Miguel was dreaming again.

His father stood in a white void, surrounded by flickers of static and light. No walls. No sky. Just silence.

"They said it was an accident," Aaron whispered. "But it wasn’t. They made it look clean."

Miguel tried to speak, but the dream held him still. His father stepped closer, eyes sharp with warning.

"You have to listen. The Pulse"

The alarm shattered the dream.

Miguel sat up, breath caught in his throat -7:42 AM.

"Damn it," he muttered, throwing off the blanket. His room was dim, cluttered with textbooks, a hoodie he hadn’t washed in days, and a half-eaten granola bar from yesterday.

He rushed down the hall and knocked on Ashley’s door. "Ash! We’re late!"

A tiny groan. “Five more minutes…"

"Nope. You've got spelling today, remember? Up. Now."

Ashley shuffled out, her oversized hoodie dragging past her hands, hair sticking up like she’d fought a pillow and lost. She blinked at him, still half-asleep. "You look tired."

Miguel forced a smile. "I’m good."

Ashley tilted her head. "You don’t have to be."

He paused, hand on the fridge door.

"You can cry in front of me," she said softly. "I want to be your comfort zone."

Miguel exhaled, long and quiet. "I love you, Ash."

"I know," she said, grabbing her backpack. "Now let’s go before Ms. Carter eats me alive."

Their mom's room was silent. Maria Vale hadn’t come out. She rarely did anymore. Since Aaron died, Miguel had stepped into the role no one asked him to fill, making breakfast, packing lunches, keeping the house from falling apart.

They walked to school in silence, the kind that felt safe. Miguel dropped Ashley off at the elementary gate, watched her disappear into the crowd of backpacks and ponytails.

Then he turned toward Drevan High.

Senior year. He used to be loud, social, the kid who filled every room with noise. Now he wore his hoodie like armor, kept his head down, and counted the hours until he could go home.

Naomi glanced at him from across the hallway. Her eyes lingered, curious. She used to sit next to him in art class. Now she didn’t know where he sat.

Miguel didn’t look back.

He had too many responsibilities to think about love