Collision of two worlds

Silence

Chapter 14

(Third POV)

The school hallway was a maze of chattering students, each one trying to make their way to their next class. Monday mornings were always hectic, the air thick with the buzz of catch-up after the weekend. Faye could hardly hear herself think with the constant clatter of lockers opening and slamming shut, footsteps echoing off the linoleum floors, and the hum of voices blending together in the crowd. It was just another day. But it didn’t feel like another day. Not to her.

She had barely made it past the front entrance when she ran into Mia and Lily, who were standing at their usual spot by their lockers, trying to catch up on everything that had happened over the weekend.

“Hey, Faye, you good?” Mia asked, her voice full of concern. “You kinda disappeared Saturday night after the party. Everything okay?”

Faye offered a small tight smile, trying to brush it off. “Yeah, I was just... feeling a little out of it, you know?” She shrugged, feeling the weight of the weekend still lingering in her chest. “Needed to go home early.”

Mia’s expression softened, but Lily seemed more hesitant. “We were just worried,” she said quietly, glancing between Mia and Faye. “You didn’t say much. I thought maybe something happened.”

Faye’s smile turned a little more genuine. “Nah, nothing happened. I just needed some space. Don’t worry about me.” She reached out and gave Lily a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “I’m fine.”

Lily didn’t seem entirely convinced, but she nodded, folding the issue away for later. The girls fell into their usual rhythm, chatting about anything and everything, but Faye’s mind was already elsewhere.

She was already scanning the crowded hallway, eyes skimming over the sea of students, the noise blending into a distant hum. And then, in the middle of all that, her gaze locked with his.

Orion.

He was standing near his own locker, surrounded by his usual group—Dustin, Ava, and Preston. The usual trio, laughing and joking with each other, blending into the chaos of Monday morning like they owned the place. But it was the moment Faye’s eyes met Orion’s that everything else seemed to stop.

Except it didn’t. His gaze flickered away so fast, she almost thought she imagined it. She blinked. He wasn’t even looking at her anymore. She could feel the strange flutter in her chest, a mix of confusion and something else. Hurt.

Why was he avoiding her? Why didn’t he hold her gaze the way he always did? He always looked at her. Always.

She frowned. Is this really happening?

“Faye?” Mia’s voice broke through her thoughts. Faye didn’t even realize she’d been staring across the hall.

“Hmm?” she responded absently, not pulling her eyes from Orion, who was now standing with his back to her. He wasn’t even pretending to acknowledge her.

“You okay?” Mia asked, concerned now.

“I’m fine,” Faye mumbled, still watching Orion, still feeling that sting in her chest. What’s going on with him?

Ava caught her eye from across the hall, her voice suddenly ringing out. “Hey, Mia! Lily! Faye!” she called, waving them over. Faye snapped out of her thoughts, and Mia, Lily, and she made their way through the crowd toward Orion’s group.

Orion didn’t look at her once as they approached. Not even a glance. He just stood there, fiddling with his lock, like he was completely unaware of her presence.

“Hey, Faye,” Ava greeted her brightly as they came to a stop. “You doing okay? You left the party so suddenly.”

Faye nodded, forcing a smile. “Yeah, just wasn’t feeling it. I needed to go home, that’s all.”

“Are you sure?” Ava asked, her tone a little softer now. She was the type to see through people’s defenses. “You don’t seem like yourself today. You’re kind of... quiet.”

“I’m fine,” Faye said quickly. She felt her heart racing, but she didn’t want to let it show. She didn’t want them to know what was going on inside her head.

Dustin chimed in, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “I thought maybe you’d gone off with someone else at the party! You know, someone special?” He waggled his eyebrows, causing a few chuckles around the group. But Faye just nodded, her mind still distracted.

They all said their goodbyes to get to class but Faye was still reeling. She was so in her own head that she got scolded by her teacher, something that rarely ever happens. But there was just something about Orion's quite dismissal that thumped loudly in her chest.

*****

It was just about lunch break but Faye was hesitant to go knowing they would sit at Ava's table and Orion being there wasn't going to help matters.

She wasn't really the biggest fan of him at the moment. Infact, she was mad, but mostly confused and hurt.

After a lot of stalling she finally dragged her feet to the cafeteria alongside her friends.

She could feel the absence of Orion’s gaze—his usual intensity when he looked at her. He didn’t even look up. He didn’t even care.

Did something happen? Did I do something wrong?

Her thoughts spiraled. The usual banter at the table fell away as Faye’s mind started spinning. She tried not to stare at Orion, but she couldn’t help it. Every time she looked at him, he looked away.

Even when Preston and Lily were caught in a conversation of their own, exchanging shy, meaningful glances, Faye couldn’t ignore the quiet distance that seemed to grow between her and Orion with every passing second.

She opened her mouth to speak to him, but when she did, she was met with nothing but a short, distracted response. He wasn’teven meeting her eyes anymore. Just giving her one-word answers, barely acknowledging her.

She let out a sigh, turning her attention back to her friends. Her stomach twisted in frustration, but she didn’t say anything. She just... let it sit there, unspoken. Her heart felt heavier by the second.

Preston, always the observant one, noticed the shift in the atmosphere too. He glanced from Faye to Orion, his eyes narrowing slightly. What was going on?

But he didn’t ask. He didn’t need to.

“I’ll see you guys later,” Faye mumbled, her voice quiet, before standing up and walking away, her friends following close behind.

The rest of the day passed extremely slow. Her classes felt like they were going on forever at the speed of a snail, and she couldn’t wait for it to end so that she could go home. She was distracted, her thoughts constantly returning to Orion. To how he avoided her all day. The way his responses were sharp and dismissive. Like he was trying to push her away.

She couldn’t understand it.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Faye’s body was exhausted, but her mind was restless.

“Hey, Faye, you good?” Mia asked, as they walked out of the classroom together. “You’ve been quiet all day. Are you sure everything’s fine?”. Are you sure everything’s fine?”

Faye forced a smile. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

But deep down, she wasn’t.

___