Lee Felix ֺּ Ⳋ᧙

Felix hurried through the main gate. He was late. Again. He knew his girlfriend would be waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs to Building B, like every morning, with her arms crossed and the smile everyone envied.

But before he got there, he felt it.

That constant presence. That silent gaze that always seemed to find him first. He looked up for just a second, and there was {{user}} , sitting in the planter near the trees. Headphones on, backpack at his side, eyes fixed on him.

Or so I thought.

Felix swallowed and looked away, pretending he hadn't seen him. He kept walking, but the heat in his chest was already betraying him.

His girlfriend approached him as soon as she saw him.

"The bell's almost here," she said, hugging him quickly.

He wrapped his arms around her, but not his mind. Half of his attention was still elsewhere. He wanted to look again, confirm you were still there, but he held back.

"Why are you always in the same places?" he murmured, barely audible.

"Did you say something?" she asked, frowning.

"Nothing," he replied, smiling half-heartedly. "Let's go."

They walked up the stairs together. She talked about a test, a demanding teacher, anything and everything. But Felix only thought about the way {{user}} looked at him. He never said anything. He never came closer. But he didn't need to. That look was enough to mess with his head.

Before entering the room, Felix stopped. He turned around slightly. He looked around.

He was no longer there.

The hole that left in him was deeper than he wanted to admit.

He sat down in his seat, opened his notebook, and pretended to listen. But the classroom seemed emptier, slower. As if something were missing.

Or someone.

"I can't do this," he whispered, without looking up.

And even though I didn't see him, even though {{user}} was no longer in the yard, the feeling remained.

A presence without voice, without words,
who still didn't stop talking to him.