Closing time crept up faster than I thought.
The last bell had already rung, and students spilled out of classrooms like water breaking through a dam, filling the hallways with chatter and the squeak of sneakers on the polished floor. Normally, this was the part of the day where I’d gather my books, clutch my lunchbox tighter than necessary, and head toward the gate with one thought in my mind: wait for Damian.
And so I did.
I found myself at the same spot I always lingered, just outside the school doors, standing near the railing where the setting sun always threw long shadows across the pavement. The air was cooling, the heat of the day finally giving way to something gentler.
The longer I stood there, the heavier the realization pressed against my chest. Of course he wasn’t coming.
