Jessa

I watched them walk away together.

Mariah in the middle.

Jackson slightly ahead, like he was ready to bulldoze the hallway if anyone so much as breathed wrong.

Noah lingering a step behind them, eyes scanning, jaw tight.

The crowd parted for them.

Not dramatically.

Just enough.

Like everyone suddenly remembered they had somewhere else to be.

I stood there for a second longer than I meant to.

The hallway noise came back in pieces — lockers slamming, sneakers ...