Page 10

Did I make a mistake? That question swirled in my head as I took a seat in my first period class.

I arrived a little later than I usually did, so Amelia was already there sitting in her seat in the back.

I waved to her before I took a seat. I looked to my right and Dominic had his eyes glued to his phone and had airpods in.

A dark cloud seemed to be over him. He had no life in his eyes, and the dark circles under them indicated that he didn't sleep much last night. Is this my fault?

I turned my head away as a wave of guilt washed over me.

Maybe I should have heard him out. But, it was too late now.

I had already fabricated the lie that I had a boyfriend, and I blocked his number.

Maybe it was for the best. I didn't need any more chaos in my life right now. Even so, the guilt never left me.

The guilt gnawed at me like a persistent ache, a constant reminder of the mess I had created.

As the teacher droned on about the upcoming test, my mind drifted back to Dominic.

His intense blue eyes, usually filled with a mix of emotions, now seemed hollow and distant.

I stole a glance at him, his jaw clenched tightly, staring ahead as if in a world of his own.

Amelia nudged me, snapping me back to reality. "Hey, you okay?" she whispered, concern lacing her voice. She must have moved seats in the middle of class to sit right behind me.

I plastered on a smile, trying to mask the turmoil within me. "Yeah, just tired," I lied, my voice barely above a whisper.

Her dark brown eyes bore into mine for a moment before she nodded slowly, seemingly accepting my response. But I knew she could see through my facade; she always did.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the class. I gathered my books quickly, eager to escape the suffocating guilt.

The rest of the week went on like this. Dominic and I kept our distance, and I was able to restore some semblance of normality to my life.

I spent more time with Amelia. I went to her house after school on Thursday, and it felt like a breath of fresh air.

I didn't realize how much I actually missed her.

"Elaine, what are you doing after school today?" Amelia asked, her mouth full with her lunch.

"Not much." I shrugged. My plan was to go to the library until it closed, and then go for a walk in the park after.

"Would you like to go shopping after school?

And maybe after that you can stay the night at my house.

It's Friday, so we can stay up late and have some fun!

" She invited me with enthusiasm in her voice.

Amelia looked at me with her irresistible puppy eyes, and I knew she really wanted to reconnect with me.

"Yeah that would be great." I smiled at her. She wasn't as pushy as I thought she would be about why I ghosted her during the summer. Spending time with her made me regret pushing her away then.

The bell rang, and we made our way to our next class together. As we walked down the hallway, I felt a strange sensation on the back of my neck, like someone's gaze burning into me. I turned, expecting to see Dominic's intense blue eyes, but he was nowhere in sight.

"Elaine, wait up!" Amelia called out, jogging to catch up with me. "I can't believe we're going shopping today! It's been so long since we hung out like this."

I smiled weakly at her excitement, grateful for her infectious energy that managed to lift my spirits, even if just a little. "Yeah, it should be fun."

We spent the rest of the day discussing what clothes to check out at the mall after school. It was a welcome distraction from the weight of guilt that still lingered within me. But no matter how hard I tried to bury it, it clawed its way back.