Twenty-Four

The days following that painful conversation with Jack were a blur for me. I went through the motion of my daily life , but everything felt muted, the weight of Jack's decision hung heavy on me. Each day, i tried to push through hoping that time would dull the ache in my chest.

At School, I kept my head down avoiding unnecessary interactions with my classmates. I sat in the back of the classroom, my head resting in my hand as I stared blankly at the notes in front of me. The words on the page blurred together, my mind far too distracted to focus on the lesson. I felt numb, like I was moving through the day in a fog, I wasn't sure how long i could keep up the facade.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, I slowly began packing up my things, my movements mechanical. I didn’t notice Rachel approaching me until I heard her voice.

"Sophia? You okay?" Rachel’s tone was gentle, filled with concern.

I glanced up, startled by the at