The Collision

na's

he damp sheets. My hands were already clenched into

y skull again, clear as that

e who actually made me look good. Not some scho

jacket while he turned and walked off with her arm linked through his. She laughed at

ay I cried about my parents' fights, he had turned into punchlines for his friends. I sat up

at my reflection; the same slim build, same plain features, same eyes that now looked flat and ti

ys, keep the grades or lose the funding. My chest tightened again, I pulled on

ulder-length brown strands stuck out in every direction, and her bright smile hit me before I was

and grabbing her mascara. "You were making those s

ping my coffee mug with bo

. You can't keep letting him live rent-free in your head like this. Come to the hockey house

due and notes to organize, scholarship doesn't care if I'm tire

as this big adventure, remember how you'd gush about the guy who would actually listen? Now you shut down every time I mention

my parents screamed at each other over money, I told him how scared I was of ending up like them; always chasing someone's approval. He held me and said I was his s

you stopped smiling the way you used to and you barely talk about anything except classes now. I miss the Ariana who be

e felt like a war zone. Davian proved it to me again, love is just people using each other until someone better shows up

ot giving up on you. One day someone's going to make you feel seen without making you pay fo

small nod. "I'll think about it

again. "This guy in my communications class keeps smiling at me, he's got this dimple

rst, Davian used to smile at me the same way, then trash me when

Ari giving smart advice she won't take herself. I love you, even w

lass and put my earbuds in. The loneliness sat heavy in my stomach even after all her talkin

rofessor Langdon said about reporting ethics. I kept my head down and my focu

brary, cutting across the main qua

n't s

ong hands caught my arms, steadying me. For a split second I was pulled against a warm

oked

heart hammer against my ribs. Something quiet and unexpected passed between us, a pull I couldn't na

rning, and muttered something incohe

might be in love

anted absolutely no