All Chapters of Becoming Chloe: Chapter 51 - Chapter 59

Maya’s POVBy five thirty in the morning, the sky was still a curtain of gray clouds. The morning air was cold, biting right through my sweater as I pulled up to Tristan’s driveway.Mark was already sitting on the front hood of Tristan's sedan, his coat pulled tight around him, staring off into the street. Chloe was leaning against the passenger door, her hands shoved deep into her jacket pockets.When I stepped out of the car, nobody said a real greeting. We just loaded our gear into Tristan’s trunk, four heavy duty thick black trash bags, a couple pairs of working gloves, and four of those metal trash grabber sticks with the clawed ends that Mark’s dad kept in his garage."Alright," Tristan said, tossing his keys in his hand and unlocking the doors. "Let's get going before highway traffic builds up."Tristan took the wheel, and Chloe immediately claimed the front passenger seat. That left the back seat for me and Mark.I climbed in first, sliding all the way to the left, and Mark sl

Maya’s POVDownstairs in Mark’s living room, the atmosphere was much lighter than it had been all morning. Chloe was sitting on the edge of the couch, wiping a smudge of pizza sauce off her fingers with a napkin."I should probably head out," Chloe said, standing up and grabbing her jacket from the back of the sofa. "I promised I’d help out with dinner tonight. But Maya, you can come over and eat with us if you want.""Thanks, Chloe," I said, offering a small smile as I walked down the hall behind Mark. "I think I'll head back in a bit too."Chloe gave a quick wave to Mark and Tristan before heading out the front door. A few minutes later, after clearing away the empty pizza boxes, I grabbed my bag to leave.Tristan was standing on the front porch, leaning against the wooden railing. I stepped outside. "Hey, Tristan."He turned around, his face softening into a relaxed, easy smile. "Hey, Maya. Headed back?""Yeah," I said, stepping up beside him. I hesitated for a beat, picking at the

Maya’s POVThe school library was dead silent, smelled of old paper, and was entirely empty except for Miss Mildred sitting at the front circulation desk, stamping overdue slips.Chloe and I walked side by side. I gripped the strap of my bag so tightly, while Chloe kept her chin held high, walking with her usual effortless confidence.Miss Mildred stopped stamping the moment we reached her desk. She slowly looked up over the wire rims of her glasses, her sharp eyes scanning us both."Can I help you girls?" Miss Mildred asked, her voice dry.I took a breath, stepping closer. "Um... hi, Miss Mildred. We were actually wondering if you could help us find someone. A student named Jess?"The librarian froze, her hands twitched against the wooden desk. The flat, annoyed expression on her face instantly shifted."Jess who?" Miss Mildred asked, her tone dropping."Just Jess," I pressed, leaning over the counter slightly. "We think she went here a while ago. Do you know a Jess?"Miss Mildred st

Maya’s POVI barely had my foot through the front doors of the school when the shrill, unbroken blare of the intercom cut through the chatter in the hallway."All students report to the main gymnasium immediately. Attendance is mandatory. Repeat, report to the main gymnasium immediately."Around me, students groaned, shifting their backpacks and dragging their feet toward the gym doors. I caught Chloe’s eye across the crowd."What if they know?" Chloe whispered, her voice trembling as we walked over to the wooden bleachers. "Maya, what if security checked and found something in the library? What if we get caught?""Just breathe," I murmured, though my own heart was hammering against my ribs. "Act normal. We don't know what this is about yet."Tristan slipped past a group of freshmen, sitting down right beside us, while Mark stepped in on my other side. His shoulder brushed mine. He didn't say a word, but his posture was rigid, his eyes fixed on the raised stage at the far end of the c