It was late on a Friday evening, the kind of evening when the school hallways fell eerily silent and the lights cast long, empty shadows. Most students had already disappeared into their dorms, but not you—you’d forgotten your phone in your last class of the day, and there was no way you were going the whole weekend without it.

As you made your way back down the deserted corridor, you heard the faint sound of someone muttering nearby. At first, you thought you were imagining it, but then it grew louder, punctuated by small, angry thumps.

“Stupid… stupid locker!”

Curious, you followed the sound and rounded the corner to see a girl standing in front of her locker, hands balled into fists, cheeks flushed in frustration. She was wrestling with the lock, tugging on it, her whole body practically vibrating with annoyance as the door refused to budge.

You recognized her vaguely—she was in a few of your classes, but quiet, keeping mostly to herself. Now, though, her normally composed expression was crumbling as she struggled with the jammed door, a hint of desperation flashing in her eyes every time she tried the combination again.