POV: Jayjay
It started small.
One missed call.
Then a shorter reply.
Then just texts instead of calls.
I told myself not to overthink it. Exams were close. He was probably busy. I understood that… or at least I tried to.
Days passed.
When we talked, his answers were shorter. Less jokes. Less stories.
Still polite. Still calm. Just… distant.
One evening, I finally asked.
"Hex, are you okay?"
There was a pause before he replied.
"Yeah. Everything's alright."
That was it. No explanation. No usual rambling.
I stared at my phone longer than I should have.
At school, Keifer noticed again—this time, the opposite.
"You okay?" he asked, tapping his pen against my desk. "You've been zoning out."
"I'm fine," I said automatically.
He raised an eyebrow. "That's not your 'fine' face."
I sighed. "Someone I care about is acting weird."
Keifer smirked lightly. "Weird how?"
"Quiet," I replied. "Too quiet."
He leaned closer, voice softer. "People don't go quiet for no reason."
I glanced at him. "Since when did you become wise?"
He grinned. "Since I started sitting next to you."
I shook my head, but his presence helped—just a little.
That night, Hex texted again.
Goodnight, Jay.
I typed back fast.
Goodnight. Talk tomorrow?
A few seconds passed.
Maybe.
I lay back on my bed, phone resting on my chest, heart uneasy.
He said everything was alright—but somehow, it didn't feel like it was.
And I couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming.