Chapter 76: Supernatural Scavenger Hunt
{Elira}
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I couldn’t shake off the heaviness in my chest—not after the week I’d had.
Still, I followed Cambria and the others into the cafeteria, trying to appear as though I hadn’t spent half the night thinking about my mother... and the letter from the student council.
The cafeteria was its usual storm of voices and clinking metal. I joined the food line, gripping my tray with half-hearted energy.
The air smelled of toasted bread, grilled sausage, and sweet berry yoghurt—comfort food for another long day.
I added a couple of banana pancakes, some sausage, and a jar of yoghurt onto my tray.
Not my usual enthusiastic selection, but I wasn’t sure how much I could eat with my mind spiralling in a dozen directions.
Cambria stood beside me, as always, calm and focused. She had a salad, an egg, and the same pancakes I’d picked.
We found a table by the wall—our usual spot. The rest of the girls slid into their seats one by one. Nari groaned as she flopped onto the bench beside Juniper.
"The pancakes better be worth the wait," she muttered, stabbing one with her fork. "I swear, if I stand behind another indecisive student, I will combust."
"You mean people like you?" Tamryn said without glancing up from peeling her egg.