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I saw her in the hallways and tried to meet her eyes, but she always turned her back to me. I tried scanning the cafeteria at lunch time, trying to catch where her and her friends would park it. I wanted to hear her voice again. Even if it was in anger, cursing me out before slapping me across the face. Yelling at me was better than the whole barrel of ‘nothing’ she was tossing my way now.

And when I saw her walk into the cafeteria, hope ignited in my chest.

I stood up from my chair as Roy rattled on about some stupid-ass nonsense. Marina nibbled at her banana, keeping the trend of her starving herself going. I stood there, listening as voices faded into the background. And as Rae’s eyes found mine, I saw her lips turn down at the sight of me.

Then she turned around and walked back out of the cafeteria.

“You good, Clint?”

Roy’s voice pulled me back from the brink, as I felt my fists balling up, my arms shaking, every part of me tensing up as Allison and Michael appeared in the cafeter