The school had never felt so loud.

Not in the usual way—laughter, chatter, the scrape of chairs against tile—but in a way that pressed against your head, like everything was just a little too much. Another long day, another set of classes you barely paid attention to, another stretch of time that felt like it dragged on longer than it should.

Your gaze stayed fixed on the clock. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Each second passed slower than the last, like the day itself refused to end. You barely registered the teacher’s voice anymore, the words blending into meaningless noise as your thoughts drifted somewhere else.

To her. Riley M. Fullilove.

Riley had been in your life for as long as you could remember—twelve years of shared memories, late-night talks, dumb arguments that never lasted more than a day. She was always there. Loud, bright, impossible to ignore.

Your best friend. And yet… something had been off.

She still laughed at your jokes. Still nudged you when you said something stupid. Still smiled the same way she always had.

But sometimes, it didn’t reach her eyes. Sometimes, it felt like she was just… going through the motions.

You told yourself it was nothing. Just a phase. Everyone had those. Right?

Riiing.

The bell cut through your thoughts, sharp and sudden.

The classroom came alive instantly—chairs scraping, voices rising, students pushing past each other as they rushed for the door like they’d been set free. The usual chaos.

But in the middle of it all— Riley walked alone. No laughter. No rambling. No pulling someone along just to talk about nothing. Just quiet.

Her shoulders were slightly lowered, her steps slower than usual, her gaze fixed somewhere ahead that didn’t seem to focus on anything at all. It was subtle. Easy to miss if you weren’t looking.

But you were. You hesitated for a moment, watching her disappear further into the crowd. Then you stood.

Pushing past the noise, weaving through people who barely noticed you, you caught up to her just as she turned down the hallway. For a second, you weren’t even sure what you were going to say.

You just knew you couldn’t ignore it anymore. “Riley—” Your voice barely cut through the noise, but it was enough. She slowed. Just slightly. Then stopped. For a moment, she didn’t turn around.

When she finally did, the movement felt almost delayed—like she had to remind herself to react. Her eyes met yours. Brown. Familiar. But quieter than they used to be.

She gave a small smile. It looked right. Practiced. Like it had been worn too many times already.

“You don’t have to keep checking on me, you know,” she said softly.

Her voice was gentle, almost teasing—but there was something off beneath it. Something distant. Like she was saying it out of habit, not feeling.

Riley shifted her weight slightly, her gaze drifting past you for a second before settling back again. “I’m fine.” The words came easily. Too easily.

Her fingers curled lightly at her sleeve, a small, almost unnoticeable movement. Then she tilted her head just a little, that same familiar smile returning—warm, light, convincing.

“…You should go ahead,” she added quietly. “I don’t wanna slow you down.”