"YOU WANT ONE?" caleb asked, his voice filled with concern, as he stood next to zoey near the vending machine during passing period. he inserted a dollar and selected a snack, his eyes focused on her. zoey glanced up from her phone, a faint smile appearing on her face before quickly fading.
she shook her head, her gaze drifting away as she mumbled, "no, thanks."
caleb furrowed his eyebrows, observing her closely. "are you sure? you look like you haven't eaten much lately, zo."
her small smile disappeared completely, and a hint of sadness reflected in her eyes as she averted her gaze. all she had been wearing the past few days were oversized shirts and hoodies, intentionally concealing her body.
"i'm good," she murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper. she bit her lip, anxiety creeping in at the thought that people might notice her lack of nourishment.
caleb's concern deepened, but he didn't press further. he knew zoey withdrew herself and lost her usual vibrant spark. it hurt him to see her like this, but he also understood she needed her space. he decided to change the subject, hoping to distract her from her internal struggles.
zoey shrugged, her eyes briefly meeting caleb's before drifting down to the floor. "i don't know. i have to go to the office anyway since my last teacher told me to, i guess," she replied in a low tone, her words lacking enthusiasm.
she didn't want to delve into the details or burden caleb with her problems. all she knew was that she was supposed to go to the main office during the last period, but her teacher had hindered her from doing so, leaving her with the task of going before her next class.
caleb nodded, sensing her reticence. "you want me to walk you there?" he offered.
zoey's gaze met his, a hint of gratitude shining within her eyes, but she quickly shook her head. "it's fine. thank you, though," she murmured softly, her voice betraying her exhaustion.
zoey walked off without saying anything else—walking away to the office.
after walking away, zoey made her way to the office, her thoughts swirling with what she was needed to go to the office for. as she arrived at the main entrance, she hesitantly cracked open the door, peeking inside. to her surprise, ms. jackson, the assistant principal, was there, engaged in conversation with another student.
zoey contemplated retreating and finding a spot in the waiting area, hoping to avoid any additional interactions. but before she could make her move, mrs. jackson caught sight of her.
"oh no, sweetie, you can come in," mrs. jackson said warmly, her smile extending a genuine kindness. zoey pursed her lips, mustering a thin smile of her own, and fully opened the door.
