LOGINJessaPeople always talk about karma like it works on a timer.Like boom, someone hurts you and the universe immediately swoops in like a cosmic referee throwing a flag on the play.But sometimes karma is slow.Sometimes it takes years.And sometimes, when it finally hits… you don’t know how to feel.That was me.Wednesday morning.Standing at my locker.Hearing the whispers.“Daniel transferred.”“He’s not coming back.”“He’s gone.”Gone.And the first thing I felt wasn’t fear.Or sadness.Or pity.It was relief.Warm and sharp and immediate—like finally exhaling after holding your breath for too long.And then came the guilt.I leaned my forehead against the inside of my locker, pretending to look for a notebook while my stomach twisted.Was it awful to be glad?Was I a terrible person because part of me wanted to celebrate?I didn’t know.All I knew was that a piece of my life—the loudest, nastiest piece—had just been removed.Ripped out.Gone.And I didn’t have to dread seeing him
JacksonBy Wednesday, Ridgeville High felt… wrong.Not chaotic. Not loud. Just tense — like everyone was pretending things were normal while waiting for the next explosion. The hallway whispers followed me everywhere:“Did you hear?”“Daniel’s gone.”“No, like—gone gone.”I tried to ignore it. Tried to stay focused. But even Noah looked uneasy beside me, and that wasn’t a good sign.I headed into the locker room and barely got three steps inside when Shane called out.“Yo, Lombardi. You hear yet?”I glanced over. Shane — always loyal to a fault, one of the few who stuck by Daniel no matter how much of a jerk he turned into — stood with his hands shoved deep in his pockets, shoulders tight.“Hear what?” I asked, tossing my bag down.He hesitated. That alone made my stomach twist.“Daniel’s transferring.”Everything inside me froze.“What?” I snapped. “When?”“Like… right now,” Shane muttered. “They’re pulling his school records today. He won’t be back.”My chest tightened, a mix of sho
NoahI pulled into Jessa’s driveway slower than necessary, mostly because I wasn’t ready for the night to end. She sat beside me, quiet but not in a bad way — more like she was trying to hold on to the last few minutes before reality came rushing back.The streetlamps hit her hair in soft gold streaks. She picked at a thread on her sleeve, pretending not to notice me looking at her and definitely failing.“You okay?” I asked.She nodded, though her voice came out small. “Yeah. Just… I don’t know. Tonight was really nice.”Nice.If she only knew what it did to me — walking beside her, listening to her laugh, catching her looking at me like she couldn’t believe I wanted to be there.I could’ve sat in the parking lot talking to her for five more hours.I reached over and brushed her cheek with the back of my fingers — slow, careful, like she might flinch away.She didn’t. She leaned into it.“You know,” I said, “I’m really glad you came out with me.”Her breath hitched just a little. “Me
JessaNoah texted me in the late afternoon, right after practice ended.Noah:Heading home. Quick shower.Be there at 7.The message made my stomach fizz.I must’ve stared at the text for a full thirty seconds before Mariah snapped her fingers in front of my face.“Hello? Earth to Jessa. Put your phone down and sit. We need to get you ready.”I sat at the edge of my bed and watched Mariah unzip her makeup bag — a terrifying combination of glitter, brushes, and products with names like “Luminosity Glow Burst.”“Do I need glow burst?” I asked skeptically.She didn’t pause. “Tonight? Yes.”“I feel like that’s a lie.”“It is,” she admitted, “but it’s still necessary.”I laughed, nervous and happy and panicked all at once. My body felt like it was buzzing in too many directions.“Okay,” I breathed. “But… is this really a date?”“Yes,” she said without even looking up.“How do you know?”“Because I know men,” she said. “Well, boys. Stupid, emotionally helpless boys. Noah has officially ente
JessaBy the time the last bell rang, I could barely sit still.Not in the panicky way I used to feel walking down hallways — terrified someone would make a comment or laugh behind my back. This was different.This was… warm. Fluttery. Kind of electric.And all because Noah Carter wanted to hang out again.Not by accident.Not because we got pushed together.Not because he had to.Because he wanted to.I still couldn’t get used to that — Noah wanting me.Noah choosing me.Even now, hours after he asked, the words replayed in my head:“After practice… let’s go somewhere. Just you and me.”My stomach flipped every time I remembered it.At my locker, I grabbed my books and tried to look casual — like I wasn’t living in a romantic alternate universe where Noah texted me goodnight and called me just to hear my voice and said things like you made my day better for no reason.Mariah appeared beside me, already smirking.Her superpower was always knowing exactly when I was about to spiral.“W
NoahBy third period, Ridgeville High felt like the whole school had taken a shot of gasoline and chased it with gossip.Everyone was talking about Daniel.“He got expelled—”“He punched a cop—”“He got recruited by a cult—”Stupid. Ridiculous. Loud.I slammed my locker shut a little too hard, and it rattled.Jackson grabbed a textbook and gave me a side-eye. “Bro. Locker abuse won’t bring him back from the dead.”I snorted. “Feels like it might, though.”We started down the hallway. People kept glancing at us — like we were walking reminders of the chaos they’d watched online. I ignored it.Then I saw her.Jessa.Talking quietly with Mariah.Her binder hugging her chest, hair soft around her face, wearing that red sweater that somehow made the whole hallway look less gray.But her expression…Not sad.Not angry.Just heavy.I didn’t even think — I just walked straight toward her.Mariah noticed me and smirked before slipping away like she’d planned this.“Hey,” I said.Jessa looked u