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The group had learned to live with noise. Ruel's teasing, Seth's biting sarcasm, Andrew's constant muttering, Paris's flirtatious chatter, and Wesley's quiet hums in the background—it all became their rhythm. But now there was a hollow pocket in that rhythm, a missing note that threw everything slightly off-key.
Christopher Reese.
He hadn't been around in two weeks. And while everyone knew why, it didn't make the absence sting any less. They didn't whisper about it—they'd all been there. They'd all seen how fast things had spiraled in that bathroom.
It wasn't a mystery.
It was a scar they all shared.
Wes sat at the metal lunch table, eyes locked on his untouched food. The others sat around him—Paris slouched with his hood up, Seth tapping his foot impatiently, Ruel picking at his sleeve, and Andrew sitting too still for it to be normal. The cafeteria felt heavier than usual. The air buzzed with unspoken thoughts.
Ruel finally sighed, setting his juice down with a soft thud.
"Feels weird without him, doesn't it?"
"Yeah," Paris muttered, pushing his tray forward. "Too quiet. It's like... I don't know. Like someone turned down the volume on everything."
"Don't get soft," Seth cut in, though his voice lacked its usual bite. "He'll be fine. He's probably in one of those stupid group circles talking about his feelings right now."
Wes looked up at him, his expression unreadable. "You mean the ones he got stuck in because of me."
That silenced everyone for a moment.
Even Seth stopped tapping.
It wasn't guilt that lingered between them—it was understanding. Everyone knew what had gone down. Jasper's manipulation. The bathroom. The locked door. Chris stepping in before things could get worse.
And then—Chris taking all the blame.
Wes remembered the look on Chris's face right before the teachers arrived: calm, resolute, like he had already accepted what was coming. The last thing he said to Wes before they dragged him off was, "Don't cry. It's done."
But Wes had cried anyway.
Paris broke the silence first, leaning back in his chair.
"You know what's messed up? I never thought I'd say this, but I miss him calling me annoying."
Ruel gave a short, dry laugh. "He didn't even have to say anything. You'd just feel him judging you from across the room."
Andrew smirked slightly, the expression gone as fast as it appeared. "He didn't talk much, but when he did, it mattered."
Wes's lips twitched. "Yeah... he didn't talk much because he hated people."
