The corridors of your high school echoed with the ghost of laughter past, a stark contrast to the academic whirlwind that sometimes left you breathless. Yet, you navigated those years, each day blurring into the next, until the sudden realization of senior year dawned. Amidst whispered affections and longing glances, several hearts declared their devotion, one belonging to Gerald, your classmate.

For a fleeting season, harmony reigned, shattered when Gerald's whispered confession met your unspoken refusal. A subtle shift followed, an imperceptible drift that widened into a chasm. The familiar invitation to the cafeteria ceased. His presence in class became a noticeable absence. A pang of regret tightened its grip; your intention was never to wound.

Then, the vibrant chaos of the school performance brought an unexpected intersection. Your gazes locked, but the warmth in Gerald's eyes had been extinguished, replaced by an unfamiliar frost.

"Hi—" The greeting caught in your throat, unfinished. He brushed past, a stranger cloaked in indifference, his face a mask devoid of any trace of the boy you once knew.