Fifteen Minutes to the End

I burst through the school gates, half out of breath, sweat sticking my shirt to my back.

I wiped my face on my sleeve, scanning the courtyard, and nearly collided with June, who was scrolling on her phone, coming from the opposite direction.

"Hey! Heyyy…. whoa, Ash, what's wrong? You look like you just ran all the way here. Are you out of cash again?"

I laughed weakly, pulling back. "Oh no. No. Technically…I took a cab. I'm just…nervous about something."

June squinted at me, suspicious. "What's that? You know you can always tell me."

I shifted my backpack higher on my shoulders, glancing away.

Truth was, I hadn't told her or Marcus about the hearing. I didn't want them to start worrying. Not when they had their own stuff to deal with. And my own nerves were already chewing me alive.

So I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head.