LORI
The next day, the cafeteria smelled like burnt fries and floor polish, same as every other day, and our table was buzzing with the usual nonsense; Reed ranting about how math should be illegal, Sienna stabbing her fork into a limp salad and Evie rolling her eyes at both of them. I looked up to see Marcus hovering at the edge of the table, clutching a giant paper bag like it was a damn life raft.
“Uh, hey,” he said, voice cracking. He slid into the empty spot across from me, dumped the bag on the table, and pulled out a box. “Brought these.”
The smell hit instantly—sugar, cinnamon, vanilla. He popped the lid, and inside were frosted cupcakes lined up like soldiers.
Reed’s jaw dropped. “Bro,” he whispered, like Marcus had just handed him the keys to paradise. He snatched one befor
