The rest of the day felt like walking through glass. Every hallway was lined with eyes that lingered too long, every group of friends seemed to turn quiet the moment Ezra passed.
By the time last period ended, Noah was nowhere to be found.
Ezra checked the usual places—the library, the rooftop—but all were empty. His texts went unanswered. The more minutes ticked by, the heavier the knot in his stomach grew.
---
Lucien found him pacing outside the gym.
"He's not here," Lucien said, leaning against the wall like he hadn't just skipped his own class. "Saw him leave right after lunch."
Ezra stopped pacing. "Where did he go?"
Lucien shrugged. "No idea. But I wouldn't blame him for disappearing. People can be vicious."
Ezra ran a hand through his hair. "I should've—"
"You should stop blaming yourself," Lucien cut in, his tone unexpectedly firm. "The world's gonna think what it wants. You can't control that."
Ezra met his gaze. "You sound like you've done this before."
Lucien's smirk was faint, tired. "Maybe I have."
There was a pause, then Ezra asked, "Where's Adrian?"
Lucien's expression softened almost imperceptibly. "Science wing. Drawing again. Pretending no one exists."
Ezra gave a small, humorless smile. "Sounds like him."
---
Adrian didn't look up when Ezra entered the old greenhouse. He was sitting cross-legged, sketchpad balanced on his knees, pencil moving in quick, precise strokes.
Lucien followed behind Ezra but stayed by the door.
"Do you want to be alone?" Ezra asked.
Adrian finally glanced up, eyes a little guarded. "No. Just… quiet."
Ezra sat beside him on the cracked tile floor. "Noah's avoiding me."
Adrian didn't answer right away. Then he said, "Fear makes people hide. Doesn't mean he doesn't care."
Lucien's voice came from the doorway. "He's not the only one hiding."
Adrian shot him a look, but Lucien just smirked faintly, leaning against the frame. The air between them felt charged in a way Ezra didn't entirely understand.
Ezra looked from one to the other. "If we keep avoiding this—avoiding each other—it's going to break us."
Lucien tilted his head. "Maybe it already is."
Adrian closed his sketchpad. "Then maybe we should stop."
Ezra nodded slowly. "We need to talk. All four of us. No running, no pretending."
Lucien raised a brow. "And you think Noah will actually show?"
Ezra looked toward the broken glass roof, where the late afternoon light spilled in, warm and fleeting.
"He has to," Ezra said quietly. "Because if he doesn't… the sky's going to come crashing down."
---