{ Mia }
The car rolled to a slow stop in front of the school gates. The morning sun was barely up, casting long shadows over the pavement.
"Alright, kiddo, here we are," Dad said, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. His tone was light, but I caught the way his grip on the wheel tightened slightly.
I sighed, adjusting my bag strap. "You're acting weird."
He raised an eyebrow. "Weird how?"
I frowned. "I don't know. You're just… staring at me."
Dad chuckled, shaking his head. "Can't a father admire his brilliant daughter before she goes off to conquer the academic world?"
I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Nice save."
Before I could grab the door handle, he reached over and squeezed my wrist gently. "Mia."
Something about the way he said my name made me pause.
"Yeah?"
A beat of silence. Then, he forced a grin. "Have a good day, okay?"
I stared at him for a second longer, debating whether to push or let it go. But then Scarlett's voice crackled softly through my earpiece.
"Mia, you're going to be late."
Right. I had bigger things to worry about.
"See you later, Dad."
I stepped out of the car, slinging my bag over one shoulder. The usual morning buzz of students filled the air friends laughing, lockers slamming, sneakers squeaking against tile floors. It was all normal.
Too normal.
Scarlett's voice crackled softly in my earpiece. "Mia, you're quiet."
"Just… something feels weird," I muttered, scanning the hallway. Nothing looked different, but my gut twisted like I was missing something obvious.
"Your cortisol levels are slightly elevated," Scarlett noted. "Would you like a breathing exercise?"
I rolled my eyes. "I'll pass."
I reached my classroom door and pushed it open I stepped inside, expecting the usual morning chaos chatter, desks scraping, someone throwing a paper ball.
Silence.
The class was quiet, too quiet. Every student was seated, backs straight, eyes forward.
Then, I saw her. A woman I didn't recognize stood at the front, looking down at a clipboard. Young, maybe mid-twenties, with neatly pinned hair and an unreadable expression.
Her gaze lifted. The smile she gave me didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Good morning," she said smoothly.
I hesitated. "Uh… hey. I'm Mia."
I expected her to nod or say something normal. Instead, her brow furrowed slightly, her grip on the clipboard tightening just a fraction.
"Mia?" she echoed, as if testing the name on her tongue. Her gaze flicked to the class list, then back to me. "Are you sure you're in the right room?"
I blinked. "What?"
The teacher smiled politely, but I noticed the slight shift in her stance, like she was bracing for something.
"I don't have you on my roster," she said, flipping through her clipboard.
I let out a small, awkward laugh. "That's funny because I've just been transferred in this class"
A couple of students shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
A strange chill settled in my stomach.
The teacher's expression softened. "I think you might be confused, sweetheart. Maybe check with the office?"
Scarlett's voice buzzed in my earpiece. "Mia, your heart rate just spiked."
I clenched my fists. "No. This is my class." My voice wavered slightly. "Right?"
I glanced around. No one was backing me up. The students stared at their desks, fidgeting, shifting in their seats like they wanted to disappear.
"Isn't this class 3B? Twelfth-grade science at 7:30 a.m.?" I asked, my voice sharper now.
The teacher's lips pressed into a thin line. "I suggest you go to the office, sweetie. Tell the principal to call if you actually belong in here."
Her eyes flicked over me, assessing.
Then she added, almost as an afterthought, "You look too young to be in my class."
Something cold crawled up my spine.
I forced a weak chuckle. "This is a joke, right?"
No answer. Just that unreadable stare.
I swallowed hard and turned to leave. But before I could take a step ...
A hand clamped around my wrist. "Cole," the teacher called, her grip still firm on my wrist. "Escort 'Mia' here to the office."
The way she said my name—like she wasn't convinced it belonged to me—sent a chill through my bones.
Cole, a tall guy from the back of the room, stood up slowly. He didn't look at me. Just walked over and nodded stiffly.
"Come on," he muttered.
My pulse pounded in my ears. My feet felt rooted to the floor. This was insane. This was—
Cole stared at me for a second longer than necessary, his smirk fading just slightly.
"Wait," he said, tilting his head. "You're… Mia from the 'student welcome committee', right?"
My stomach did a weird flip. "I—I what?"
The tension shattered as he chuckled, shaking his head.
"Jeez, I thought you were about to cry again," he teased.
My face burned. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
"Seriously?" I muttered, rubbing my temples. "That's what this was about?"
Cole laughed. "Relax, you looked like you saw a ghost."
I kind of felt like I did.