The lecture hall buzzed with barely suppressed whispers. Professor Chen stood at the front, droning on about economic theory, but Emily could feel every pair of eyes in the room sliding toward her when they thought she wasn't looking.
She kept her gaze forward, taking notes as if nothing had changed, as if the entire campus wasn't currently dissecting her life online.
Halfway through the lecture, a folded piece of paper landed on her desk.
Emily glanced at it, then at the girl sitting beside her.
Chai Tiang.
She was petite, with long black hair pulled into a messy bun and glasses that were always sliding down her nose. She'd been the original Emily's only real friend the one person who'd shown her genuine kindness in a world that had been relentlessly cruel.
Emily unfolded the note.
*Are you okay? We need to talk. Meet me after class?*
Emily looked over at Chai, who was pretending to focus on the lecture but kept glancing at her with worried eyes.
Emily nodded slightly.
