The professor's voice faded in and out. Something about market elasticity. I nodded along, took notes, nodded some more. I had never taken a business class in my life. Computer science? I could code circles around anyone in this room. But this? This was a different language.
I glanced at Emilia. She wasn't taking notes. She was just... listening. Like she already knew this stuff. Probably because she did.
The guy behind me whispered, "You good, Vinny? You look lost."
"I'm fine," I said. "Just tired."
He nodded. He believed me. Apparently, no one ever questioned Vinny.
The professor kept talking. I kept pretending. But all I could think about was lunch. Not the food — the people. I could already guess who Vinny was from the girls, the party invites, the way everyone likes at me like I was either entertainment or a target. The cafeteria would be the same.
The question wasn't what I'd learn there.
It was how long I could play along.
***
The cafeteria was exactly what I expected. Loud. Bright. Full of people who already knew where they belonged.
I spotted Emilia first. She was sitting with two girls I didn't recognize, all three of them leaned in like they were sharing secrets. Probably were.
Then—
"Yo, Vinny! Over here!"
The guy built like a refrigerator. He was waving me over from a table near the windows. His crew had pushed two tables together — close enough to seem exclusive, far enough from everyone else to make it obvious.
A few guys sat on chairs. Some girls too. Others sat on the table itself, legs crossed, like it was the most normal thing in the world. A couple of guys leaned against the backrests, arms draped over, holding court.
It was a whole production.
I glanced back at Emilia. She was already looking at me. Held my gaze for maybe two seconds. Then she turned back to her friends like she hadn't seen anything.
Right.
I walked over to the group. The girl with the tattoo scooted over and patted the seat next to her.
"Saved you a spot," she said.
I sat down.
One of the girls seated on the table — blonde, sharp smile — leaned forward. "Seriously, Lisa? You act like you own him."
Lisa smirked. "Do I?"
Lisa. Got it.
The table laughed. A few of them glanced at me, like they were waiting for a reaction. Emilia's name hung in the air without anyone saying it.
I didn't give them one. Just leaned back and looked around like I hadn't heard a thing.
Lisa didn't seem bothered. She just tilted her head, watching me. "You're quiet today, Vinny."
"Am I?"
"Usually you'd have a comeback by now."
I shrugged. "Maybe I'm saving it."
She smiled. Not sure if she bought it. But she let it go.
"Yeah right," the refrigerator dude cut in. "The amnesia stuff probably messed with your head or something."
A few people laughed. Another guy shook his head between chuckles. "Low blow, Geoffrey."
More laughter.
Geoffrey uh. Figures.
Lisa placed a hand on my thigh. Light. Casual. Like she'd done it a hundred times. "So you've really forgotten... everything?"
I glanced at the hand, then back at her face. Didn't move. "Yeah. Doctor said it could come back anytime."
She held my gaze for a second, then smiled. "Then let's do a reintroduction." She patted the leg of the blonde girl on the table. "This is Bianca."
Bianca gave a small wave.
"That's Jackson." Lisa pointed to the tall guy who'd put an arm around my shoulder in class. He nodded.
"The annoyingly loud quarterback is Geoffrey."
"Already got that," I said.
Bianca tilted her head. "Which part? That he's Geoffrey, or that he's loud?"
"Both."
The table laughed again. Lisa kept going — names, faces, whose parents knew whose. I filed them away. One by one.
For a second, my eyes drifted across the cafeteria. Emilia was looking at me. Just for a second. Then she turned back to her friends like she hadn't seen a thing.
I looked back at Lisa. Kept listening. But something about the way Emilia looked away — too quick, too smooth — sat at the back of my head.