Chapter One Hundred And Seventeen
The Monday morning air inside the youth outreach center felt thick, heavy, and completely charged with an uncomfortable energy. The moment my boots stepped across the threshold and the heavy glass front doors clicked shut behind me, the entire atmosphere in the lobby shifted instantly.
It was as if an invisible dial had been turned down to zero. Conversations that had been flowing freely just a second ago stopped abruptly mid-sentence. Heads snapped around in unison. Dozens of eyes locked onto me, following my exact movements like heat-seeking missiles as I began the long, agonizing walk down the main hallway toward my desk.
The whispers started almost immediately. They were low, buzzing sounds that bounced off the linoleum floors and concrete walls, m
