By the end of the day, everything blurred together the way it always did.
Voices. Movement. The constant feeling of being just slightly in the way.
He walked the halls like he always did—steady, quiet, unnoticed unless someone decided otherwise.
At his locker, he didn't bother checking for anything this time.
He just grabbed his bag and closed it again.
A voice called out behind him.
"Hey."
He paused.
Not because he wanted to—but because something about the tone was different. Less amused. More direct.
Adrian turned slightly.
One of them stood a few feet away. Not smiling this time.
"Why don't you ever say anything?" the guy asked.
Not loud. Not joking.
Just… asking
.
For a second, Adrian didn't know what to do with that.
"I mean, seriously," the guy went on. "Do you just not care, or…?"
He trailed off, like he didn't even know how to finish the question.
Adrian looked at him. Actually looked.
Tried to find something in his face—anything that wasn't the same as before.
There was nothing there.
Just curiosity. Maybe boredom.
Waiting for a reaction.
Adrian felt something shift in his chest. Small. Tight. Hard to name.
He opened his mouth.
Just slightly.
Then stopped.
The moment stretched.
The guy raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, that's what I thought."
A smirk returned. Not as wide as before—but familiar.
"See you tomorrow, man."
He turned and walked off.
Adrian stood there for a second longer, then looked away.
Of course.
************************************************
Outside, the sky was already starting to dim.
He stepped out of the building and into the cooling air, the noise of the day trailing behind him like it always did.
It would fade soon.
It always did.
All he had to do was keep walking.