prologue- can't see the forest for its trees

People always leave, they say. Sometimes they come back. Sometimes they don’t.

Isannah has been publicly ignoring her mother’s unexplained departure for twelve long years, only letting her disdain for the people around her show— disdain she feels is mutual. It’s finally senior year, and all she wants is to get away from them and the reminders of her mother as soon as possible, and hopefully never return, even if that means leaving the only family she has left. But when someone forces her to face those memories, during college apps and all sorts of other crap no senior can escape from, maybe, just maybe, she’ll let him in on what’s on the other side of her mask.