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me to my first class. This was the first semester where we didn’t have any classes together, and we both hated it. She was studying business at the request of her father, but she didn’t care for it. She loved school for the social aspect, but otherwise she wouldn’t bother showing up if her parents didn’t use it as leverage over her. No daughter of Harold and Diane Lewis was going to be a college dropout and they would only support her as long as she maintained passing grades.
    Sydney walked me to the education building before giving me a quick hug and heading back towards where she needed to be. My first class was an easy one; the teacher would tell us the assignment that would be homework and give us the rest of the class period to work on it. I submerged myself into the assignment, letting my mind forget for a little while.
    When the class dismissed, I had already completed and turned the paper in. I walked mechanically to my next class, preferring auto pilot to anything else.
    When I stepped into the big auditorium, I paused, not sure if I should go sit in my normal spot with my friends Aaron and Brianna. They were also working on degrees in elementary education, so we had a lot of classes together. They were great people, but they would ask questions and I wasn’t sure I could handle questions.
    I had decided to sit alone when a hand settled on my hip. I jumped and pulled away quickly, almost sending myself down the auditorium stairs.
    Aaron stood there with an amused look on his face until he caught sight of my own, and his morphed into concern.
    “Whoa, Maddie. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
    My cheeks burned in embarrassment from my overreaction, and I tried to shake my head as if it wasn’t a big deal.
    “I was just in my own head.”
    He stared for another moment before giving me a slow nod, placating me. I headed towards our usual spot and sat down, Aaron taking the spot beside me. He pulled his notebook out of his bag and gave me a sideways look.
    “Everything okay?”
    “Oh yeah,” I lied, forcing a smile onto my face. “I’m just tired. I slept like crap.”
    “Me too. Ricky had a paper he left until last night, so all I heard while I tried to sleep was the ‘tap, tap, tap’ of the computer keyboard.”
    I let him amble on about his boyfriend and was thankful when Brianna showed up to be another distraction. The two of them carried on the conversation and only required minimal participation from me.
    When the professor stood at the podium on the stage below to begin her normal digital presentation, I did my best to pay attention and take notes, but I couldn’t focus. I spent the entire class staring at the back of random heads, wondering if anyone one of those people could be him .
    After class, I walked with Aaron and Brianna to the food court where Sydney was waiting at our usual table, her lunch already in front of her. I sat across from her while my other friends went to grab their food, and Sydney pushed an unopened Caesar salad to me.
    “Thanks Syd,” I said as I opened it up and poured the dressing on top.
    She just smiled and started babbling about some gossip she’d heard in her economics class, but I’d zoned her out as I picked at my food. After a few minutes I realized Sydney was silent and I glanced up at her to see her staring right back at me.
    “Don’t make me ask it,” she warned, giving me her best stern face.
    “Just spaced out, I’m fine,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders. “Just thinking.”
    She continued to stare, an expectant look on her face, and I knew I’d have to give her something
    “Josh text me last night…” I trailed off, and pushed my food around some more.
    Sydney raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow, but still said nothing.
    “It wasn’t a big deal, he just gave me some information to a support group for women who... Well, girls that’s were…” I stumbled over the four letter word, not wanting to say it out loud.
    Sydney grabbed my