The bell shrieked through the room like a dying thing, and I exhaled slowly, sliding my biology notes back into my binder with the kind of precision that keeps my hands from shaking. Formaldehyde still clung to the air—thick, sour, sharp enough that it made my hunger itch faintly at the back of my throat. I shoved the feeling down. It wasn’t strong, not yet.

My chair scraped lightly against the tile as I stood. Kids were already flooding out, laughing too loud, their voices bouncing off the walls like trapped birds. I moved slower, deliberate, braids slipping over my shoulders as I slung my bag on. My phone buzzed in my pocket—probably Riley dropping some cryptic meme—but I ignored it. World History was next, which meant Ritaj… and Maya. Perfect.

I stepped into the hallway, swallowed by the current of students. Fluorescent lights hummed above me like they were watching. My fingers twitched once at my side, a tiny spasm, and I curled them into a fist to hide it. Just get to class. Blend in. Be normal. Pretend the gnawing inside me isn’t getting louder the closer I get to HER.