ARIA
The school gates loomed ahead, wet iron glinting beneath the gray morning sky. Rain drizzled lazily, coating the air with a metallic chill.
Students milled around, umbrellas clattering, shoes squishing through puddles. Their laughter rose in bursts—bright, careless, the kind that made my chest ache because I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt that light.
I ducked under the archway, clutching my bag tighter, its strap digging into my shoulder. Each step across the slick pavement felt heavy, deliberate, as though I had to remind myself to keep moving forward. The rain soaked through my sleeves, cold against my skin, but it wasn’t enough to drown out the noise in my head.
“Hey!”
Jenna’s voice cut through the drizzle. She stood by the lockers, strands of wet hair plastered to h
