The teacher began writing on the board, explaining the lesson as though nothing had happened.
I opened my notebook and tried to pay attention.
Then I heard a quiet voice beside me.
"Sorry about John," Mia said softly.
I glanced at her.
She was looking down at her notebook, absentmindedly twirling her pencil between her fingers.
"He's always like that."
"It's fine," I replied.
She gave a small nod but didn't say anything else.
For a while, only the teacher's voice and the sound of chalk against the board filled the classroom.
Then Mia spoke again.
"…Cody."
I looked over.
She hesitated, as if she wasn't sure whether she should continue.
"…Do you still hate me?"
The question caught me off guard.
I didn't answer immediately.
Instead, I looked back toward the front of the room. The teacher was still explaining the lesson, but the words barely registered.
"…I don't know," I admitted quietly.
Mia lowered her eyes.
"…I guess that makes sense."
She paused before speaking again.
"After everything that happened… I wouldn't blame you."
Neither of us spoke for a while.
The silence between us felt heavier than the lesson happening around us.
Finally, Mia looked up.
"I know I can't just fix everything," she said softly. "Not like this."
I didn't know how to respond.
Part of me wanted to say something.
Another part didn't.
She gave me a small, sad smile.
"…But I wanted to ask anyway."
Then she turned back to her notebook and continued writing as if the conversation had never happened.
I looked down at my own notebook.
The page was still blank.
For some reason…
I couldn't stop thinking about what she had said.
The bell finally rang.
The teacher placed the chalk on the tray and smiled at the class.
"That's all for today. Make sure you review today's lesson. Have a good afternoon, everyone."
The classroom immediately filled with the sounds of chairs scraping across the floor and students packing their bags.
I closed my notebook and stood up.
"Cody…"
I turned.
Mia was looking at me.
"…Do you want to walk home together?"
For a moment, I considered saying no.
Instead, I shrugged.
"…Sure."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"Okay."
We left the classroom and walked through the crowded hallway before stepping outside.
Compared to the noise inside the school, the afternoon felt peaceful.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
We simply walked side by side.
"So…" Mia finally said.
"How have you been?"
I looked at her.
"You mean besides school?"
She nodded.
"…Yeah."
I looked ahead at the road.
"About the same, I guess."
She looked like she wanted to ask something else.
But she stayed quiet.
As we turned the next corner, I noticed a small group of people standing near the sidewalk.
Each of them held a stack of books.
One of the men smiled as we approached.
"Excuse me," he said kindly. "Would either of you like a free Bible?"
I slowed to a stop.
Mia looked at the book.
Then she looked at me.
For some reason…
I couldn't walk away.
The man held the Bible out to me.
After a brief hesitation, I reached out and accepted it.
"…Thank you."
He smiled warmly.
"You're welcome."
"God bless you."
Mia and I continued walking.
I looked down at the book in my hands.
The cover read:
Holy Bible.
I traced the letters with my thumb.
For some reason…
I didn't feel like throwing it away.
END OF CHAPTER 10