(Adrian’s POV)

Lunch ends badly.

Not dramatically.

Not loudly.

Just slowly enough that it hurts more.

It starts with Emma staying after Ethan leaves.

The rest of the cafeteria empties little by little while students head toward class, but Emma stays leaned against the table talking to Blake like she’s always belonged there.

And the worst part?

Blake looks comfortable.

Not forced.

Not awkward.

Comfortable.

“You going to the pep rally tomorrow?” Emma asks him.

Blake shrugs. “Coach says we have to.”

“That means yes.”

“I guess.”

“You say that like you hate school spirit.”

“I do hate school spirit.”

Emma grins. “Liar.”

The word hits weirdly.

Because that’s his thing.

Not hers.

I immediately hate myself for thinking that.

Jay notices me zoning out beside him.

His expression shifts slightly.

Concerned.

Careful.

“Adrian,” he says quietly.

“Hm?”

“You’ve been crushing that juice box for like thirty seconds.”

I look down.

The straw wrapper is absolutely destroyed in my hands.

“…Oh.”

Lia watches Blake and Emma for another second before leaning toward me slightly.

“You good?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Jay and Lia exchange a look.

The kind of look people do when they know something you don’t want them knowing.

Or maybe something you don’t want to know yourself.

Across the table, Emma laughs at something Blake says and lightly nudges his shoulder.

Blake nudges her back automatically.

Easy.

Natural.

Normal.

My stomach twists painfully.

And immediately my brain starts fighting itself.

Why do you even care?

I don’t.

Then stop staring.

I’m not staring.

You absolutely are.

Shut up.

Because this shouldn’t matter.

Blake’s my best friend.

That’s it.

He’s allowed to flirt with whoever he wants. Date whoever he wants.

And Emma makes sense.

That’s the problem.

She’s pretty. Popular. Confident.

A cheerleader dating the star wide receiver.

That’s normal.

That fits.

Meanwhile I’m sitting here spiraling because Blake smiled at a girl.

Which is insane behavior.

“Hey,” Emma says suddenly, looking toward me. “You okay?”

I blink immediately. “What?”

“You got really quiet.”

“Oh.” I force a shrug. “Just tired.”

“Adrian’s always tired,” Jay says quickly.

“True,” Lia adds.

I’m immediately grateful for them.

Even if they look weirdly tense right now.

Emma nods slowly before turning back toward Blake. “Anyway, are you going to Rosie’s after the game Friday?”

Blake leans back in his chair. “Probably.”

“You should come with us.”

The sentence hangs in the air.

Not because it’s weird.

Because everyone at the table knows what she means except maybe Ethan.

And maybe Blake.

Emma smiles slightly. “Like… with me.”

There it is.

Jay stops moving entirely.

Lia’s eyes flick instantly toward me.

I feel my heartbeat in my throat.

Blake blinks once. “Oh.”

Emma laughs nervously now, suddenly less confident. “Wow, okay, maybe I should’ve worded that smoother.”

“No, no,” Blake says quickly. “I just ”

He glances down at the table.

Then over at Ethan, who’s returning with drinks.

Then 

For one split second 

At me.

And somehow that hurts most.

Because his expression looks uncertain.

Like he’s checking something.

Like he’s waiting.

For what?

I don’t know.

I immediately look away first.

Because whatever this feeling is clawing around inside my chest is getting unbearable.

Ethan drops back into his seat completely oblivious.

“What’d I miss?”

“Emma asked Blake out,” Jay says flatly.

Ethan lights up instantly. “OH FINALLY.”

Emma groans. “Can everybody calm down?”

“No,” Ethan says immediately. “You two would actually look good together.”

There’s that word again.

Together.

Normal.

Easy.

Blake laughs awkwardly and rubs the back of his neck.

And Adrian’s stupid brain 

My stupid brain 

Starts noticing everything.

How Emma smiles at him.

How Blake looks relieved by the attention even if he seems surprised.

How simple this would be.

No weirdness.

No hiding.

No parents staring too hard.

No teammates questioning things.

Just a football player and a cheerleader.

Perfect.

Expected.

Safe.

And suddenly I understand something awful.

Blake wants this.

Not Emma specifically maybe 

But this.

Normal.

The realization makes something heavy settle in my chest.

Emma tilts her head. “So…?”

Blake hesitates.

And for one horrible second, my heart actually hopes he says no.

Then I immediately hate myself for that too.

Because why would he?

Why should he?

He smiles finally.

“Yeah,” he says softly. “Yeah, okay.”

Jay looks down at the table instantly.

Lia presses her lips together tightly.

Ethan practically slams a hand on Blake’s shoulder. “LET’S GO.”

Emma laughs, cheeks pink now. “You’re all making this way more dramatic than it needed to be.”

“Because Blake has the emotional intelligence of a brick,” Ethan says.

“True,” Lia mutters under her breath.

Blake misses it.

I don’t.

Neither does Jay.

The bell rings overhead signaling the end of lunch.

Chairs scrape loudly across the cafeteria floor as everybody starts standing.

Emma smiles at Blake again before stepping backward.

“I’ll text you later?”

“Yeah,” Blake says.

And there’s something strange about the way he says it.

Not unhappy.

But not excited either.

Just… committed.

Like he already decided this is what he’s supposed to do.

The group slowly starts moving toward the cafeteria exit.

I stay behind for half a second longer pretending to fix my bag zipper because suddenly breathing normally feels difficult.

You don’t care.

Correct.

Then why does it feel like this?

It doesn’t.

Liar.

I stand abruptly and sling my bag over my shoulder.

Blake falls into step beside me automatically as we head into the hallway.

“Hey,” he says casually.

“Hey.”

“You okay?”

There it is again.

Always noticing.

Always asking.

And somehow that makes everything worse.

I force a shrug. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Blake studies me for a second too long.

Then nods slowly.

Behind us, Jay and Lia walk in silence.

Not because they don’t have something to say.

Because they have too much.