The day they released the special issue of 'The Aviary' was a cool, overcast Friday. The mood at school was tense, the air thick with anticipation. Everyone knew it was coming. Nina had been a master of guerilla marketing, plastering the school with stark, minimalist posters that featured a single, powerful image: Thea's spiraling feather. The posters had no text, no explanation. They did not need any.
The entire school was holding its breath.
Their group met before the first bell, in the now-familiar territory of the art room. Ms. Sharma was there, a stack of freshly printed magazines on the worktable.
The new issue was beautiful. The cover was Thea's feather, stark and elegant against a deep, charcoal-gray background. The only text was the title, 'The Aviary', and below it, in small, simple type: "A Special Issue: My Story, by Thea".
