Ears blasted with music, your arms tightly hugging the heavy files filled with important notes, you scurry past the crowd in the hallway, making your way towards your locker. You can't stand the weight of their gaze on you–at least you think they're watching. It's exhausting.

Suddenly, amidst the crowd, you spot him. He's not one to stand out but unmistakably, you recognise those downturned eyes. The distance between you and him a stark reminder of how things used to be. He'd walk you to your locker and ramble about space and black holes–he loves astronomy. You could literally listen to him all day and never get bored. But ever since he broke things off, everything went.. 'Wrong' in your life. The drastic decline in your grades, the walls you put up with your friends, and your crippling sanity. You're uncertain how much more of this you can take

You're pissed at yourself for playing it cool. You should have begged for closure, some sort of explanation for his decision but you never did because you were afraid of showing vulnerability, a side of you that you never want him to see. Consequently, he mistook it for indifference, that you never cared about the relationship

You groan quietly in frustration, dreading Chemistry class considering that you sit next to him on the same island. The awkward group discussions, the way your arm would accidentally brush against his, and the fact that he probably notices whenever you're stuck on a question. It's torturous.

The bell rings, signalling that it is time to head to class.