Val’s P.O.V

The world didn’t go black. It dissolved into a nauseating, shimmering haze. The roar of the cafeteria became a distant, muffled roar, like listening to the ocean from inside a seashell. Vienna’s smug, vicious face was the last thing I saw clearly before it blurred into a smear of blonde hair and red lips.

I was aware of my body listing sideways, of Brielle’s sharp gasp, of Talia’s hand shooting out to grab my arm. But their touches felt distant, insignificant, like ...