Daniella’s POV

School is loud

It always has been, but today the noise feels sharper, closer, like it’s pressing in on me from every direction. Lockers slam, people laugh, shoes squeak against the floor, and every sound makes my shoulders tense. I keep my eyes forward and my steps measured, matching Dean’s pace exactly as we walk down the hallway. We always walk together now.

Not because anyone told us to—because neither of us wants to be alone.

“Math first,” Dean murmurs, just loud ...