Melody Marks Schoolgirl -

She sat down, heart hammering. Beside her, a girl named Sasha—who wore ripped tights and drew dragons in the margins of her notes—whispered, “Damn, Marks. Where’d that come from?”

Silence. The usual silence.

Melody didn’t answer. But for the first time, she smiled. Not a polite smile. A real one. After school, she didn’t go straight home. She took the long way, through the old arboretum behind the academy. The cherry trees were blooming, petals falling like pink snow. She sat on a weathered bench, pulled out a notebook, and began to write. melody marks schoolgirl

But today, the ritual felt different.