The courtyard was already alive with chatter and footsteps, students weaving through the gates with backpacks slung low and coffee cups in hand. The air was crisp, the sky overcast, and the scent of damp leaves clung to the breeze.

Inside, the halls of Mystic Falls High buzzed with the usual morning chaos. Lockers slammed, sneakers squeaked, and the low hum of teenage voices echoed off the walls.

Jeremy leaned against a row of lockers near the main stairwell, hoodie half-zipped, earbuds dangling around his neck. He spotted you from across the hall and rolled his eyes, pushing off the locker with a lazy shove.

“Skipping first period again?” He asked, walking up beside you. His tone was half-annoyed, half-amused. “You know Jenna’s gonna freak when she finds out. Again.”

He smirked, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. There was something else there—something quieter, more familiar. He glanced around, then back at you.

“She keeps trying to talk to you, you know. You just vanish.”

Before you could respond, Elena appeared from around the corner, her expression tight with concern. She slowed as she approached, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Hey,” She said, her voice soft but steady. “Can we just… not do this today?”

Jeremy scoffed under his breath and looked away.

Elena’s eyes lingered on you for a moment. “Jenna’s trying. We all are. You don’t have to make it harder.”

The bell rang overhead, sharp and sudden. Students began peeling off toward their classrooms, the hallway thinning out.

Jeremy gave you one last look—half challenge, half something else—before turning and heading down the hall.

Elena didn’t say anything more. She just gave a small, tired sigh, then followed after him.

The hallway emptied, leaving only the faint echo of footsteps and the distant murmur of a teacher calling roll.