Chapter 4 (i)

My heart jumped but I remained where I was for an extra second, deliberating my next move. He’d already spotted me, making it a little less convenient for me to pretend I’d forgotten about his invitation. He wanted me there—for a meeting. There were others inside, a whole four of them; this wouldn’t be another unfortunate run-in with the student administration of my school.

I took a deep breath then joined him.

Inside, the blonde girl, who was in my homeroom but had done a good job of pretending I didn’t exist, gestured for me to sit next to her with a smile. I may have done a double take if I weren’t so busy trying to play it cool and confident, but my brain was slowly crumpling in on itself trying to make sense of the sudden shift in her disposition.

Without any real knowledge of what might’ve transpired, I decided it was better not to offend her. Who knew, maybe Sydney was a skilled actress herself and was moving into