The sound of the alarm clock was relentless. Emma groaned, pulling the covers over her head as if that could block out the day. The new house was still foreign to her - every creak of the floorboards, every shift of the wind through the old windows seemed to scratch her brain in all the wrong ways.

  She hated it here.

  Moving from the city to the small, quiet town of Hetherly had felt like a punishment. A fresh start, her mother had called it. She had hoped the move would fix things —whatever that was supposed to mean. Like it would change anything. Like it would make her father come back.

  "Emma, time to get up!" her mom called from downstairs.

  "Yeah, yeah," Emma mumbled, burying her face in the pillow.

  She had to go to school today. Her first day. The thought made her stomach churn. New place. New people. New expectations. All of it felt like a weight pressing against her chest.

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  Reluctantly, she threw the covers off, her feet hitting the cold floor. She stood there for a moment, her bare feet numb against the wood. The mirror in the corner caught her eye. She always avoided her reflection, and she looked away. No need to stare at a face she wasn't sure she recognized yet.

  Dragging herself toward the bathroom, she washed her face quickly, brushing her teeth with robotic movements. The clothes she had picked out didn't make her feel any better-just a plain t-shirt and jeans. No effort to impress anyone, because she wasn't here to make friends.

  Not today.

  With a sigh, Emma grabbed her backpack and made her way downstairs. The smell of eggs and toast filled the air, but she wasn't hungry. Her mom was at the stove, humming cheerfully as if this whole thing was a happy, fresh start. Emma didn't say anything as she grabbed a quick glass of orange juice and headed for the door. She just wanted to get it over with, and seeing her mom so happy despite the last few months only made her bitter.

  The car ride to school was just as silent as the house. The newness of it all was suffocating. She wasn't sure how long she could keep pretending that things were fine. Things weren't fine. Not anymore. When they pulled up in front of the school, Emma took a deep breath, ready to face a world she didn't belong in.