Chapter 35
Lena walked quickly through the main hallway, her stained sweater barely hiding the way her shoulders curled in on themselves. The buzz of voices—usually just background noise—was now a thick, humming presence she couldn’t ignore. It followed her like a shadow.
She kept her eyes down as she passed groups of students gathered near lockers or leaning against walls. Normally, people barely noticed her. But now, they *looked*—some subtly, others not at all. Their eyes trailed her movements like she was a storm cloud rolling through on a sunny day.
**“That’s her.”**
**“Dean’s girl—while he was still with Lily.”**
**“Heard they were making out in the girls’ bathroom.”**
**“She practically stole him.”**
Lena didn’t need to look to know who was talking. The voices weren’t always
