As the bus pulled away, Jamal stood alone on the sidewalk, his phone pressed to his ear. “Yeah, I’ll find my own way,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady. He wiped his eyes quickly before anyone could see.

The family sat around the dinner table in silence. No one touched the food, and the TV in the background played quietly. Finally, Dad stood up and said, “I’ll be in the garage.”

Miguel rubbed his eyes and dropped his pencil. He had studied for hours the night before, barely sleeping. Now he stared at the big red ‘C’ at the top of his test and sighed.

Lily checked the mailbox twice before dinner. When she opened it the second time and saw it was still empty, she closed it slowly and whispered, “Maybe tomorrow.”

Carlos raced into the gym just as the buzzer sounded. His teammates had already started warming up. Coach crossed his arms and gave Carlos a long look without saying a word.

Ava scanned her paper, and a wide grin slowly spread across her face. She turned to her friend beside her and gave him a quick fist bump under the desk.

Alex sat in the lunchroom with a grin he couldn’t hide. Every time his phone buzzed, he glanced at the screen and smiled a little more. He didn’t even touch his sandwich.

Max walked into the living room, dragging his backpack behind him. His parents looked up, but he didn’t say anything. He kept his eyes on the floor and shuffled toward the stairs.

The credits rolled, and the lights came up in the theater. No one clapped. A few people stood up quickly and shook their heads as they walked toward the exit.

Ella glanced over her shoulder three times before slipping the envelope into her teacher’s mailbox. She ducked down the hallway and disappeared into the crowd.

Taylor stood at the edge of the diving board, staring down at the water. “I’m not scared,” she mumbled, though her hands trembled and her knees bent slightly.

The picnic table was overturned, potato chips littering the grass. A juice box had exploded, and one of the paper plates was stuck in a nearby tree. A trail of muddy paw prints led toward the woods.

Jenna stormed out of her math class, her eyes fixed on the floor. She slammed her locker shut so hard that the kid next to her jumped. Without saying a word, she marched down the hallway, ignoring her best friend calling her name.