The cafeteria had the kind of quiet that made whispers carry further than conversations.
A few cadets scattered around, some nursing drinks, some pretending to read, a notable number doing neither because there was something more interesting happening across the room.
Lucas was aware of being the interesting thing and was handling it the way he handled most things by staring straight ahead and pretending he didn't exist.
"Is that Sylvia Silvercrest?"
"Yeah. Who's the guy?"
"You don't know? Apparently she's actually dating that talentless one."
"I wish I were him."
Every word hit his back like an arrow. Lucas lowered his cup very slowly, set it on the table, and continued staring at a fixed point on the wall with the expression of a man having a quiet conversation with all of his life choices.
"This feels less like a relationship," he muttered, at a volume only Sylvia could catch, "and more like a public execution. Just me. Every day."
