Hailey's pov
The knock came softly at first.
I froze, my breath catching in my chest, my hands tightening around my knees. For a split second, panic flared—someone laughing, someone ready to say more things I couldn’t take. I didn’t answer. I barely breathed.
The door creaked anyway.
Light spilled into the closet, sharp against the dim, making me squint. I swiped at my face quickly, trying to scrub away the evidence, but it was pointless. My cheeks were wet, my nose red, my chest still hitching with every uneven breath.
A girl stood there.
I didn’t recognize her right away. She wasn’t from my class. She wasn’t smirking or whispering. She just stood there, eyes soft, taking me in without judgment.
“Oh,” she said quietly. “I thought someone was in here.”
I sniffled, embarrassed, tur
