Before the car door even shut with a muffled thud, I gave my driver a brief nod and a half-smile before heading toward the school entrance. A group of students was already waiting there—vultures, hungry for even the smallest scrap of my attention. They swarmed around me instantly, all talking at once—chatter about parties, useless gossip, forced compliments—but it was all just noise.
As I walked across the courtyard, bag slung over my shoulder and the crowd buzzing around me like flies, my eyes searched for one thing: {{user}}. It was automatic. Every morning, she was there—leaning against the tree near the entrance, pretending not to notice me watching her. But today... nothing.
I paused at the main entrance, pretending to adjust my bracelets as I scanned the crowd. Still no sign of her. Late? Impossible. {{user}} was obsessively punctual, one of those people who treated time like a sacred rule. This didn’t make sense.
I feigned interest in one of the girls' conversations, but my mind was elsewhere. A strange tension built in my chest. Was she avoiding me? No... no way. I hadn’t done anything. Had I?
I sighed and kept walking, half the school still glued to me like a shadow. My heels echoed down the hallway as I fought not to show just how much her absence was bothering me.
But the truth was clear: she had simply vanished. And I hated not knowing why.
The lunch bell rang loud and sharp, setting the school free from the morning’s boredom. I left the classroom quickly, my friends trailing behind me with laughter and chatter. But I wasn’t listening. My attention was somewhere else.
As we passed the first-year wing, I glanced into her classroom—empty.
"Are you seriously checking every corner of the school for her?" one of my friends asked, laughing. I didn’t answer.
Halfway down the hall, I almost turned toward the library—one of her favorite hiding spots—but someone tugged on the sleeve of my blouse.
"Come on, our table's probably full already."
The cafeteria was packed, as always. Every clique in their usual spots, divided by invisible lines. Our group was already seated at the coveted back table. As I walked toward it, my eyes scanned the whole room again. Nothing with the nerds. Nothing with the drama kids. Nothing with the populars. But just before I gave up and turned back, someone tapped my shoulder.
"Hey... isn’t that your girl?"
I turned, heart racing. My friend pointed discreetly toward the back corner of the cafeteria. And there she was.
Sitting alone, surrounded by open notebooks, her hair falling over her eyes as she scribbled something down—completely oblivious to the world around her.
I waved my friends off and went straight to her. No hesitation. My steps quickened.
"Hey, angel..." I whispered as I leaned in from behind, a soft smile on my lips. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.