The library was quiet, too quiet, the kind of silence that made every breath feel like a crime. The fluorescent lights buzzed softly overhead, casting a sterile glow over the rows of bookshelves. I sat at one of the long wooden tables, my laptop open, textbooks sprawled out in front of me. My classmate, Alex-tall, with messy dark hair and a smirk that always seemed to know more than it should-sat right beside me. We were supposed to be working on our group project, but the tension between us was thicker than the dusty volumes on the shelves.

"You're not even reading that," he murmured, his voice low and teasing. His eyes flicked to the book in my hand, which I wasn't turning the page of.