Shattered ✓

F I F T Y - T W O

Alexa

I was determined to make this work.

Even if I had to drag them all here myself.

The group had been off for two weeks now—everyone slipping into their own separate worlds, barely talking unless it was necessary. It didn't feel right. We had survived too much together to just drift like this.

So, I forced it.

I picked a day, sent a message in the group chat, and refused to take no for an answer. Everyone showed up, but it didn't feel like a victory.

Not when Andrew was glued to his phone, barely looking up.

Not when Michael sat on the farthest end of the couch, putting as much distance between himself and Jackson as possible.

Not when Jackson kept shifting in his seat, like he was already planning his escape.

Not when Elliot looked completely out of it, staring at the floor like he wasn't really here at all.

I swallowed the frustration bubbling up in my chest and forced a smile.

"Okay," I said, clapping my hands together. "Who wants to pick the movie?"

Silence.

I forced a laugh. "Wow, so much enthusiasm."

Andrew hummed distractedly, not looking up from his phone.

Michael offered a small, hesitant smile but didn't say anything.

Jackson shifted again, tapping his fingers against his knee.

Elliot blinked slowly, finally looking up. "Whatever," he muttered.

Something in my chest twisted.

This was not how this was supposed to go.

I clenched my jaw, glancing between them. Andrew still hadn't looked up from his phone, fingers tapping out some text to Kelsey. Michael kept fidgeting with the hem of his hoodie, his usual brightness dimmed into something forced. Jackson looked two seconds away from bolting, and Elliot... Elliot just looked gone.

I inhaled through my nose, forcing down the frustration. If I snapped, it would only make things worse.

"Alright, fine," I said, dragging out the word. "I'll pick the movie."

Jackson tensed at the sound of my voice, but at least he wasn't actively running. Small wins.

I grabbed the remote and started scrolling through the streaming apps, mostly for show. No one actually cared about the movie, but maybe it would buy us a few minutes of normalcy.

The silence stretched out, thick and uncomfortable.

Andrew's phone dinged, and he immediately picked it up again, thumbs flying across the screen.

Michael kept shifting, sneaking quick glances at Jackson when he thought no one was looking.

Jackson stared ahead, stiff as a board, his jaw tight.

Elliot just... sat there.

This was bad.

I exhaled, setting the remote down. "Okay, what the hell is going on?"

Jackson snapped his gaze to me, eyes wide. "What?"

"You guys are acting like we don't all know each other," I said, gesturing wildly. "Like we're strangers or something."

No one responded.

Andrew still hadn't looked up.

Michael dropped his gaze to his lap.