Chapter Twenty One: The Easier Option
Eli notices Dinah before he decides to. He always has. She’s loud in a bright way. Confident. Unapologetically interested. She laughs too long at his jokes. Touches his arm when she talks. Sits too close. He used to brush it off. Now he doesn’t. It starts small. In chemistry, she slides into the seat beside him even though there are others open. “You’re quiet lately,” she says. “Am I?” “Yeah. It’s mysterious. I kinda like it.” He almost smiles. Mysterious. If only she knew. Across the room, Nora is bent over her notebook, Liam leaning toward her. They look easy. Natural. Eli looks back at Dinah. She’s looking at him like he’s uncomplicated. That’s new. At lunch, Dinah waves him over. He hesitates for half a second. Then walks. It feels deliberate. It feels watched.
- Writer
