CASSIE’S POV
I gripped my pen tightly.
Fucking Celeste.
The teacher walked over. His expression was tight as he looked at the setup, then at me.
“Cassie,” he said, “what are you doing?”
“I followed the instructions-” I started.
“I told her exactly what to do,” Celeste cut in calmly. “She just doesn’t listen.”
I looked at her in disbelief. Celeste didn’t even know the first two things about Chemistry.
“That’s not true,” I said. My voice was sharper now.
The teacher sighed, rubbing his forehead slightly. “If you can’t keep up, you should say so.”
I looked at him, stunned. His words hit me hard. They weren’t loud. They weren’t cruel but they were deep, like I didn’t belong here.
“I followed the instructions I was given,” I said quietly.
Celeste smiled. Then she laughed softly, sha
