The morning that had started with humiliation somehow shifted into something… lighter. I hadn’t expected that.
After that awkward hallway truce, Taylor and I ended up sitting together in the next class, and it was surprisingly easy to talk to him. I thought maybe it would be awkward, a constant replay of him tripping me earlier, but instead, the minutes slipped by faster than I realized. He had a quick wit, the kind of humor that slid into conversation naturally, and before long we were comparing notes on how ridiculous some of our teachers’ quirks were.
For a while, I didn’t think about Damian. Or Marianne. Or the way I’d been stewing over her sitting in my spot in the car.
I just… enjoyed myself.
By the time lunch rolled around, I was actually looking forward to it for the first time
