CRYSTAL POV
The silence didn't feel suffocating. It felt… manageable.
But as we turned the corner toward the classroom block, I lifted my eyes instinctively, and they landed on Serena and Aliyah.
They were standing by the entrance, mid-conversation, but the moment they saw me…
They stopped.
Their gazes dropped to where Donald walked beside me.
Then back to my face, and their facial expressions changed completely.
Confusion, annoyance, and underneath it, something that looked a lot like jealousy.
Aliyah's lips pressed into a thin line, serena's eyes narrowed slightly.
I slowed down without meaning to, my steps faltering just enough to betray the sudden tightness in my chest, because the way they were looking at me now wasn't just anger anymore, it wasn't just be
