Rhythm of deception||Jude Bellingham

Cafteria chaos

We walked into the cafeteria, the smell of food and chatter filling the air. I scanned the room, looking for an empty table, but they were all taken. Adelle spotted Blake and his friends sitting at a table in the corner and grabbed my arm, pulling me towards them.

"Come on, Castle, let's go sit with Blake and the guys," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

I hesitated, feeling a sense of dread wash over me. I didn't want to sit with Blake, didn't want to be near him. But Adelle was already pulling me towards the table, and I couldn't resist.

As we approached the table, Blake looked up and caught my eye, flashing me a smile. I felt my heart skip a beat, and I quickly looked away, trying to compose myself.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" Adelle said, plopping down in the empty chair beside Blake.

Jade and I followed suit, sitting down across from them. The conversation was lively, with everyone chatting and laughing. But I was quiet, unable to join in.

Blake tried to draw me into the conversation, asking me questions and teasing me like he always did. But I just shrugged him off, feeling uncomfortable and out of place.

I looked around the table, feeling like an outsider. Adelle and Blake were lost in their own little world, holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes. Jade was chatting with Kennedy and Cody, laughing and joking like they were old friends. And I was just sitting there, feeling like a third wheel.

As I sat there, feeling like an outsider, I couldn't help but think about how much my life had changed. Just a year ago, I was the center of attention, the popular girl who everyone wanted to be friends with. But now, I was just a shadow of my former self, a mere spectator in the lives of those around me.

I looked at Adelle, who was laughing and chatting with Blake, and felt a pang of jealousy. Why couldn't that be me? Why couldn't I be the one who had Blake's attention, who had his love?

But I knew the answer. I was too broken, too damaged. I had too much baggage, too many secrets. And Blake deserved better than that. He deserved someone like Adelle, someone who was whole and happy and unscarred.

As I sat there, lost in my thoughts, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Jade, who was looking at me with concern.

"Hey, Castle, are you okay?" she asked, her voice low. "You seem a little out of it."

I nodded, trying to brush off my thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired, I guess."

Jade nodded sympathetically. "Well, if you need to talk, I'm here for you. You know that, right?"

I smiled, feeling a sense of gratitude towards her. "Yeah, I know. Thanks, Jade."

As we continued to sit there, I couldn't help but feel like I was stuck in a rut. Like I was trapped in this never-ending cycle of sadness and longing. And I didn't know how to escape.

As I sat there, feeling trapped, I noticed Blake looking at me. He was staring at me with a concerned expression, like he could see right through me. I felt a shiver run down my spine as our eyes met, and for a moment, I thought I saw something there, something that looked like understanding.

But then Adelle said something to him, and he turned back to her, laughing and smiling. And I was left feeling like I had imagined the whole thing.

I got up from the table, feeling like I needed to get out of there. "I'm going to go grab a snack," I said to Jade, who nodded and went back to her conversation.

As I walked away from the table, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. I was escaping, if only for a little while.

But as I waited in line for my snack, I felt a presence behind me. I turned around, and there was Blake, standing right behind me.

"Hey," he said, smiling. "What's up?"

I shrugged, feeling like I was caught off guard. "Not much. Just getting a snack."

Blake nodded, and we stood there in silence for a moment, waiting for our turn in line.

Then, without thinking, I blurted out, "Blake, can I ask you something?"

He looked at me curiously. "Sure, what is it?"

I took a deep breath, feeling like I was taking a risk. "Do you ever feel like you're stuck in a rut? Like you're just going through the motions of life without any purpose?"

Blake looked at me like he was taken aback. "Wow, Castle, that's deep."

I felt my face heat up with embarrassment. "Sorry, never mind."

But Blake just smiled and said, "No, seriously, that's a great question. And yeah, I do feel like that sometimes."