The air in September always felt different at Eastwood High.

It wasn’t colder yet, not really, but the faint scent of freshly cut grass from the football field mixed with the musty smell of textbooks that had been locked in classrooms all summer. For the seniors, every first day carried a strange weight—this was the last time they’d walk these halls as students, the last time they’d find their lockers decorated with “Welcome Back” flyers from the student council.

Daisy noticed the shift more than most. Maybe because she had a habit of memorizing the details others overlooked—the scuffed corner of a hallway banner, the way the sunlight landed differently...