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The aftermath of a sleepless night was really dreadful. Dark circles hung heavily under my eyes, an awful headache throbbed persistently, and my brain seemed to operate at half its usual capacity. However, amidst the exhaustion, there was a silver lining—I arrived at school earlier than usual. As I stepped into the hallway, bleary-eyed and fatigued, Chris stood there, waiting for me.

"Hey Sydney, you seem a bit tired today. Everything okay?" he inquired with a hint of concern in his voice.

"Just didn't get enough sleep last night," I admitted with a tired smile.

"Was it because of what happened yesterday?" he pressed gently.

I shrugged, not quite ready to delve into it. Chris quickly shifted gears as he sensed my reluctance.

"How is your ankle holding up? Still giving you trouble?" he asked, steering the conversation toward a lighter topic.

"Yeah, it's improving, but slowly," I replied, grateful for the change in subject.