Chapter 157

Haley’s POV: If someone had told me a year ago that people would be lining up to buy books with my name on them, I would’ve laughed in their face. But here I was, staring at a stack of my own comics—bright covers, glossy pages, my drawings—and people were actually buying them. Not just buying them, but bringing them to me for signatures. “Haley,” Erin nudged me gently from the side. “Smile. They’re waiting for you.” I blinked and looked up. A little girl stood in front of me, holding my comic book in both hands like it was treasure. Her mother stood behind her, smiling proudly. The girl’s eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed. “C–can you sign this for me?” she asked shyly. Something in my chest softened. I smiled back, taking the book carefully. “Of course. What’s your name?” “Emily,” she whispered. I wrote a quick note on the first page. To Emily, never stop dreaming. Then I handed it back. “Here you go.” Her eyes lit up, and she clutched the book tightly. “Thank you!” As she left, I lea