ASHLEY’S POV
The whole school felt like it had been struck by some festival-level fever. Everywhere I went, girls whispered about dresses and mask colors; boys bragged about who they planned to ask; and teachers pretended not to notice students scrolling through costume ideas under their desks. Even the hallways buzzed louder than usual, decorated with half-finished banners and strings of gold lights that the student council insisted on hanging even though the event was still days away.
My friends were the worst offenders. They practically dragged me from one boutique to another after classes and shoved their phones in my face during lunch periods to show me masks covered in rhinestones or complicated lace patterns.
“You’d look hot in this,” Melissa said once, shoving a black velvet mas
