few days

qu

in her dorm. Her words replayed in my head e

ll if you're not

e if I was ready to catch anyone.

ll sat unanswered on my phone. Savannah's s

of a love that once was. The other, of a lo

ning, I sa

ann

he q

rling between her fingers. Her hair was braided back, her hood

I saw

Braided hair tied up neatly. He laughed a

sm

e fake

real

o think only I br

there,

completely, but enough for me to feel it. She sa

dn't

id, voice cal

ey

d. "I figured we migh

that

e nodded.

But I could feel the heat creeping up m

me to

she said, voice tight. "Wante

do you w

. "I don't know what I want, M

ords

I wanted

"Well... I hope y

ave. But she c

rti

She let g

not

tter if he still

rted. But n

walke

ime since I arrived

I didn't bel

class that

ped

checking

urs on the edge of the concrete bank,

way I fel

dn't said an

meone else sitt

d

ok and too many feeli

d it ou

of metaphors that

tore

t back to campus

went straight to the library, sat in our usua

he di

eone el

rtins,

ked u

ands in the pockets of a windbr

slowly

d we shou

ut w

van

cou

arms. "What

oice even. "About your study sessio

mach t

nd

hat you two were just classma

once. "Th

I know when she's hiding something.

ched m

st want you to know... I'm not giving up on her. We've been through too muc

t have left," I said bef

at me. I s

second

n t

steppe

e'll see,

ed. Wal

hat, the librar

I couldn't

His warning. The look in Savannah's eyes wh

phone and opene

ty

still l

ete

d ag

f it feels like yo

ed th

d the

y Notes

te

n't a p

you have to

it stops b

l asleep o

Savannah showe

ual do

nocke

d-still in sweats and

were glassy. But she held

here else to go,

pped

walk

he edge

't s

ed the

le

aid, "He k

art d

dn't kiss

. Her fingers gripped her notebook like i

hispered. "To remember why we used

oser. Sat

"I feel guilty all the time. Like I'm betraying a

not,"

And so

llowe

kno

she handed m

sixteen,"

d through her tiny handwri

ritten

ut

uestion I wasn't

I wasn't re

that saw

at spoke loude

el something

ow if I want to fo

it thre

, I couldn

ooked

ow I feel

know wh

he only th

aned

issed

't pass

n't de

as s

nt

estion without s

rembled ag

n't pul

her phon

d at it.

n s

go," she

van

s already

before leaving

means something. But it

oor c

in the silence

opened a door we cou