After what had happened last time, Nathan sensed a change in Zane's attitude. The boy had become very quiet and seemed to be keeping his distance.
And for him, Zane's silence spoke louder than any argument they had ever had, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.
Nathan sat on the edge of his bed, the glow of his phone screen the only light in his room. He scrolled through their chat history from the past few days. It was a graveyard of one-sided effort.
Before, Zane was the one who usually started the conversations. His messages were frequent, teasing, checking in, or sending photos of things he found interesting. Now, there were only short answers.
Nathan bit his lip and typed a message, his fingers hovering over the screen.
Nathan: Are you home? I'm thinking of going to that burger place. Want to come?
He waited. Two minutes passed. Then five. Finally, the bubbles appeared.
Zane: I can't today. I'm busy.
