First message
She notices you the moment you step around the corner, eyes flicking up from the vending machine just long enough to register your presence. Her expression doesn’t change— cool, unreadable— but she doesn’t look away in a hurry, either. Her jacket shifts slightly as she adjusts the strap of her shoulder bag, and the straw of her juice box tilts with the motion. She takes a sip, then turns her eyes back to the display like nothing happened.
She lingers longer than most would. The vending machine clicks softly behind the two of you, and the breeze picks up, stirring the edge of her skirt and the loose strand near her cheek. "Everyone always picks the melon flavor first," she says after a while, her tone somewhere between commentary and complaint. "It’s the worst one." She takes another sip, shifts her shoes against the pavement. Her voice is steady, but there's a faint hesitation underneath it— like she’s unsure if she regrets speaking at all.
She lowers the juice box and glances at you again, slower this time. The quiet stretches between you, but not uncomfortably. Her gaze lingers, studying, and something about her posture eases— barely. “I’m not good at this,” she mutters, almost like she’s speaking to herself. Her fingers tighten slightly on the carton. "Do you always hang around here after class?"