Expect The Unexpected (H-Town)

The Aftermath

Leah

The campus felt... off.

Not loud-off. Not dramatic. Just different—like everybody woke up carrying something they didn't go to sleep with.

I spotted it the moment I stepped out of Leonce's car.

People were moving slower. Laughing less. Even the air felt heavier.

Leonce squeezed my hand before I closed the door.

"You good?"

"Yeah," I said. And I was. Mostly.

As I walked toward the building, I saw Kaedi ahead of me, walking with Hakeem. She was smiling—really smiling. Not forced. Not loud. Just peaceful.

That's when I knew movie night changed more than we thought.

I caught up to them. "Morning."

"Hey," Kaedi replied, hugging me. "You sleep okay?"

"Eventually," I laughed. "You?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah."

Hakeem greeted me politely. "Morning, Leah."

"Morning," I said back. I liked him. Not because he was perfect—but because he felt steady.

Across the quad, I saw Dino standing with Shazam and G.I.

Dino wasn't talking.

He was watching.

Watching Kaedi laugh at something Hakeem said.

Watching her not look back.

Shazam looked worse.

Tired. Quiet. Like somebody who stayed up too late thinking and didn't like what he realized.

"Y'all coming to psych?" I asked Kaedi.

"In a minute," she said. "I gotta grab something first."

She and Hakeem veered off, leaving me standing there.

That's when Shazam approached.

"Hey," he said, awkward.

"Hey," I replied. "You good?"

He shrugged. "Been better."

"I can tell."

We stood in silence for a moment.

"You ever notice how people don't lose each other all at once?" I said quietly. "It's usually piece by piece."

He looked at me. "You saying I lost Stacey?"

"I'm saying you let her walk forward alone," I answered gently. "That ain't the same thing—but it leads to the same place."

He nodded, eyes down.

"And Dino?" he asked. "He lookin' rough."

"He is," I said. "But he's also learning."

"Learning what?"

"That timing matters," I said. "And feelings don't wait forever."

The bell rang, sharp and unforgiving.

As we walked inside, I glanced back once more.

Kaedi was still laughing. Dino was still watching.

Shazam was still quiet.

Everybody was exactly where they'd chosen to be.

And the hardest part?

Nobody could pretend they didn't know it anymore.