Sugar before the Burn

, like it knew so

mbled slightly as she clutched the strap of her bag, the only thing keeping her grounded in this unfamiliar city. Behind her was a pa

just a chang

was e

. Not rich. Not poor. Just... neat. Controlled. Like the kind o

e guilt. The house loomed ahead-whitewashed, sterile, and quiet. A thin

door cre

n her usual tone-neither wa

exactly the same: silver-rimmed glasses, tightly pulled-

ing aside. "Shoes off, bag by t

ed like bleach and leftover regrets. The walls were bare, the

The walls were bare, save for a mirror on the wardrobe that seemed to stretch her reflection thinner than it was. She hadn't cried. Not

cked he

th

ations. No one even

invisibl

w she l

n't feel like a

ck on her door.

s of water and a glance that hovere

ettled in?

. "Yeah. It'

the room, placing the glass on the desk. "You ready for scho

," Elena

ife's about to change. Whe

va. She'll help me through all of this. Thanks

p it. Don't be silly. You need to rest after the journey. Go

and quietly shut the d

niversit

o

g as students swarmed past. She wore jeans and a black long-sleeved top-safe, qui

oice called

tu

only re

all the pieces. Ava hugged her tight, her bl

"God, I was beginning to

most

to the war zone. Let's

cturers who had egos the size of Jupiter and boys who thought eye contact meant mar

th

ing wen

ence.

d her head-

garette between his fingers, dark curls falling over one

noti

warned unde

is

said. "Trus

s were already

ed righ

h her. Not

h

ed like he knew a secret she

ed away, leaving smoke

since the moment Zayne looked at her. Ava was talking about some girl who got suspended for che

Ava said out of nowhere, eyes flicking tow

nd yet you're still loo

s about danger. He's magnetic, yeah. But magnet

a no

didn't

dow, sketching for the first time since she arrived. Her pencil

hed, she stare

was

yn

e the p

pled

it in t

or her phone, someth

n lit up with

er: You look

eath c

ber: I like

the screen,

old anyone h

even

silence around her grew louder. The walls creaked like old bones, an

didn't reach for the sketchbook. Instead, she went to the bin, pulled out the crumpled page, and

ne buzz

: Sweet dreams

that night. Not bec

t time in a long time, sh

ied her more th