The sirens weren’t outside—they were in my chest, loud and relentless. When the police walked into the gym, every cruel joke and whisper about my face came rushing back. My thoughts spiraled as fear took over.
I was sure they were there for me. I believed Caleb had lied, that everything had been some elaborate setup. The humiliation I’d always feared felt moments away from becoming real again.
For years, I had been the punchline, the girl people stared at and talked about. Standing there, frozen, I braced myself for the worst, convinced history was repeating itself.
Then something shifted. One of the officers turned, and suddenly it wasn’t me they were focused on. The tension in my chest cracked with confusion.
