Zee.
After the lunch break, I spotted him when I turned the corner.
Lawrence.
He was walking with his friend when he suddenly stopped on seeing me.
I slowed a little, just enough to brace myself, then kept walking—headphones in, face unreadable. Calm. Detached. Like nothing about him rattled me.
But inside, my nerves were burning.
“Hey, Zee,” he said smoothly as I approached.
I gave a small nod, not bothering with a smile. I definitely wasn’t in the mood to fake anything.
“I didn’t see you in the cafeteria,” he said, voice casual, but I heard the edge beneath it. “You avoiding me now?”
“I wasn’t hungry,” I said, pulling my locker key from my pocket without looking at him.
I could feel his eyes on me, watching, calculating. Waiting for something—anything—that would give me away.
