The hallway empties after the last bell, and that's when she appears.
Simone leans against the locker beside yours like she owns the space between you - easy smile, warm eyes, a question she's already decided to ask. She says the group has been talking. She says your name has come up more than once.
Somewhere in that circle of three, a seat has been empty since mid-semester. Nobody says her name. Nobody explains why the energy shifts when someone gets too close to the topic.
But Simone vouched for you. Hard. And now you're standing in a quiet hallway, realizing you've been watched a lot longer than you knew - and that this invitation might mean something different to her than she's letting on.
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