Lyla

Three Days To Lyla's Birthday

Lyla POV:

Alana's eyes still linger on me as I leave our room. I feel a peculiar weight on my shoulders like her gaze can unravel the confusion clouding my mind. But that's not possible, is it? People can't just look into your soul and understand you. And yet, as I walk down the hallway to my first class of the day, I can't shake off the feeling that Alana sensed my inner turmoil.

The atmosphere in the classroom is its usual blend of apathy and low-key anxiety. Mr. Thompson is up at the front, scribbling something about cellular respiration on the board. As I sit down, my mind drifts away, and the board becomes a blur of meaningless lines and words.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. It's a text from Cameron.

"Hey, how's it going? Wanna catch up later?"

I hesitate. A week ago, I would've jumped at the chance to spend time with him. But now? Now everything's changed. There's a tight knot in my stomach that wasn't there before, an invisible wall that wasn't ther