Ava sprinted down the hall, her breath coming in shallow, panicked gasps. She didn’t care that half her makeup was streaked down her face, the remnants of her tears drying on her skin. All she could think about was getting back to her desk—getting back before Miss Valle noticed her absence.
But when she finally reached her table, her stomach dropped.
Miss Valle was already sitting in her chair, legs crossed, casually twirling a pen between her fingers. Her eyes, cold and calculating, zeroed in on Ava the moment she stumbled into the room.
“Who told you you could take thirty minutes off?” Miss Valle’s voice was smooth, with an edge that sliced right through the air. “Weren’t you taught that time is of the essence?”
Ava froze, the pit in her stomach deepening. There it was again—her eyes
