Tyler's POV
The cafeteria was filled with the usual – conversation and laughter. There was nothing special. It was the scene typical of any high school lunch period. People were gathered in their usual cliques—football players, cheerleaders, groups of friends scattered about in their own little worlds.
I sat at the table, surrounded by the usual crowd—the jocks, the popular kids. Stephanie was beside me as always. But despite the noise, despite the warmth of the crowd, I felt cold.
I couldn’t focus on any of them. My eyes drifted aimlessly over the faces around me, hearing but not really listening. The laughter, the idle chatter, the clatter of trays—they all felt so far away.
Why couldn’t I be a part of this? Why was I still so... lost?
There was only one thing on my mind. One perso
