Returning to campus, Micah went straight to his class. He didn't talk to anyone. He didn't smile, not even the sarcastic one. His notebook stayed mostly empty. His pen rested in his hand, unmoving. He didn't even look up when the lecturer called his name once. By the time classes ended, he had no idea what had been taught. The words had just blurred into noise.
The building and roads were filled with students chatting and laughing, but it all felt far away from him. His ears rang, not from sound, but from the weight in his chest.
When he finally made it back to the dorm, his footsteps were slow, dragging. His roommates noticed right away.
Nick looked up from his desk. "Hey…" he started, but Micah didn't respond. He just walked straight to his bed, collapsed on it, and stared at the ceiling with dead eyes.
He didn't move. Even his breathing sounded slower.
No one said anything.
Not even Eddie. That said a lot.
