chapter 73

The night was long, and despite the tension that had settled between me and Angela, my friends and I stayed up, gisting and reminiscing about the old days. We’d all gathered in my suite after the party, and the laughter in the room helped ease some of the anxiety that had settled in my chest.

Ella was lounging on the couch, a glass of champagne in hand, while Mary sat cross-legged on the floor, flipping through old pictures on her phone.

"Remember Mr. Williams?" Ella said, giggling as she scrolled through an ancient class photo. "That man was a *disaster*."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Oh God, yes. His outfits were legendary. He always wore those neon-green shoes with that terrible mustard-yellow blazer."

Mary snorted, shaking her head. "He looked like he was about to audition for a circus every single day. And those pants! Remember when one of the boys put glue on his chair and he got stuck to it during the math exam?"

We all erupted into laughter. “He was so mad!” I added, clutching