Caden
I don’t know why I stopped walking. One second, I’m pushing through the crowd, trying to get to the vending machines. The next—I’m frozen. She’s on the floor. Lia. She’s on the goddamn floor, back against the lockers, shaking, eyes glassy, like her whole world just came crashing down. Jenna’s crouched beside her. Sutton too. Mrs. Sawyer’s calling for the nurse. Everyone’s staring. And I can’t move. I can’t breathe.
It’s like watching an old movie reel—grainy, slow, flickering in and out. The colors are too bright. The sound is too far away. But the image stays sharp. Her. Falling apart. Because of me. I feel it hit in the back of my throat—some tight, ugly thing I don’t know how to name. Guilt? No. Not that. I didn’t do anything. Not really. She’s the one who walked away. She’s the
