Aurora neared the principal's office, her footsteps light but steady. The faint buzz of voices inside grew louder as she approached, and for a fleeting moment, the noise irritated her.
She paused outside the door, drawing in a quiet breath before stepping inside.
"Mr. Harris," she said calmly, her voice cutting cleanly through the chatter. "Can I now fill up the form for the SATs?"
The room fell abruptly silent. Every head turned toward her, a wave of stunned faces locking eyes with her.
The teachers, secretaries, and administrative staff—each one carried the same expression of disbelief, as if seeing a ghost walk in.
Just moments ago, they had been buzzing like bees, their voices overlapping in a chorus of complaints and accusations. Now, they stared.
They had gathered here earlier in the morning with a single purpose: to file formal complaints against Aurora. The same Aurora Smith who had dropped out of school, the same girl they'd written off as a hopeless case
