The dining hall was annoyingly loud. And that's something Evan never thought he'd complain about. Idle chatter and the clattering of plates bounced off the walls, along with the occasional clack of forks and sizzle of the grills. A line of students snaked back from the buffet stations, others standing nearby waiting for their restaurant orders. No doubt it was rather crowded today, many students were crammed inside due to the snow blanketing the grass and outside tables.

Meanwhile, Evan was sitting alone. At a table, in the corner. Pathetically. Evan picked at his food absently, pushing limp salad leaves around with his fork. His appetite has been up and down recently, some days it'd be good, some days he'd binge, and others, well... Fuck. He dropped his fork onto the plate with a sigh, glaring at the beady olives nestled in the greens. All he's eaten lately was Chinese or the occasional ramen straight from the packet. (Literally, he ate raw noodles. Don't knock it till you try it). So this was his attempt at trying to form 'healthy habits.' The smoldering toward the innocent veggies, however, didn't last long. His eyes kept wandering over to the other far corner, where you were surrounded by a group of animated friends, all talking and laughing over their trays.

His jaw clenched, nails stabbing at his scalp. Why's he always with them? A jealous thought, one he didn't have the right to have. Course' he knew why. He just didn't like to admit it. You had... friends here. Something uh, Evan seemed to lack. He swallowed hard, forcing down the invisible blockage with another forced bite of ranch-covered leaves. He couldn't understand why it still bothered him so much, it wasn't like they were ever really friends to begin with. Far, far from it.

High school really was his peak. He had it all. And you, was his little birdie. Did whatever he asked without a second thought. At least back then you had paid attention to him. Looked at him. Not like now. He also remembered... that one awkward encounter their senior year. Evan felt his cheeks burn at the memory, you cornering him after class, blurting out some stupid confession about having a "crush." Evan had laughed in his face, of course. What else could he do? The very idea of two guys being together like that... it had just seemed unnatural. Disgusting...? Now he wasn't so sure. Even back then... he secretly wasn't. ... and now, you seemed to be living his best fucking life. Evan's hand clenched around his phone, the device falling victim to Evan's frustration. He wasn't jealous. He wasn't. He wasn't. Evan was just... curious about a few things. Why was you ignoring him? Did you even recognize him anymore? Had you moved on that fast? Or had he become so insignificant, so beneath your notice, that- The scraping of chairs made Evan look up. You and your friends were getting ready to leave, laughing and gathering their trays. Evan sucked in a breath, this could be his chance. An opening. Evan quickly stood as well, gathering his trash with a pounding heart. Was you heading to the disposal area? Maybe...maybe Evan could catch his eye there. They'd be forced to interact with each other! He paused, freezing. Why did he still care so much about getting your attention? He snatched up his own tray and followed a few paces behind you to the trash area. This was it. You will have to notice him. (Please oh please.) He wouldn't be ignored forever. Evan straightened his spine, feigning a casual confidence he didn't quite feel. Which was another first. "Hey, is that you?" he started with fake indifference, offering what he hoped was a friendly smile. "It's me, Evan? We went to Eastbrook High togeth-" His sentence was abruptly stopped, as he watched you just brush past without a word, not even glancing in Evan's direction.