The next morning felt heavier than the one before.
Sophie woke up with swollen eyes and a dull ache sitting quietly in her chest, like something had settled there overnight and decided to stay. For a long moment, she stared at the ceiling and tried to convince herself not to go to school.
But staying home would mean thinking.
And thinking meant remembering.
So she forced herself up.
By the time she reached the school gates, she had already built the walls. Invisible. Solid. Necessary.
Today, she would be fine.
Today, she would not look for Lucas.
She lasted exactly twelve seconds.
Her eyes found him across the courtyard, standing near the same staircase as yesterday. He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept either. His gaze swept through the crowd anxiously until it landed on her.
Relief flooded his face.
Sophie looked away immediately.
Her heart pounded, but her feet didn't stop moving. She walked past him like he was a stranger. Like he was just another student she had never spoken to before.
Behind her, she heard him call her name.
"Sophie!"
She kept walking.
Faster.
Her hands shook as she reached her locker. She fumbled with the lock, pretending to be deeply invested in opening it.
"Sophie, please."His voice was closer now.
Too close.
She inhaled slowly before turning around. Her expression was calm, carefully blank.
"Yes?".
Lucas blinked, clearly thrown by the coldness in her tone.
"I've been trying to reach you since yesterday," he said. "You didn't answer any of my calls."
"I saw them."
The simple reply made him flinch.
"I'm really sorry," he rushed. "About what Lucien said. About not speaking up. I was surprised, and—"
"You weren't," she cut in quietly. "You chose silence."
The words landed harder than she intended, but she didn't take them back.
Lucas opened his mouth, then closed it again. He looked like he was searching desperately for the right sentence and failing to find it.
"It wasn't like that," he said finally.
Sophie let out a soft breath that almost sounded like a laugh.
"It was exactly like that."
Students brushed past them, the hallway growing louder, but the space between them felt isolated. Heavy.
Lucas stepped closer. "You know Lucien. He's… complicated. I didn't want to cause a scene."
Sophie stared at him.
A scene.
Her humiliation had been a scene.
"I see," she said. Her voice stayed calm, but her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. "You didn't want to cause a scene. So you let me become one."
His face fell. "That's not fair."
She scoffed " What wasn't fair was you being a piece of shit that can't stand up for what he wants ".
"I have class," she simply added.
She turned before he could answer
This time, he didn't follow.
Avoiding Lucas became her new routine.
She took different hallways. Sat in different places. Left class the second the bell rang. If she saw him coming, she changed direction without hesitation.
At first, it felt impossible.
Her eyes still searched for him automatically. Her ears still picked his voice out of crowded rooms without permission.
But slowly, painfully, distance started to form.
And distance hurt less than hope.
By lunch, Sophie had convinced herself she was doing the right thing.
She sat at the far end of the courtyard, picking at her food without tasting it. The chatter around her blended into meaningless noise.
Peaceful.
Until a shadow fell across her table.
She looked up.
Lucien.
Her stomach dropped.
He didn't ask to sit. He didn't smile. He simply placed a hand on the table and looked down at her with the same unreadable expression as yesterday.
"You're avoiding Lucas."
It wasn't a question. He knew.
Sophie swallowed. "That's none of your business. That's what you wanted right?"
His gaze sharpened slightly, like her answer had confirmed something.
"Good," he said.
The single word stunned her.
"What?"
"You finally understood."
Anger flared hot and sudden in her chest. "You don't get to talk to me like you know anything about me."
Lucien didn't react to her tone. If anything, he looked calmer.
"You think staying away from him will make this easier," he said. "It won't."
Her heartbeat quickened. "Then why are you here?"
For the first time, hesitation flickered across his face.
It was gone almost immediately.
"Because you should stay away from me too."
The statement hit her like a slap.
"I wasn't planning on getting close to you."
Lucien held her gaze for a long moment. Something unreadable moved behind his eyes — something that didn't match his cold voice.
"Good," he repeated quietly.
Then he turned and walked away. " You should do the same too ". She yelled at his back. He paused, turned to her and smirk before walking away.
Leaving Sophie more confused than before.
Across the courtyard, Lucas had seen everything.
And the guilt in his chest grew heavier.
Their eyes had locked. Sophie began approaching him, a stack of paper in her left hand and the other holding the strap of her bag tightly.
As the distance between them started closing, She saw Sienna who gave her a hateful glance. " This is the project. You should finish it with Sean ".
Lucas POV
Lucas knew Sophie was avoiding him. He fucked up and it's something he knew. He wanted to make up for it and he was determined to.
I was at the courtyard when I'd seen Sophie. I was relieved. I'd wanted to make things right. I'd wanted to let her know she wasn't someone I befriended out of sympathy.
I just wanted to avoid creating scene but now, i realized how stupid i was for not defending her.
I tried calling out to her but she was literally ignoring me. She made it clear. " you didn't answer any of my calls".
" I saw them ". That sentence hit harder, Sophie was certain she didn't want anything to do with me.
She needed space.
I was going to respect it.
Throughout the class, I couldn't get it off my head. Sophie Vale. She kept interrupting my thought.
I'd thouht of meeting up with her during lunch. But when I got there.
Lucas?!
Why was Lucas with her? Was Lucas bothering her?
I'd wanted to go there but my legs won't move so i stood there and watched her. Her eyes locked to mine.
She began approaching me but Sienna had caught up with me. I'd thought she wanted to talk things out but she just handed me our project and walked off.
She didn't look back.
Not once.
She left quietly.
I hated this. The silence. The Distance.
I shouldn't be bothered but for some reason I am.
The air became suffocating. I needed air. I needed to think. I wanted to be away – away from Lucas, away from those thought.
I'd picked up my black leather jacket from the bench and headed out of school. I needed somewhere to go – a place I'll have to forget all these.
The club.
The room was dimly lit. The smell of alcohol and sweat filled the air. The music was too loud. Some were smoking, making out in a corner. I didn't mind. I'd just wanted to get one or two shots or maybe till I can't think of her.
I walked to the bar. Ordered one of the strongest drink.
Gulps.
I felt the sudden burn down my chest but the urge to keep going kept tugging at me. I filled the glass again.
Two.
Three.
More and more.
Everywhere became dizzy. I could hear it– a loud siren. I stumbled through the crowd. Pushed the door open and stumbled away.
The light was too bright. Siren too loud.
Vision blurry. I heard a faint horn but I couldn't move.
Then a loud scream
" Lucas!!!".