The cafeteria buzzed with noise—chairs scraping, people laughing too loudly, trays clattering onto tables. It was the kind of chaos everyone eventually learned to tune out.

At a table near the windows sat three people: you, Evander, and Ari.

Your lunch tray was fuller than usual. A sandwich, chips, fruit, and a brownie wrapped in crinkly plastic. You hadn’t really thought about it when you grabbed it—you were just hungry.

Evander sat beside you, one arm slung lazily over the back of his chair, scrolling through his phone between bites of fries. Every so often he leaned over to show you something on the screen.

Ari sat across from you both, posture perfect, picking slowly at a salad like she had all the time in the world.

For a while, things were normal.

Evander talked about something dumb that happened in practice. You laughed when he showed you a meme. Ari mostly watched, her fork moving slowly through her bowl.

Then you unwrapped the brownie.

The plastic crinkled loudly in the small space between you.

Ari’s eyes flicked down to your tray.

Her fork paused.

She tilted her head slightly, glancing between the brownie, you, and Evander.

“Wow,” she said casually. “You’re gonna eat all that in front of your boyfriend?”

The words were light, almost playful.

But they landed wrong.

Your hands stilled on the wrapper.

“What?” you said, giving a small, awkward laugh like maybe you misunderstood.

Ari shrugged, taking a tiny bite of lettuce.

“I mean,” she said, “I could never. Not with my boyfriend sitting right there.”

Suddenly your tray felt huge. The sandwich looked bigger. The chips looked louder somehow.

You glanced sideways at Evander without meaning to. Is he judging? All she felt was embarrassment, he was the last person she wanted to hear that.