below the edge of the qu

ing flickering black-and-white images on a makeshift screen. Students

She hadn't told Lydia she was coming. She hadn't told herself, either-not until s

see Malvi

f she was relieve

shoulder ma

di

show," she said with a grin

es curled together under blankets and friends tossing popcorn at eac

one farthes

lv

ms crossed, expr

't smile. She didn't either. But something passed between them-a quiet recogniti

, leaving one seat b

ilm s

remember

really watc

of his breathing. Of the way he occasionally shifted

aned in and whispered, "I'm heading

shook

ia

e empty seat

sile

Malvin

the kind of person wh

m. "I didn't think you were the kind

itched. Alm

feel like a

ght her

" she asked before sh

. Fully. No distracti

e who's hidi

ren't cruel.

t answer.

looke

eart was

se she wa

t

someone had seen through her silence-and didn

was alm

k again for the

pretended to be focused on the screen. Malvin said nothing. H

he fe

felt the gravity of him-the kind th

stretching, laughing, collecting their th

es met o

cond, she thought he wa

he d

me unreadable look... th

of the screen's fading light, heart ste

er thi

sn't

t