In between- Spoke x oc!Fem

XXXIII

The morning air was crisp as I hobbled out of the car, leaning heavily on my crutches. My foot throbbed with every step, a constant reminder of how much my life had shifted in just a few short days. I glanced at the school building looming in front of me, feeling a strange pit in my stomach. It was the same place I'd walked into hundreds of times before, but today, it felt different—almost foreign.

Everything had been so great in Japan. The trip, the crew, the streams, and especially Spoke. But now, being back here with my injury and back to reality, I felt... off.

I shifted my Longchamp and tried to shake off the feeling. Maybe it was just the jet lag, or maybe it was something deeper. The distance between me and everyone—my friends, Life Steal, and even Spoke—felt like it was growing by the second. We'd been texting since I got back, but it wasn't the same. Conversations that had once flowed easily were now stilted, filled with awkward pauses that never used to be there.

I sighed, bracing myself as I hobbled toward the front doors.

"Avs!"

I turned, a small smile forming as Sofia jogged up to me, her usual bright smile in place. Her energy was contagious, and for a moment, I felt the weight on my shoulders lift. "Hey! You look like a pro on those crutches," she teased lightly.

"Yeah, totally crushing it," I said, rolling my eyes as I tried to manage a sarcastic grin.

Sofia grabbed my backpack, slinging it over her own shoulder. "I got this," she said, her tone serious now as she glanced down at my bandaged foot. "You doing okay, though? How's the pain?"

"It's alright," I lied, knowing the throbbing hadn't let up all morning. "Just takes some getting used to."

We walked—well, Sofia walked, and I kind of hobbled—into school together, and for a few minutes, it almost felt normal again. Almost.

As we moved through the crowded hallways, I caught glimpses of people staring at my crutches, whispering. My stomach tightened. Usually, I didn't care much about what people thought, but today it felt like every pair of eyes was on me.

"Seriously though," Sofia continued, snapping me out of my thoughts, "we need to catch up! You've barely told me anything about Japan."

I nodded but didn't say much. The truth was, it was hard to talk about the trip when I was still trying to figure out how I felt about everything. I hadn't told her about how close I'd gotten to Spoke or about the late-night talks or the moments when I'd felt more connected to him than anyone else. It was hard to explain to someone who wasn't in the Life Steal world.

We reached my locker, and I busied myself with trying to get my books out while balancing on one foot. Sofia watched me for a moment, her brows furrowed in concern. "Are you sure you're okay, Avs? You've been super quiet since you got back."

I hesitated. There was so much I wanted to say but couldn't find the words. Instead, I shrugged. "Just tired, I guess. The trip took a lot out of me."

Sofia didn't look convinced but nodded anyway. "Well, if you ever want to talk about it, you know I'm here."

The day dragged on. Every step I took felt like a battle, and not just because of the crutches. Something about being back at school made everything feel distant—my friends, my old routine, even myself. I sat in class, staring blankly at the board, not really absorbing anything. I used to love being here, hanging out with Sofia and Toms, joking around between classes, and feeling like I was part of something. But now, it all felt different.

Toms and I hadn't spoken much since I'd joined Life Steal. We used to talk every day, but now there was this weird tension between us. And with everything going on between me and Spoke, it was hard to focus on anything else.