---
---
Jonah never liked schooling at Ravencrest. A place where rich students pretended not to see people like him, and teachers who only noticed him when homework was late or tuition was mentioned.
He still got up every day anyway. Because staying home wasn't an option.
His mother cleaned houses in town until her wrists swelled and her back locked up. Some nights she came home so tired she fell asleep sitting upright.
So Jonah studied hard, kept his head down, and tried not to make trouble.
He failed at the last part often. Mostly because of Sienna.
"You're walking too fast."
Jonah didn't turn around. "You're walking too slow."
"I have shorter legs."
"You also stop every six seconds to look at flowers."
"They're pretty."
"They're weeds."
He finally glanced over his shoulder. Sienna was hurrying down the stone path toward him, one shoe half untied, hair slightly messy, carrying too many books against her chest like she'd stolen a library.
