ISABELLA’S POV
I grabbed Mia’s arm, my fingers digging into her sleeve, and yanked her from the cafeteria table, my heart pounding like a trapped bird. Her scream—“WHAT?!”—still echoed, drawing every eye in the room. Students gawked, their trays clattering, whispers hissing like snakes.
“Who knows what she might have done this time,” someone muttered.
“…she’s such a shameless slut,” another sneered.
My cheeks burned, my red hair sticking to my sweaty neck as I dragged Mia through the crowd, their stares branding me. I was Crestwood’s punching bag, the most bullied, the most hated, and Mia’s outburst had lit a fresh fuse. I kept my head down, my sneakers squeaking, pulling her past the cafeteria’s glass doors into the hallway.
“Slow down, Bella!” Mia gasped, her blonde ponytail bou
