The space between us

[Music recommendation: Traitor by Olivia Rodrigo]

The hallway buzzed with murmurs and hurried footsteps as students drifted from one gossip-fueled conversation to another. The scent of cheap vanilla perfume and freshly sharpened pencils hung in the air. Near the lockers, two girls stood huddled together, their voices barely above a whisper, but their excitement barely contained.

"Oh my freaking God," one of them gasped, her fingers tightening around her phone as if she needed to physically hold on to reality. Her eyes were wide, gleaming with disbelief. "Did you know that Xavier is actually the son of Mister Alister? Like, the Alister? From Alister Group of Companies?"

Her friend stilled for a second, blinking, before a slow smirk spread across her lips. "No way," she breathed out. "I mean… I've always had my suspicions, but I never actually thought I was right." She shook her head, as if the truth had been sitting there all along, just waiting to be noticed.

The first girl placed a dramatic hand over her chest, exhaling as though the weight of this revelation was too much to bear. "I swear, I just found him twice as hot now that I know he's one of the richest guys in school."

She twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, eyes flicking across the hall as if expecting Xavier to appear at any moment, now shining with a new, untouchable glow of wealth and power.

Her friend snorted. "Like he'd evernotice us."

She pouted but didn't argue. Still, a girl could dream.

Kamsi couldn't hide from Monday, and she couldn't hide from him.

She walked into the hallway, her stomach twisting into knots. It felt like she could feel the air change as soon as she saw him.

Xavier was leaning against a locker, his eyes scanning the hallway, but when he caught sight of her, his gaze locked onto hers.

For a moment, everything around them seemed to blur. The hum of conversations, the sounds of shoes shuffling against the floor, all of it faded into the background.

It was just them.

Kamsi's heart skipped, and her breath caught.

Xavier's stance stiffened. His eyes darted toward the ground for a second, like he was unsure what to do, but then he straightened up, his jaw tightening.

She could feel the weight of his hesitation like an invisible barrier between them.

She tried to look confident. Pretend everything's normal . But her chest felt tight, and her palms were sweaty.

She opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come.

Xavier didn't say anything either.

They stood there, two feet apart, neither of them moving, neither of them breathing. The hallway around them seemed to close in.

Kamsi's fingers clenched around the strap of her backpack, nails digging into the fabric, anything to distract her from the growing tension.

Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Does he still want to be near me? Does he regret what happened?

Xavier's lips parted like he was about to speak, but before he could, someone bumped into him from behind, snapping him out of the moment.

He stepped back slightly, then… without a word… walked past her.

What?

Kamsi's heart stopped.

She watched him go, every step he took pulling the space between them wider and wider. She could feel the cold emptiness where his presence had been only moments before.

She should have said something—anything—but the words were caught in her throat, and instead, she stood there, paralyzed, watching him leave.

She didn't know how long she stood there, but when she finally found the strength to move, it was like her body had forgotten how to walk. She felt... empty.

The hall, the people, the noise—none of it mattered.

All she could think about was the distance between them. The distance he had created.

Xavier had pulled away.

Was it her fault?

She didn't know what she'd done wrong. But whatever it was, it felt like he was slipping away from her, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Kamsi walked through the crowded hallway, her eyes trained on the floor as her thoughts tumbled over one another. Her mind was a maze of confusion and uncertainty, each turn leading to a new question she couldn't answer. The events of the weekend had left her more lost than ever, and she found herself wondering if she had made a mistake—whether everything that had happened between her and Xavier was too much, too soon.

She didn't even realize she was about to bump into someone until she felt the light collision. Startled, she looked up, her eyes meeting Joe's. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" she blurted, her voice softer than usual. She quickly stepped back and stared at the floor, mentally berating herself for not paying attention.

Joe smiled awkwardly, clearly thrown off by her distracted state. "Hey, Kamsi," he said, his voice warm but uncertain. "Are you okay?"

Kamsi blinked at the concern in his eyes, surprised. She hadn't expected him to notice how off she was. The genuine worry in his voice made her feel something unfamiliar, but she tried to brush it off, pushing the unease aside. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... hungry," she replied with a weak attempt at a smile. The words felt wrong as they left her lips, but it was easier than explaining the storm of emotions swirling inside her.

Joe seemed to buy it, but there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "Okay... Well, I'm heading to the canteen. Mind if I join you?"

Kamsi hesitated for just a second, uncertainty making her pulse quicken. She wasn't sure why, but spending time with Joe felt like a good escape from her spiraling thoughts. He wasn't part of the chaos that had become her life in the past few days. "Sure," she said softly, nodding. She didn't want to be alone right now, and maybe a little distraction was what she needed.

Joe's face lit up, and his relief was palpable. "Thanks. I was hoping you'd say yes." He gave her a sheepish smile, and it softened something in Kamsi's chest. Maybe, for once, she could just forget everything for a few minutes.

In the canteen, the air was filled with chatter, the buzz of voices blending into a low hum of background noise. Kamsi sat at the table with Zendaya and Joe, but her attention drifted in and out of their conversation. Zendaya and Joe were exchanging jokes, their laughter ringing through the room, but Kamsi felt detached. It wasn't that she wasn't enjoying their company, but her mind was still reeling from everything with Xavier. She picked at her food absent-mindedly, the weight of her thoughts pressing down on her like a thick fog.

Joe noticed her distracted state. He leaned forward, his tone tentative. "Are you sure you're okay? You seem... different today."

Kamsi blinked, startled by the directness of his question. She hadn't realized how obvious it was. "I'm fine," she said quickly, a little too quickly, and she immediately regretted it. She wasn't fine. Not at all. But she couldn't tell Joe that. She couldn't even figure it out herself.

Zendaya caught her eye, her expression a mixture of concern and curiosity, but she didn't press. Instead, she nudged Kamsi with a grin. "If you're trying to hide it, you're not doing a good job."

Kamsi tried to smile, but it felt forced. She turned her attention back to Joe, grateful for his lightheartedness. He was a welcome distraction, even if it didn't completely take away the ache in her chest. "I guess I'm just not in the mood for a big conversation today," she admitted, her voice quieter now. "But I'm glad you're here."

Joe's eyes softened, and he gave a small, understanding nod. "No worries. We can just hang out. Maybe it'll help."

Kamsi managed a small smile in return, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Across the canteen, Xavier sat with Alexander, Damon, and Gilbert. His usual carefree demeanor was nowhere to be seen. He sat rigidly, his eyes fixed on Kamsi, who was laughing with Joe. He couldn't tear his gaze away from them. She's laughing with him.

The sight of her so at ease with someone else gnawed at him. Why did it bother him so much? Wasn't she allowed to have friends? Why did she look so comfortable? Why did it feel like she was moving on with him?

Damon leaned over to Gilbert, his voice low as he tried to hide the amusement in his tone. "Why's Xavier staring at Kamsi's back like that? He's about to burn a hole through her with his eyes."

Gilbert shrugged, his attention split between the group at their table and Xavier's growing intensity. "He's not looking too happy about it," he said softly, though it was clear he wasn't surprised. Xavier's jealousy was nothing new, but today it seemed sharper, more suffocating.

Xavier's jaw tightened as he watched Joe lean in a little too close to Kamsi, his laughter ringing in her ears. It didn't matter that she was just friends with him—It felt like a betrayal.

Why the hell does this bother me so much? Xavier's thoughts spiraled as his fingers instinctively gripped the empty soda can in front of him. His knuckles turned white as he squeezed, trying to channel his growing frustration into something tangible. The can crumpled in his hand with a sharp, crushing sound.

His friends fell silent, sensing the shift in the air. Damon leaned back, exchanging a wary look with Alexander and Gilbert. Xavier was losing control, and they all knew it. But Xavier didn't notice. His entire focus was on Kamsi—on the way she seemed so carefree, so... Unaffected by the tension between them.

What is she doing? He couldn't stop himself from thinking. How is she so fine with this?

The jealousy was eating away at him, making his insides twist with an emotion he didn't know how to deal with. Kamsi was slipping further from him, and for the first time, he felt the terrifying reality of it.