KATHY’S POV
By the next morning, the whole school was buzzing.
Everywhere I went, I heard the same name over and over — Ashley.
“Did you see how Lucas carried her?”
“He looked terrified.”
“They’d make such a cute couple!”
I couldn’t even walk down the hall without hearing it. Every whisper was a dagger to my chest. Every time someone said her name, my jaw tightened. My hands clenched at my sides until my nails bit into my palms.
At my locker, I could hear two freshmen behind me giggling.
“She fainted, and he ran to her,” one said.
“Like a movie! I swear, Lucas totally likes her.”
My locker door slammed shut so hard that the sound echoed across the hallway. Everyone went quiet for a second.
Brianna, who had been standing beside me, jumped. “Kathy… calm down,” she whispered.
“Ca
