The hallway was louder than usual that morning.
Students were gathering in groups, talking, laughing, sharing stories from the short break.
Meera was standing near her locker when suddenly someone wrapped their arms around her from behind.
"MISS ME?"
Meera jumped.
"Kitty!"
She turned around quickly, and there she was—Kitty, smiling widely, sunglasses still on her head and a small travel bag slung over her shoulder.
"You're back!" Meera said, hugging her tightly.
"Obviously," Kitty said. "And you did not survive without me. I can see it on your face."
Meera laughed nervously. "What does that even mean?"
Kitty pulled back and looked at her carefully.
For a moment, she didn't say anything.
Then her expression changed.
"Meera… what happened to your wrist?"
Meera instinctively pulled her sleeve down.
"Nothing."
Kitty raised an eyebrow.
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying."
"You are," Kitty said calmly.
Before Meera could respond, someone else appeared behind them.
"Hey."
Both girls turned.
It was Sam.
The tension between him and Meera still lingered after everything that had happened months ago, but he looked calmer now.
"Hi," Meera said awkwardly.
Sam glanced between them.
"I just wanted to say… the football tryouts are next week."
Meera nodded.
"Okay."
Then Sam noticed her wrist too.
"Did you get hurt?"
Meera sighed. "It's literally nothing."
Sam frowned but didn't push.
Kitty, however, was still staring at her.
Before she could say anything else, a familiar voice interrupted.
"Well this is a fun group."
Rohan.
He walked toward them, hands in his pockets, smiling.
But his eyes immediately moved to Kitty.
"So you're back."
Kitty crossed her arms.
"Unfortunately for you."
Rohan chuckled.
"Still dramatic."
Then he casually slid an arm around Meera's shoulders.
"You didn't tell me Kitty was coming today," he said to Meera.
"I found out this morning," she replied.
Kitty watched the interaction closely.
Something about it felt off.
"Anyways," Rohan said, glancing at Sam briefly, "Meera and I were just about to go."
"We were?" Meera asked.
"Yeah."
His tone made it sound like it wasn't a question.
Kitty noticed the way Meera immediately looked uncertain.
"Actually," Kitty said, "I was about to steal her for ten minutes."
Rohan's smile tightened.
"Maybe later."
"I just got back," Kitty said firmly.
Rohan shrugged.
"Cool. Then you'll have plenty of time."
Meera felt the tension rising again.
"Kitty, it's okay," she said quickly. "We can talk later."
Kitty's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Sure."
Rohan guided Meera away down the corridor.
Sam watched them leave.
Then he muttered quietly to Kitty,
"He's weird."
Kitty didn't answer.
She was still watching Meera walk away.
A few minutes later, Rohan and Meera were standing near the back staircase where no one else was around.
Rohan leaned against the wall.
"Give me your phone."
Meera blinked.
"What?"
"Your phone."
"Why?"
Rohan laughed lightly.
"Relax. I just want to see something."
"What do you want to see?"
"Your messages."
Meera's stomach tightened.
"Why?"
Rohan tilted his head.
"You don't trust me?"
"That's not the point."
"Then what's the problem?"
Meera hesitated before handing him the phone.
Rohan unlocked it and started scrolling.
He opened her chats.
Kitty.
Harsh.
Even an old chat with Sam.
His expression darkened slightly.
"You talk to Harsh a lot."
"He helps me study."
"And Sam?"
"He just told us about football tryouts."
Rohan looked up.
"You don't need to talk to him."
"He literally said one sentence."
Rohan ignored that.
Then he opened the chat with Kitty.
The messages from last night appeared.
Rohan's jaw tightened.
"So she's still talking about me."
"She's my friend," Meera said quietly.
"She's filling your head with nonsense."
"She's just worried about me."
Rohan handed the phone back suddenly.
"Yeah, well she needs to mind her own business."
Meera didn't reply.
Rohan stepped closer.
"You trust me, right?"
"Yes."
"Then stop listening to people who don't want us together."
Meera nodded slowly.
"Okay."
Rohan smiled again, like everything was normal.
"Good."
Back in the corridor, Kitty and Sam were still standing near the lockers.
Harsh walked past them, carrying a stack of books.
Kitty stopped him.
"You're Harsh, right?"
He nodded.
"Yeah."
Kitty glanced down the hallway where Meera had disappeared.
"Tell me something," she said.
Harsh raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Has Meera been acting… different lately?"
Harsh didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he remembered the bruise on her wrist.
Then he said quietly,
"…Why?"
Kitty sighed.
"Because something isn't right."
And for the first time, Harsh realized he wasn't the only one who had noticed.