I kept my eyes fixed straight ahead, my boots striking the floorboards in a rigid, rhythmic pace as I walked right past them. I didn't care about their words, but the announcement itself was a massive logistical problem. A school party. An elite gala on the ridge. To them, it was a playground, but to me, it was a minefield.
Candice and the other valley scholarship students were already huddled near the exit, their faces pale and anxious as they looked at the digital invitation. They knew what a mandatory gala meant—it meant standing in corners while the legacy heirs flaunted wealth we couldn't accumulate in three lifetimes. I didn't say a word to them. My mind was already hard-coding my excuse. I wasn't going. There was absolutely no point in stepping into a room where Chloe, Benny, and t
