"Daddy… where is she? What happened? Please… no, no!"
I woke up screaming, drenched in my own sweat
"Shit, I'm late," I muttered to myself as I jumped out of bed and rushed into the shower. I bathed quickly and got dressed in a hurry.
When I stepped out of my room, I found Emily already seated at the table, waiting for Dad to serve her eggs and bacon—which I was sure he had burned.
"Here you go, honey," Dad said.
"Thanks, Dad," Emily replied brightly, forcing a smile.
I let out a small laugh before heading into the kitchen to make myself some eggs.
"So, are you ready for school, sweetie?" Dad asked gently. "You can skip today if you want. I know the first day of senior year can be tough… especially after everything that happened. I could—"
"I'm fine, Dad," I interrupted, cutting him off. I hated how much he worried. He was always worrying, and all I wanted was for him to be okay… for everyone to be okay.
After eating, Emily and I got into the car, and I drove us to school. I walked her to her class before heading to mine. She's only ten, so we don't see each other during the day, but now I make sure to check on her as often as I can.
As I pushed open the school doors, I realized that the noise I had been hearing outside suddenly fell silent.
I didn't look up. I just walked straight to my locker, pretending to be busy—pretending to be calm, like nothing mattered.
"Hey there, new girl. You look a lot like my best friend… but she was a brunette, and she would never do something as fun and spontaneous as changing her hair color.
A familiar, warm voice reached me.
I smiled and turned, pulling him into a hug. Dylan—my best friend, and the smartest, kindest guy I knew.
"I like the blonde on you," he added with a smirk. "It screams 'I don't want people staring at me.'"
I rolled my eyes, knowing how ridiculously sarcastic he could be.
"There wasn't any other color that looked good on me. And I still want to look good for senior year," I said, arranging my books in my locker.
Dylan and I had skipped junior year after passing an extremely competitive exam given only to sophomores. Only two students had ever passed it before us since the school was founded. Because of that, we jumped straight into senior year.
It had been a huge story around school before summer break… before everything changed.
Now, I knew people were staring at me—but not because of how smart I was. They were waiting. Waiting for the moment I would break.
I closed my locker, and Dylan and I headed to our new class. We chose seats in the second row from the front just as Mr. Right walked in. Moments later, the rest of the seniors followed.
"Hope everyone is settled in. My name is Mr. Right, and I'll be teaching History. Let's get right to it—we'll start with the U.S. government and ci—"
He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes shifting toward the door. Everyone followed his gaze.
And there he was.
So much had been going on in my life that I had almost forgotten my obsession with him.
"Well, can I come in?" Jason said casually, standing at the door—over thirty minutes late, looking completely unbothered.
"You may fill in those forty minutes in detention, Jason. Now come in," Mr. Right replied before continuing the lesson as if nothing had happened.
Jason walked in and headed straight to his girlfriend, who was fast asleep on her desk.
I couldn't stop myself from looking back.
I couldn't stop noticing how, in just four months, he had changed. His body was stronger, more defined. His hair was darker, slightly longer. His eyes… darker too, like he hadn't been sleeping. Yet somehow, he looked sharper than ever.
"Hey, if you stare at him for too long, he might notice," Dylan whispered. "And trust me, you don't want my brother noticing you. His stupidity is contagious."
I smiled at his comment—until I noticed Mr. Right staring directly at us.
"Well, if you enjoy talking so much during class," he said sharply, "perhaps you'll enjoy reading during your breaks. Detention. Both of you."
"Oh, come on, sir. I was just— I mean, look at Kassie sleeping through the entire period, and you give us detention?" Dylan protested, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.
"Hey, shut up, Dylan," Jason muttered, clearly defending his girlfriend.
"Yeah, Dylan. Mind your own business," Kassie snapped, lifting her head and throwing a pen at him.
"Well, Kassie, if you have the energy to talk, you have the energy to listen. You too—detention," Mr. Right said firmly.
The bell rang soon after.
I left the classroom knowing exactly where I needed to go—where my mind had been since last night.
I headed straight to the nurse's office, walking as fast as I could.
The moment I opened the door, she looked at me—and I caught the fear in her eyes.
"Raven, please… let it be something else. You're going to get me fired," she said, standing up immediately.
I could feel it—her guilt. She wanted to help, but she couldn't.
"Miss Ariel clearly said three months was enough. Those pills will eventually harm you," she added.
"Look, I'm not addicted. I just need them," I insisted, following her as she moved around the room, showing her how persistent I could be. "Cut me some slack. It's been a month."
"You need to talk to your doctor. I can't do anything for you right now," she said firmly, pointing toward the door.
I walked out, frustration boiling inside me.
I couldn't face anyone right now. I couldn't sit through another conversation.
So I went straight to the restroom… just to hide.