❝ here's the real question: is the only reason you're trying to keep your distance from cole because deep down, you're afraid of how much you're starting to care? ❞
the room falls into a profound silence, the weight of realization hanging thick in t...
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PART TEN forty-five questions
banca stood by her locker, the faint sound of lockers slamming and distant chatter echoing through the bustling school hallway. she gazed at her reflection in the small mirror hanging on the door, adjusting the pendant of her necklace.
"hey, blanca," a familiar voice greeted, drawing her attention. gage, clad in a dark green hoodie paired with beige cargo pants, leaned against the locker adjacent to hers. his silver cross necklace caught the light as he grinned, the subtle hue of the sweatshirt accentuating the emerald tint in his eyes.
"hey," blanca replied with a warm smile, taking a moment to admire the book nestled in gage's hands. it seemed well-loved, its pages slightly worn from countless reading. "what are you reading?" blanca asked.
her smile widened at gage's admission about "pride and prejudice."
curiosity lingered as she asked, "do you think the movie did it justice?"
gage chuckled, a playful glint in his eyes. "yeah, i suppose it did. plus, i had a huge crush on keira knightley." he confessed, prompting a shared laugh between them.
"have you read it before?" gage asked, his interest in the book's source material evident.
blanca exhaled softly, admitting, "i've only seen the movie."
"the books are always better," gage remarked with a knowing grin as he carefully stowed the book away in his locker. his attention briefly shifted toward the approach of cole and erin, prompting him to glance at his phone.
"alright, i'll see you later. i gotta meet up with elijah before class," be said, waving a casual goodbye as he made his way down the bustling hallway, his figure blending into the stream of students.
cole observed gage's departure with a contemplative gaze, curious over the interaction between blanca and gage. erin's voice drifted into his thoughts, but he found himself losing focus on her words, his attention fixated on scene that he just witnessed.
interrupting erin mid-sentence, cole hesitated for a moment before deciding, "you know what? i think i'm gonna catch up with you." placing a hand gently on her shoulder, he offered a vague assurance, "alright? we'll talk about it later.
erin glanced past cole, her gaze landing on blanca, who seemed lost in concentration on her binder. a deep sigh escaped erin's lips as she muttered, "unbelievable," her annoyance evident in her voice. she walked away, leaving cole behind, his focus now solely on blanca, who was oblivious to the undercurrents around her.
