POV: Samira James
The cafeteria was loud in the way it always got when exams were close. Conversations overlapped in a messy blur of noise while chairs scraped harshly against the floor. The tension sat just beneath the surface even when people tried to act normal. I could feel the collective anxiety of the room pressing in like a physical weight.
I slid into the seat across from Amanda and Novia, setting my bag beside me on the plastic bench and pulling out my lunch. Amanda was already mid-sentence, her hands moving frantically as she spoke to emphasize every word.
"I cannot believe the math exam is next week." She complained, leaning so far forward that her hair nearly touched her tray. "I barely got through the practice set last night."
Novia closed her notebook carefully and placed
