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Her gaze flicked desperately to Rose's side. Empty. No Ella. A sliver of relief tried to sneak in, but it was thin, fragile. Kim and Rose alone were enough to send her spiraling.
Sarah ducked her face into the curve of her book, dragging it up like a shield. Maybe if she stayed small, invisible, this moment would pass. But then the teacher said the words she dreaded most.
"Let's have everyone introduce themselves so our new classmates can get to know us."
Her soul slipped right out of her body.
One by one, voices lifted around the room, cheerful, steady. Adrian introduced himself with his easy smile. Sarah's stomach sank as the spotlight inched closer, closer, until it burned on her.
Slowly, she stood. Her knees wobbled so badly she had to grip the desk to stay upright. Her hair fell over her face, merciful curtain, but she could still feel their eyes.
"M-my name is Sarah," she whispered, her voice trembling like glass on the edge of a table. "Nice to meet you."
Heat rushed up her neck, blotching her cheeks. She sat down so fast the chair screeched against the floor, snatched her book, and shoved her face behind it again. Her fingers clenched until her knuckles turned bone-white.
The introductions carried on, but Sarah couldn't hear them. Her pulse was too loud, roaring in her ears. She could feel Kim's presence before the teacher even told him where to sit. The air thickened, pressing down on her chest.
When the chair beside her scraped out, she nearly flinched. He was right there. Kim Holly Williams—the reason she had left, the ghost that had followed her anyway—was now close enough that she could hear his quiet breathing.
Her book trembled in her hands. She pressed it tighter against her face, as though paper and ink could erase him.
"Sarah."
Adrian's voice, low, worried. She risked a glance. His eyes searched her face, full of concern. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen—" He stopped, confusion flickering across his features. Because to him, Kim and Rose were just new kids. Nothing more.
Sarah swallowed hard, unable to answer. Adrian's words were just muffled noise, slipping past her like water through a sieve. Her mind was a storm—panic, memories, the crushing weight of being seen again by the people she wanted most to disappear.
So she sat, frozen, clutching her book, heart pounding so loudly she swore the whole class could hear it.
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