, as always. The sound of laughter, chairs scraping, and lively conversations filled the room. I was with Derek, Sandy and Averie. Derek kept his arm around my waist, and his warm hand rested on my hip, as if he wanted to make it clear to everyone that I was his. Despite the attention, my mind was elsewhere. I was thinking about the Luna case, the petition, the future meeting. And now, Stephen. Everything felt like a whirlwind that I could barely process.
Averie and Sandy were sitting with us. Averie, as always, seemed to be the pillar of positivity, while Sandy was more focused on ignoring Derek's friend Justin's crushes. He was clearly interested in her, but Sandy, in her sharp way, responded to each attempt with an eye roll or a cutting sentence.
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