ANICA'S POV
"Anica."
The peace lasted exactly one minute.
"What is it this time?"
Adrian straightened slightly when I answered. "Do you usually walk home?"
"My house isn't that far."
He thought about it for a while.
"Do you always feed stray cats?"
"Wait, you saw me yesterday? Did you?"
There wasn't any other explanation. He wouldn't suddenly ask about stray cats for no reason.
"I happened to pass by."
"I knew it." I folded my arms. "If I answer your questions, will you finally leave me alone?"
Adrian rested his chin on his hand, considering it.
"Maybe." Then he faced me again. "So, do you?"
"I just happened to see one yesterday."
The lie came easily. He hadn't stayed long enough to know otherwise.
"Wait. You feed stray cats?" Marco asked.
"If I see one." I answered.
"I didn't know that."
"You miss a lot of things," Ethan said.
"Ethan, you're attacking me again."
"I'm telling the truth."
"I knew it. You're still mad because I accidentally broke Mia's gift."
"I already told you it wasn't for Mia."
"That's what you said last time, then you still gave it to her."
One question about stray cats turned into another argument between the two of them. I stopped listening after the first minute.
They always argued like this, dragging old stories into the present until neither of them remembered how the argument had started.
"Adrian, you're my friend. Defend me," Marco complained.
"Why would I?"
That was apparently enough to restart their argument.
I opened my book again and studied the page.
Which part was I on?
I exhaled and went back to the top of the page.
I hadn't even reached the middle of the page before he tried getting my attention.
I pretended not to notice. He called my name again. I kept reading. Apparently, silence wasn't enough to make him give up.
I finally closed my book and sighed.
"Seriously?"
He waited until I met his eyes. "Do you always carry cat food with you?"
My fingers froze on the page. How did he know that?
He'd said he only happened to pass by, but someone driving past shouldn't have noticed something that small.
When I studied him, Adrian wasn't smiling anymore. He watched me, patient and quiet, as though he already knew the answer and was only waiting to see whether I'd admit it.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Why are you like this?"
"Like what?"
"You're like a mosquito."
Marco burst out laughing. Even Ethan looked away for a second, clearly trying not to smile.
"A mosquito?" Adrian repeated.
"Yes."
"You keep buzzing around people until they get annoyed."
"I don't think mosquitoes do that."
"They do now."
Adrian remained unreadable. And it irritated me more than it should have. It felt like he'd noticed something I'd spent years keeping to myself.
The whispers around the room seemed louder. Ignoring rumours usually worked. Adrian was making that difficult.
Howard leaned over his chair. "Vale."
Adrian turned toward them. "Hm?"
"You're seriously staying there?"
"Yeah."
Howard stared another second before shaking his head. "You're weird today."
I returned to the page and tried to find the line I'd been reading, but the words refused to stay in place.
For a moment, the memory slipped back before I could stop it.
Blood across the pavement.
Tiny paws that never moved again.
Laughter.
I forced the memory back where it belonged before it could go any further.
The classroom door slid open just as Adrian was about to ask another question.
Our professor walked in, and every conversation died almost immediately.
I opened my notebook before anything else could happen.
For the next hour, all I wanted was to pay attention to the lecture and pretend the human mosquito beside me didn't exist.
Lunch arrived sooner than I expected. By the time our professor dismissed the class, my head already hurt. Not because of the lecture, but because Adrian had managed to turn passing notes into an interrogation.
We were already on our way to the cafeteria when Marco stretched his arms over his head.
"I'm starving."
"You're always starving," Howard replied.
"Because I believe in consistency."
Jason shook his head. "I believe you're a bottomless pit."
Mia gestured toward the long table.
"Let's all take the long table."
"Good idea," Kyle agreed. "I'm too tired to fight for seats."
The group headed toward the long table before I could slip away with Ethan. I scanned the cafeteria, searching for another empty table. Every table was occupied. Not a single empty seat was left.
"Where are you going?" Adrian asked.
I faced him. "Looking for another table."
"There isn't one."
He wasn't wrong.
Marco waved his hand. "Come on, Anica."
Ethan waited for me without saying anything. He was waiting for my decision. I checked the tables one last time. If I kept insisting, Ethan would only end up standing around because of me.
"Fine."
Marco immediately scooted over. "There we go."
I took the seat beside him. Ethan sat on my other side.
Across from us, Adrian pulled out a chair and sat down. I pretended not to notice.
A few minutes later, our food arrived, and conversation drifted away from classes almost immediately.
Howard was complaining about an upcoming quiz. Jason insisted he was going to fail. Kyle claimed he'd accepted his academic death weeks ago. Drex mostly listened, only joining the conversation when he actually had something to say.
Marco, meanwhile, was already halfway through his first plate, somehow managing to argue with Howard between mouthfuls.
Across the table, Mia casually placed a piece of food onto Adrian's tray.
"Adrian, try this."
Adrian barely glanced at it before sliding it back onto her plate. "I don't eat that."
Mia didn't seem surprised. She simply took it back as though she'd expected that answer.
Beside me, Ethan ate quietly, occasionally checked on Mia before returning to his food.
I kept my attention on my lunch. Finally, no one was talking to me. I hoped it stayed that way long enough for me to finish eating.
Mia rested her elbows on the table. "You still coming this weekend?"
"What weekend?" Adrian asked.
Everyone stopped eating.
Drex stared at him. "You organised it."
Adrian blinked. "Oh. I did?"
Jason laughed. "He actually forgot."
Howard shook his head. "You've been distracted since yesterday."
"Have I?"
"Very."
"You've asked more questions today than you have all semester." Kyle replied.
Marco leaned back. "I honestly thought someone stole his phone and replaced him."
"I still think that's possible," Howard added.
"I was just talking." Adrian answered.
"See?" Jason said.
Howard snorted. "He doesn't even realise it."
The table burst into laughter again.
A white cat wandered near the cafeteria entrance. Most students ignored it.
Without thinking, I tore off a small piece of chicken and placed it on the edge of my tray, just in case it wandered closer.
When I lifted my head, Adrian was already watching me.
Beside me, Ethan followed Adrian's attention. He nudged Marco under the table.
Marco followed Ethan's gaze, stopped on me for a second, then shifted to Adrian.
"Interesting."
"What?" Howard asked.
"Nothing." Marco simply shook his head.
Jason narrowed his eyes. "You're smiling."
"I always smile."
"That's exactly why nobody trusts you."
The conversation drifted somewhere else again. I was grateful for how quickly they changed the subject.
"Anica, can you pass the ketchup?" Mia asked.
I hesitated before sliding the bottle across the table.
"Thanks."
Marco watched me finish eating first. "Damn."
"What?" Howard leaned over.
Marco gestured toward my tray. "She eats faster than Jason."
"I eat at a respectable speed." Jason replied.
"You inhale food."
"I savour it."
"You swallowed three meatballs without chewing."
"I chewed twice."
Even Ethan looked amused. I placed my spoon down.
Adrian stared at my empty tray. "You eat strangely fast today."
"Because you're around."
Howard looked between the two of us before turning to Adrian. Jason burst out laughing.
"Can't argue with that." Marco said.
I stood without a word. Ethan glanced at me and rose as well. I glanced at Ethan, then at Mia. He'd barely said a word throughout lunch. Normally, he wasn't this quiet.
"Anica, aren't you going to wait for me?" Marco protested.
His tray was still half full. I raised an eyebrow. "Marco."
"What?"
"You're still on your second plate."
"So?"
"It usually takes you another twenty minutes to finish."
He couldn't argue back.
Howard glanced at Marco's tray. "Second plate?"
Jason leaned forward. "Wait."
Kyle frowned. "You've actually had two already?"
Marco pointed his fork at them. "Don't judge me."
"We're not judging." Howard laughed.
Jason nodded. "We're studying."
"You'll probably get three more after that." I said.
Marco's mouth slowly fell open. "How do you know that?"
"It's hard not to," I shrugged. "You eat the same amount every lunch."
Jason burst out laughing. "Bro's routine is public information."
"The scary part isn't Marco." Howard pointed at me. "The scary part is that she actually counted."
Ethan lightly tugged my sleeve. "Anica let's go."
Marco bounced his gaze between us. "Already?"
"We've got reading to finish," Ethan answered.
"You're making the rest of us look bad."
"You don't need our help with that."
"There he is." Howard said while pointing his fork at Ethan. "Ethan's back."
Marco sighed dramatically. "I missed being insulted."
"You argued with him an hour ago."
"I know."
I gave the group a small wave.
"See you later."
Jason lifted a hand. "Later."
Howard raised his spoon in farewell. Marco was already halfway through another bite. Only Adrian stayed quiet. His eyes followed us until we left.
His expression didn't change.
Then Ethan nudged my shoulder.
"Come on."
I followed him out of the cafeteria.
The noise faded behind us as we stepped into the quieter hallway.
Once we were out of earshot, I slowed my pace. "Ethan."
"Hm?"
"What happened between you and Mia?"
Ethan stayed quiet before he answered. "It's nothing serious. I'm just avoiding another rumour."
Ethan wasn't avoiding Mia. He was avoiding looking at her. There was a difference.