ASHLEY’S POV
The cafeteria buzzed with the usual chaos bt the second I stepped through the doors, it was like someone hit the volume dial and twisted it down.
I felt it immediately.
Eyes. So many eyes.
My grip tightened on my tray, my head bowed a bit as I made my way forward, but it didn’t matter. I could hear the whispers.
“Wait… is that Ashley?”
“No way. She looks… different.”
“Where did she get those clothes?”
“She looks like she stepped out of a fashion magazine.”
I kept walking, trying to steady my breathing, but every little whisper I heard made my chest tighten and flutter all at once. My jacket suddenly felt too heavy on my shoulders. I was a bit nervous. I couldn’t help it.
From my peripheral vision, I caught sight of Kathy. She sat at her usual throne-like spot in th
