I stopped going over to Mason's house after that day.
Not officially or dramatically, I just… didn't go.
The first morning after, I woke up with that strange tightness in my chest, the kind that feels like guilt and relief arguing with each other. My phone was on my bedside, screen dark, but I already knew what I would see when I picked it up.
Missed calls.
Messages stacked on messages, which I never opened.
At school, I felt blanked out.
I didn’t wait around after school.
The moment the bell rang, chairs scraped against the floor, voices rose, I was already moving.
My bag slung over my shoulder, head down, steps quick. I didn’t want to linger or talk to anyone. I never had friends, and I was willing to let the only one that could understand me go.
The sky was overcast, that dull
