Elena Cruz
“Hey stranger.”
Elena looked up to see Ethan falling into step beside her as she left Anthropology.
“Hey.”
“You’ve been hard to reach. I’ve been texting.”
“I know. Sorry.”
They walked through the crowded hallway, students pushing past them on both sides, backpacks bumping and voices overlapping in that chaotic rush between classes. The building always felt too small during this time, everyone trying to squeeze through the same narrow corridors at once.
“Everything okay?” Ethan asked as they navigated around a group blocking the exit.
“My friend Lila lost her brother. She’s home with her family.”
“Damn. That’s awful.”
“Yeah.”
When they got out into the sun Ethan asked
“What about Harper? Haven’t seen her around either.”
Elena stuttered for a while before responding
