I held my books close to my chest, as though they would protect me from the outside world. The corridor buzzed with laughter and voices, every sound too sharp, every glance too heavy. I kept my eyes fixed on the floor tiles and counted my steps, anything to keep my mind from circling back to the words that haunted me.
I’ll tell the school board. Everyone will know.
Liam’s voice replayed in my head until it hollowed me out.
Every laugh I passed seemed to bend toward me. Every whisper felt like it belonged to me. Were they talking about me? Or was it just paranoia, his threatening claws digging into my chest?
By the time I slipped into the back row of class, my hands were trembling. I tried to take notes, but the letters blurred on the page, meaningless scribbles I couldn’t focus on. All
