Chapter 30
Kayla pov
The energy in the hallway felt different the moment I walked in with Rhys and Priya, a low buzz of chatter following us toward homeroom, more animated than usual for a Tuesday morning.
"Apparently she's from California," one girl was saying near the lockers.
"No, I heard New York," someone else corrected.
"Someone said she's related to the Whitmores."
Priya leaned in close, grinning. "People here treat new students like celebrity sightings."
"I should know," I said, and she laughed, bumping her shoulder lightly against mine.
We settled into the homeroom, the usual morning chaos of bags dropping and chairs scraping, and I barely registered the teacher clapping her hands for attention until the room quieted around me.
"Before we begin," she said, smiling, "I'd
