Three weeks later, Evergreen High was filled with fresh flowers, excited voices, and the nervous energy of graduation day.
Banners decorated the hallways, lockers had been covered with colorful notes, and sunlight poured through the classroom windows. Everything looked familiar, yet somehow different.
As I walked through the corridors with my books in my arms, I realized I wasn't just leaving a school behind. I was leaving behind the girl who believed her scholarship was the only thing that could save her future. The girl who kept everyone at a distance because she thought caring about people only gave them the power to hurt her.
I had changed in ways I couldn't have imagined a year ago.
"Lara! Finally!"
Maya hurried toward me, her graduation gown hanging over one arm. Before I could
