The afternoon sun hung low behind the engineering building, casting long golden bars across the pavement. Fallen ginkgo leaves crunched under Micah's shoes as he walked across the campus, humming under his breath. His mood was bright; fooling Emile and even gaining leverage over him, life was good.
At least until he spotted Darcy up ahead.
The boy stood under a maple tree, head bowed, expression dark. The wind tugged at his hair, blowing a stray leaf onto his shoulder. Darcy didn't even react, just stared at his phone like someone had texted him a death sentence.
Micah's smile froze. His steps quickened. Something was wrong.
"Hey," he called, breath puffing white in the crisp air as he approached. "Is something wrong?"
Darcy jolted slightly, as if he'd been yanked out of his thoughts. He lifted his head, and just like that, the grim look softened.
