SANDRA’S POV
Morning comes too fast, real life doesn’t wait. Campus is loud, full, alive in a way that feels wrong after everything that happened. Students walking, laughing, talking like nothing is broken, nothing changed.
But everything changed for me. I walk through the crowd, my bag on my shoulder, my steps steady even though nothing inside me feels steady.
I’d hoped today would feel normal. It doesn’t. It feels like I’m pretending.
“Hey!” I don’t even need to turn. Lena catches up to me, falling into step beside me like she always does, like nothing can stop her when she decides something matters.
She looks at me once, properly. Her brows pull together. “You look like a mess.”
“I’m okay,” I say too quickly. She gives me a look. “You’re not.”
“I said I’m fine.” My voice comes ou
