h's

woke up with a sen

staring at the ceiling, my mind blank. Then,

o

the morning, casually asking me if I was okay

uch. Just a

was som

ssal that had made me feel invisible. But instead, he had asked me about s

sing my face into my pillow. No

They made conversation, asked questions, filled sile

d that stupid little flutt

der. I need t

the bathroom. I had more important things to focus on today-like school, my upcoming A

time to dwell

t Morning

d as we walked across the campus la

ed. "I

smirked. "Is this abo

"He's not

ing her chest. "Oh my God, I knew

do

so

reached the library doo

're so o

not like that. I don't even know h

ow as we stepped insi

ed away from the rest of the students. We both pulled out our notebooks and

, I was fin

us problems and highlighting key points in

about Jo

......

h's

tbook, trying to focus on t

the end of her pen-her classic deep-thinking pose. Around us, the soft hum of whispered conversations an

Completely u

wasn't just becau

too much o

ations. Exams.

ith people who loved science as much as I did, had been enough to keep me motivated. But now that everything was becoming real, n

wasn't g

't get into my

rs of pushing myse

pped my pen, rub

tantly. "Okay, spil

d. "Nothing. J

ah. I know you. You're nev

k laugh but did

ting her chin on her palm.

ted, the

"You're literally one of the smartest people I

's... everything. Leaving home, start

to thrive, Leah. You've worked your ass off for

had both applied to NYU, and if things went

e nerves

're going to be fine, okay? Better than fine.

filling my chest.

. But it made you fe

my eyes b

back to our earlier conversation.

ng my face with m

I'm c