I laughed, “Are you asking me for gossip?”

Vivianne raised a brow, amused. She had this calm, effortless energy about her—dark braids pulled into a loose bun, silver hoops in her ears, and a fitted long-sleeve shirt that screamed “I know I look good and I don’t care if you know it too.” Her notebook was already open, pen in hand, like she actually cared about the class we were about to sit through.

“I mean,” she said, sliding into the seat beside me, “you disappeared since we ...