The school bell echoed through the halls, but Zara barely noticed. She was already running late, her mind distracted by the chaos of the bonfire. Star had barely spoken to her, Kendrick had been distant, and King... well, King's comment about Star being jealous still lingered in her mind like an itch she couldn't scratch.

She opened her locker, shoving in her books with a little more force than necessary.

"Zara."

She turned to see Kendrick standing behind her, his expression unreadable.

"W-what Is It?" she jumped. 

"Can we talk?" Kendrick asked, ignoring her hostility.

Before she could respond, King appeared at her side, his eyes flicking between Zara and Kendrick. "Zara, I need to talk to you too."

"Is this some sort of intervention?" she asked, slamming her locker shut.

"No," King replied, his tone calm but firm. "But it's important."

Kendrick opened his mouth to respond, but King cut him off with a look. "Not now, dude."

"Fine," Kendrick muttered, stepping back.

King turned to Zara, motioning for her to follow. "Let's go."

Before she could protest, he grabbed her hand, leading her down the hallway. Zara glanced over her shoulder, watching as Kendrick, Prince, and Star stood In silence. Kendrick leaned against the wall, arms crossed, while Prince fiddled with the zipper on his jacket.

"So," Prince started, breaking the silence. "What's with all the tension? Did I miss something at the bonfire?"

"Not now, Prince," Kendrick muttered, his eyes still on the direction Zara and King had gone.

Prince shrugged. "Just trying to lighten the mood."

Kendrick finally turned to Star, his voice softer now. "You've been distant lately. What's going on with you?"

Star hesitated, unsure how to respond. "I'm fine," she mumbled, her gaze fixed on the floor.

Prince chuckled awkwardly. "She's fine, he says. That's code for 'not fine.' Right, Star?"

This time, Star didn't reply. She glanced down the hall, her thoughts tangled. 

Meanwhile, King and Zara stopped by the school's side entrance. Zara pulled her hand away, crossing her arms defensively.

"What's this about, King?" she was genuienlly confused.

King hesitated, searching for the right words. "You've been acting off lately. You and Star. The whole group feels... off."

Zara sighed, leaning against the wall. "You think I don't know that? Everyone's been acting weird since school started. Star barely talks to me, Kendrick's been... I don't even know. And now you're all acting like this is my fault!" Zara was tired of being targeted she felt horrible about not being able to talk to Star like she used to. Star just seems angry at her no matter what she does.

King frowned. "No one said it's your fault. But maybe... maybe you should talk to Star."

Zara was confused her eyes widened. "And say what? That I'm sorry for something I didn't even know I did" Zara sighed. "I don't even know what to apologize for!

King sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Zara, no one's the villain here. Not you, not Star. But if you don't start talking to each other, this group is going to fall apart."

"Well, I don't want that.." 

After King walked off with Zara, Star felt a familiar heaviness settle over her chest. She couldn't take the tension anymore. Without a word, she turned and walked away, ignoring Kendrick's voice calling after her.

She wandered the hallways until she found an empty classroom, slipping inside and closing the door behind her.

But she wasn't alone.

"Star?"

She turned to see Milly sitting at a desk, a book open in front of her. Beside her was Timmy, an old friend she hadn't seen in months.

"What are you two doing here?" Star asked, wiping at her eyes quickly.

Milly raised an eyebrow. "I could ask you the same thing."

Timmy grinned. "Milly wanted some quiet time to read, and I just tagged along. Figured I'd escape the chaos of the hallways for a bit."

Star sat down at the desk across from them, her shoulders slumping. "I didn't even know you were still around, Timmy. You didn't come to the bonfire."

"Work," Timmy replied with a shrug. "That's all I've been doing this summer. But hey, I'm still friends with everyone so there's that" He smiled. 

His words hit Star like a punch to the gut. She'd been so caught up in her own feelings of isolation that she hadn't realized how much she'd distanced herself from the group.

"You okay?" Milly asked, her tone softer now.

Star hesitated, then shook her head. "Not really. I just... I don't feel like I belong anymore."

Timmy leaned forward, his expression serious for once. "That's not true, Star. You've always been part of the group. But maybe you've been pulling away without realizing it."

Star opened her mouth to argue, but the words didn't come. Deep down, she knew Timmy was right.

"Maybe," she admitted quietly.

Milly closed her book, giving Star a rare smile. "It's not just Zara's job to hold this group together, you know. If you want things to change, you have to be part of that too."

"Milly, you've told me something like this before huh?" Star sighed

"Yep!" Milly laughed. 

"If you want me and Milly will come with you' Timmy suggested

"Come with me where?" Star was confused. The two looked at each other, smiled , than back to Star

"To Apologize  silly!" The two chuckled. 

As the bell rang, signaling the start of the next period, Star walked out of the classroom with Milly and Timmy. For the first time in weeks, she felt a spark of clarity.

Maybe it wasn't all Zara's fault. Maybe she had a role to play in fixing this mess too.

But knowing that didn't make it any easier.