That Wilder Girl

The teacher set her things down and cleared her throat, drawing the last few murmurs to a stop. "Alright, class, listen up. We've got an announcement."

An announcement? That got everyone's attention. Ryan's friends exchanged curious glances. Maya tilted her head slightly, waiting.

"We've got a new student joining us today," the teacher continued, looking like she was just as tired of this revolving door as the students.

The class let out a collective groan. "Another one?" someone muttered. "That's, what, the eighth new kid this year? This class is cursed, bro."

Parker leaned back in his seat, already zoning out. This wasn't his problem. He wasn't about to waste energy caring about—

"Ms. Wilder, you can come in now."

The name hit him like a bucket of ice water. His head snapped up so fast his neck actually twinged. 'Did she just—? No way. No. Freaking. Way.'

The door opened, and there she was.

Tessa Wilder.