Chapter 55: An Unexpected Vacation

**Thelma Zane’s POV** “Chloe has decided to take a long break from school,” Dorothy informed me over breakfast. Her tone was casual, but the story she relayed was anything but. “Last night, some of my classmates saw reporters camped outside Chloe’s house. They waited from evening until dawn, finally dispersing only after Chloe’s parents called the police.” She paused to take another bite of her dry whole-grain bread before continuing. “This morning, on her way to school, a crowd of reporters ambushed her. Cameras flashing, microphones shoved into her face—they kept badgering her with questions until she broke down completely. Poor Chloe.” I gasped in shock. “That’s awful! That poor girl must be terrified.” Before I could process Dorothy’s words, Mara and Avril joined us, bringing more troubling news. Mara, her expression grim, said, “My cousin works at *New Moon Evening News*. She told me that their paper is working overtime to connect yesterday’s drama club fight with the