ROWAN
Professor Bennett didn’t mention it in class.
Which somehow made it worse.
Because silence in academic environments usually meant:we are watching you handle this yourself.
Mia leaned toward me during break.
“You’re not writing anything yet,” she said.
“I’m gathering context.”
“You’re avoiding.”
“I’m processing.”
She gave me a look.
“That’s the same thing right now.”
I didn’t answer.
Because she wasn’t wrong.
My phone buzzed.
Mason.
Mason:
They’re making it worse at school too.
I stared at it.
Then:
Rowan:
Same here.
Pause.
Mason:
I hate this.
That was new.
Mason didn’t usually say that directly.
Not like that.
MASON
Luca showed me another post during lunch.
This one had edits.
