Sophia Rambeau is not someone you would describe as average.
With a brilliant mind passed down from her deceased mother, life tends to drag between her physics and biology classes at Midtown School of Science and Technology. The only real things tha...
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SOPHIA HAD NEVER BEEN SO AFRAID TO STEP ONTO CAMPUS.
It had taken all her strength this morning to get out of bed, slamming her hand hard enough on her alarm that it cracked the plastic. Slipping into a baggy sweater that had sleeves long enough to cover her gloved hands, Sophia couldn't stomach the eggs and burnt toast that Idris made for breakfast. Luckily, her dad was already gone by the time she left, unsure if she could handle another one of his pitiful glances.
Lottie and Harry offered to give her a lift to school, but Sophia refused, preferring to use the time spent on the train to mentally prepare herself for what was to come.
What would people be saying about her? What had they been saying? How many of them would know what happened to her?
The questions swam in her mind, clogging it of any positive thoughts of finally returning to normal life as she walked to the edge of Midtown. Its campus was cleared seeing as how she was already ten minutes late to class.
Her lungs seized as she went to take a step, not allowing oxygen in. And then the images came. Ones of needles and test tubes and slashes on her skin that she could still feel every day. Sweat glided down her temples, her breathing turning ragged and paused.
"I can't do this."
Turning away, Sophia couldn't even remember how she'd gotten home by the time she walked up the brick steps. Walking inside, there wasn't any sign of Idris as she slung her backpack down, trying to help calm her breathing as she leaned against the door.
"Mi cielito?"
Chief Rambeau walked down the staircase, eyes filled with concern as he took in his disheveled daughter. "Sophia, what are you doing home? Is everything okay?"
Sophia couldn't meet her father's stare. Things had been . . . tense between the two of them ever since their last argument. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that they loved one another, but there had been a line crossed that Sophia still wasn't ready to reconcile.
