The Road So Far

chapter 13

Hunter walked down the hallway, her textbooks clutched to her chest, when she spotted Gryffin leaning against the wall, an easy smile on his face.

"Hey, Hunter!" he called out, pushing off the wall as she approached. "What's with the stack? You trying to start a library?"

"Ha ha, very funny," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Just trying to keep up with class."

"Or impress someone?" Gryffin said, raising an eyebrow playfully. "I mean, carrying all those books must take some serious dedication. I admire that."

Hunter shrugged, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "I just want to get passing grades, not a fan club."

"Aw, c'mon. I'm sure you could get both," he said, stepping closer, the teasing lilt in his voice making her heart race a little faster. "I mean, someone as cool as you, who wouldn't want to cheer you on?"

Hunter laughed nervously, not picking up on the underlying tone. "Thanks, but I'm pretty sure my math homework doesn't find me that charming."

"I don't know," he said. "I think you might be underestimating your charm. Maybe you just need to give it a chance."

She felt her cheeks warm as she looked down at her books. "Well, I guess I'll just have to keep working hard and see what happens."

"Sounds like a plan," Gryffin said, his grin widening. "I'll be here to cheer you on, just so you know."

As they walked together, Hunter felt the energy shift, turning more serious. "I've been thinking a lot about my friend James lately. After the accident, he wasn't really the same. He started hanging out with those other kids—Leo, Eliza, Matt, Sarah, and Lucas—who also went missing. I haven't really talked about it since... well, you know."

"What do you mean?" Hunter asked, trying to maintain a light-hearted tone while sensing the heaviness of his words.

"I mean, after James came back, he changed. He seemed to lose interest in our friendship and got really close to those other kids. It was like he needed something from them that he couldn't find with me," Gryffin explained, a shadow passing over his face.

"Maybe he just needed time to adjust?" Hunter suggested gently. "Going through something like that must have been tough."

"Yeah, but I still can't help but feel like it was more than that. He started acting differently, you know?" Gryffin sighed, shaking his head. "Like he was trying to hide something. I tried to reach out, but it was like he had his own world now, and I was just... outside looking in."

"Have you thought about what might have happened after he changed?" Hunter asked, trying to connect the dots while remaining cautious. "I mean, he died and came back, and those kids they all went missing at different points for different periods of time. Do they not know anything about it?"

Gryffin paused, rubbing the back of his neck as he stared off into the distance. "I don't know. I wish I did. All I know is they only talk to each other; everyone around them pretty much goes ignored."

A heavy silence hung between them, and Hunter felt the weight of his words pressing down. She wanted to reassure him, to say that they would figure it all out, but the truth was, she felt just as lost.

"Do you think they're okay?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know, Hunter," Gryffin replied, his tone turning serious. "I wish I could say they are. James was my friend, and now it feels like he's just... gone."

As they approached the end of the hallway, Gryffin stepped in front of her, blocking her path with a casual lean against the lockers. "Hey, can I ask you something?"