JOANN BLANCHETT

Oblivious

Tay and Sonny exchanged a look I couldn't quite interpret. It was one of those fleeting moments where their gazes met, something unspoken passing between them. I didn't think much of it at first—after all, they were always like that, constantly teasing and pulling pranks on each other. But today, it felt different. Something lingered in the air, and I wasn't sure what.

Tay, ever the instigator, leaned back with a smirk, her eyes glinting. "Jo, you're so oblivious. It's almost—" she paused, a playful edge creeping into her tone, "endearing."

My eyebrows furrowed, a sinking feeling settling in my stomach. Why did I feel like I was being targeted? Was this one of those moments where everyone was laughing at me behind my back and I was just too dense to catch on? I turned to Lanc, looking for some sort of clue in her face. But all I saw was her bright smile and the familiar warmth in her eyes.

Lanc's laugh broke through the chaos, a little too high-pitched, like she was trying too hard to mask something. "I missed this madness," she said, her voice light but slightly shaky.

I didn't know what it was, but something about Lanc's laugh sounded off. Maybe it was just me overthinking it, or maybe it was because I was always hyperaware when it came to her. I couldn't help it—Lanc had this way of making me feel... things. Little things. A glance that lingered just a bit too long, the way she would laugh at my dumb jokes as if they were the funniest thing she'd ever heard. There was something in the way she looked at me that always left me wondering. But I pushed those thoughts aside. Lanc was just... Lanc. Nothing serious.

Sonny wiggled her eyebrows at the screen, and I couldn't help but stare, a sinking feeling gnawing at me. "Missed Jo, you mean," she teased, her grin widening.

I blinked, trying to ignore the way my heart skipped at the mention of my name. What the hell was going on? Why was everyone acting so weird? It wasn't like this before, right? Just a few months ago, we could all laugh and joke around without the tension hanging in the air. But now... now it felt like something was shifting, and I was missing the cues.

Lanc spluttered, her face flushing a deep shade of pink as she tried to explain herself. "I—no! I mean, yes, but—not like—!" Her words stumbled over each other, her thick Spanish accent coming through more heavily than usual.

I watched her with a furrowed brow, my own confusion deepening. There was something she wasn't saying. Something she was trying so hard to hide. But what was it? Why was she acting so... flustered?

Tay just leaned back with a smirk, clearly enjoying the moment. "Relax, Lanc," she said. "We're just teasing."

The tension was so thick I could feel it in my chest. I wanted to understand what was going on, but I didn't know how to ask. And there was no way I could let anyone know I was already feeling something more.

I frowned, looking between them. "Teasing about what?" I asked, trying to sound casual. But even I knew my voice was strained, my tone more defensive than I intended.

"Nothing!" Lanc said quickly, almost too quickly, her voice cracking under the pressure. "Just... you're so oblivious sometimes." She threw a nervous glance my way, and for a split second, her eyes met mine, holding on just a little longer than necessary.

My pulse raced. What was that? Did she mean to do that? Was it just me imagining things, or was there something more?

I tried to focus on her words, the ones she was saying, and not the ones she wasn't saying. But the truth was, I knew exactly what she meant by "oblivious." I was the one who couldn't see what was right in front of me. I had spent years pretending that Lanc's closeness, her attention, was nothing more than friendly banter. But the more I was around her, the more I realized I couldn't ignore the feelings that simmered beneath the surface.