(Emma’s POV)The week drifted by faster than I expected, and for the first time since I started at Manatee High, I didn’t feel like an outsider. I wasn’t one of the glossy rich kids, but I wasn’t invisible anymore either. I was just… there. Present.By Thursday, the smell of paint had already become part of my routine. Art class was tucked away at the end of the east wing, and it always felt like a different world—messy tables, mismatched stools, sunlight cutting through high windows. I liked it.That morning, the girl who sat next to me looked up from her sketchpad. “You’re Emma, right?” she asked.“Yeah,” I said, smiling a little. “And you’re Lilla.”She grinned. “Guess word gets around. Connor Adler’s friend, right?”I blinked, feeling my face warm. “We’re… kind of friends. I guess.”“Relax,” she said, laughing. “I’m not about to ask for his autograph or something. He’s cool, though. His sister Chelsea’s in my drama class—total natural.”I found myself smiling wider. “Yeah, Chelsea
Last Updated : 2025-10-23 Read more