The following morning, Jayden found himself in his usual, yet unofficially official seat during study period when William walked into the classroom.
 
Unconsciously, Jayden furrowed his brows. William rarely bothered to attend any class these days, let alone study period. Not that Jayden was keeping a vigilant eye on him or anything (or so he told himself).
 
Their gazes briefly locked, and Jayden's breath caught in his throat at the intensity of William's stare. Then, William scowled even harder and swiftly averted his eyes. Jayden's heart sank; it seemed as though William genuinely wanted nothing to do with him anymore. Jayden tried to convince himself that it was perfectly fine, that he didn't care about William either, especially since he had hurt Daisy.
 
He shifted his gaze to the front of the classroom, where Daisy, much like Jayden, had been watching William since his entrance. Her eyes tracked his every move until he settled into his seat. Just as Jayden had been pondering, she too wondered why William had chosen today to show up for class when he usually skipped every period. However, once William was seated, Daisy tore her eyes away from him and focused on her own work.
 
Jayden gently kicked her under the table. "Hey, are you okay?"
 
Daisy looked up, her cheeks reddening at being caught, but she nodded. Jayden was well aware of her feelings, but she didn't want to burden him any further.
 
"I'm fine," she replied, attempting to sound assured, but her voice quivered at the end.
 
Jayden remained unconvinced, about to offer a rebuttal when he noticed a sudden change in Daisy's expression. Her sadness and distress morphed into guilt and unease as she peered past him. Jayden swiveled around, perplexed by her sudden shift in demeanor. All he saw was Shane, seated alone at a nearby table, lost in thought.
 
Jayden couldn't comprehend why Daisy was gazing at Shane with such guilt-ridden eyes, and he began to wonder if something had transpired between them. However, before he could voice his concerns, a newcomer burst into the classroom, disrupting his thoughts.
 
Aleena rushed in, panting from sprinting down the halls. She offered several bows to the teacher, apologizing profusely, before quickly explaining the situation. The teacher instructed the class to continue studying quietly and then exited the room.
 
Aleena, still flushed and somewhat embarrassed, hurried toward her usual spot but abruptly halted when she noticed Shane. Shane stood up, as though about to say something to Aleena, but Aleena deliberately avoided his gaze and made her way to the back of the classroom, where Damian was seated.
 
Damian had his earphones in, eyes closed as if he were on the brink of falling asleep. However, the moment he felt someone sit beside him, he snapped his eyes open, realizing it was Aleena. There was a change in his expression, a softening, as he looked at Aleena. Wordlessly, he shifted to create more space, pulling one earphone out to offer to Aleena.
 
With a grateful smile, Aleena accepted the earphone and settled down beside Damian, never once glancing back at Shane. Shane stood still, his face twisted with a mixture of emotions that Jayden couldn't quite decipher—something akin to hurt.
 
Jayden watched this unfolding scenario with wide eyes, surprised by the level of comfort displayed between Aleena and Damian. His brow furrowed in confusion over Shane and Aleena's strange behavior, and he found himself wondering if something had transpired between them.
 
Eventually, Jayden averted his gaze. He had enough to concern himself with, he reasoned, shaking his head. What he failed to notice was the pair of eyes that remained fixed on him, observing his every move.
 
***
 
At the back of the classroom, William sat in his usual spot, his presence there a question even he couldn't answer. Normally, he'd spend this time napping or catching up on homework in the art classroom, barely bothering to attend this period.
 
Ever since the day Jayden had stormed into his house, their dynamic had changed. An unmistakable tension hung in the air whenever their gazes met, and Jayden actively avoided him. William told himself that Jayden was never truly a friend, but a persistent ache in his chest contradicted his thoughts.
 
Unwillingly, he had to admit it to himself: he missed Jayden. He longed for the friend he used to talk to every day, missed their shared jokes and conversations. He missed the everyday encounters with Jayden, be it after school or within school premises. In essence, he just missed Jayden.
 
Yet, anger still brewed within him. Anger that Jayden hadn't trusted him, that he had believed what others said about William, even when most of it was untrue. Despite this anger, the yearning for Jayden persisted.
 
"Why am I even here?" he mumbled to himself, regretting his decision as soon as he entered the classroom. The moment he made eye contact with Jayden from across the room, he knew it was a mistake.
 
Desperate to distance himself, he quickly retreated to the back of the class, occupying a corner seat. He closed his eyes, determined not to let his gaze wander toward the classroom.