Rift Continues

The lunch bell rang, and the corridors of my school buzzed with the usual clamor of students heading to their favorite hangouts. I gathered my things, my heart heavy with the unresolved tension between Andrew and me. Determined to make things right, I decided to find him and try to talk once more. The thought of him hating me gnawed at my insides, making it hard to focus on anything else.

I started my search by heading to his classroom, hoping he might be there. As I approached the door, I saw a few of his friends standing around, laughing and chatting. Mustering up my courage, I walked over to them.

"Hey, have you seen Andrew?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

One of his friends, Kyle, gave me a cursory glance before looking away dismissively. "He's not here. Try somewhere else."

The others snickered, and I felt a flush of embarrassment creep up my neck. "Do you know where he might be?"

"Not my problem," Kyle muttered, turning his back to me.

I bit my lip and turned away, my face bur