See You Next Saturday

Everything/Nothing

Alex's fingers traced the edge of her desk. Her mind wandered, and her eyes constantly flickered toward the door, hoping to see him walk through. Every now and again her gaze kept drifting toward the empty chair at the back. His chair.

The minutes seemed to stretch endlessly, and still, no sign of him. Again.

He had promised her this time—it was supposed to be different. He said he'd show up, that he'd stop missing school. Lately, though, his absence had become a pattern, and it worried her more with each passing day.

He'd had warnings of expulsion and there was a time he not only took those seriously, but he feared losing his only chance at a better life. But now? That need seemed to have faded for him.

Alex watched the clock, each second slipping by, making the truth impossible to ignore: he wasn't coming. Disappointment weighed her down, suffocating the last bits of hope she had clung to.

It wasn't just the missed classes; it was the growing pattern that wore her down. She was tired of being the one constantly reminding him why school mattered, tired of trying to convince him that his future was worth fighting for, despite his past or present hardships.

Alex understood his struggles—Ezra didn't see a way out through education, not anymore at least. It wasn't just rebellion or boredom—it was survival.

The weight of Martha's worsening condition had shifted everything in the past few weeks. Medical bills were piling up, and Ezra had to make impossible choices between caring for her and focusing on his own future, of course he prioritized the former.

When Martha's medication dosage increased, it pushed them even further to the edge. Every day, he seemed to fall deeper into survival mode, and Alex could feel him slipping away, chasing anything that might provide relief from their reality.

There had been days when Martha couldn't take her meds because there was no food in the fridge. That was when she started noticing the shift in Ezra.

She had tried to help, but he wouldn't let her. It was as if accepting help meant admitting defeat, or worse, becoming a charity case.

He'd always been proud, sometimes to a fault, and while he never hesitated to extend a hand to others, when it came to himself, he closed off.

The subject was delicate, almost like it threatened his sense of dignity. Alex understood his pride, but it stung every time he pushed her away when all she wanted was to ease his burden.

So she'd resorted to sneaking groceries into his house without his knowledge, usually when he wasn't home. She admired him for taking charge and refusing to give in to the weight of his misfortunes.

But with every shift he took on, he seemed to lose another piece of himself, losing sight of any future beyond survival.

She missed the version of Ezra who smiled more... the one whose presence always managed to light up a room. The Ezra who, despite it all, still had hope. Now, it seemed like he was focused only on getting through each day, and it scared her.

And then there was the glass wall—the invisible barrier between them that felt stronger with each passing day. Something was going on in Ezra's life, something he wasn't telling her. Something big.