It had become a routine—every morning, I’d find her, teasing and mocking alongside my friends. It was just how things were. But yesterday, she didn’t show up. And worse? She hadn’t finished my homework.

So the moment she walked into school, I was already there, stepping up behind her without warning.

"Hey, nerd! Where were you yesterday?" My voice came sharp, frustration laced beneath it. "You were supposed to bring me my homework."

I ignored the fact that she looked tired, that there was probably a reason for her absence. All I cared about was that she weren’t there when I expected her to be.