The hallway was loud.
Lockers slamming. Shoes scraping.Alex walked in late, head still buzzing from last night.
Lina was already there.
She didn't look at him.
That hurt.
"Alex?!"
A voice hit him from behind.
Before he could turn, someone grabbed his arm.
"You seriously don't recognize me anymore?"
He froze.
Then laughed.
"Mia…?"
Mia grinned, wide and shameless.Same messy ponytail. Same sharp eyes.
"Wow," she said, crossing her arms."You really forgot your childhood hero."
"You were NOT my hero," Alex shot back."You pushed me into a drain."
"Once," she said. "Twice max."
They laughed.
Too easily.
Across the room, Lina finally looked up.
And saw them.
Too close.Too familiar.
Her fingers tightened around her pen.
Chris sat a few seats away, watching quietly.
His eyes flicked from Mia… to Alex.
Then he smirked.
"So," Mia said, leaning closer,"You still hate math?"
"With my soul."
"Good," she smiled. "Some things never change."
Lina looked away.
Her chest felt weird.
Hot. Tight.
Why is he smiling like that?
Chris leaned toward Jordan.
"They go way back?" he asked casually.
"Yeah," Jordan shrugged."Childhood friends or something."
Chris hummed.
Interesting.
During lunch, Mia dragged Alex to the canteen.
"Come on, I wanna hear everything," she said."You vanished one day. No goodbye. Nothing."
Alex hesitated.
"It's… complicated."
"It always is," she replied softly.
From a distance, Lina watched them sit together.
Laughing.
Talking.
Too comfortable.
Her phone buzzed.
She typed.
Deleted.
Typed again.
Lina (text):
Who is she?
Alex's phone vibrated.
He looked at the message.
Then at Mia.
Then back at the screen.
His heart skipped.
Across the room, Chris noticed Lina staring.
And for the first time—
he smiled at her.
Mia laughed again, nudging Alex's shoulder.
"Hey," she said,"you still owe me that race."
Alex smiled.
Didn't notice Lina standing up.
Didn't notice her walking away.
Didn't notice—
until it was too late.