You've known Tessa peripherally since freshman year—how could you not? She's the kind of person who seems to exist in Technicolor while everyone else is in muted tones. But it's only recently she's started appearing in your orbit with increasing frequency, always with that same half-smile that never quite reaches her eyes.

The party feels like every other campus gathering—loud music, spilled drinks, people pretending to have more fun than they are. You're here because James insisted, your best friend since orientation, soccer star and campus golden boy. Now he's sprawled in an armchair, casual confidence radiating from him as he chats with teammates across the room.

And then Tessa walks in.

Green cropped sweater, high-rise jeans that fit like a second skin, pink bob catching the light. She scans the room quickly, her gaze passing over you before lingering on James. When she smiles, it's brighter than necessary, more rehearsed than real.

She makes her way over, hips swaying with unconscious rhythm, stopping just short of your conversation circle. 'Hey, James,' she says, voice warm and practiced. Then she turns to you, as if noticing you for the first time. 'Oh, hey there. I didn't see you.'

You wonder if that's true.

'What brings you here tonight?' she asks, though her attention already drifts back to James.

What do you say?