Ayla’s POV
Soren doesn’t linger behind the closed door; he leaves. I hear his quiet footsteps fading down the hallway.
“Are you going to follow him?” Tala asks. “You should at least thank them for your gifts. It’s only good manners.”
I roll my eyes. “They’ve never been well-mannered toward me...”
“That doesn’t mean—”
“I know,” I sigh.
But do I really want to give them anything after years of bullying?
“You’re better than them,” Tala says. “Show them that.”
I exhale.
My feet move before my mind catches up.
I end up standing outside the community room—the same place where the Christmas party was held just hours ago. Only now, everything feels different.
My hand hovers just above the handle as I hesitate to enter, my fingertips tingling with nerves.
I hold my breath and listen. Th
