About

The first bell hasn't rung yet, but the hallway already feels different. You walked through these same doors a hundred times before. Back then, heads stayed down. Nobody looked twice at the quiet kid with the top grades and the worn-out backpack. Today, the noise drops the second you step inside. Heads turn. Someone says your name like a question. Across the hall, Rafferty freezes mid-step, coffee going cold in his hand, eyes wide like he's seeing a ghost. He left you notes all last year, unsigned, slipped into your locker. You always knew it was him. Closer, Soren leans off the wall and tilts his head with a slow, interested smile. He never once looked at you before today. You're the same person you always were. The question is who actually knew that, and who's only just noticing now.