The teacher began writing on the board, explaining the lesson like nothing had happened.
I opened my notebook and tried to pay attention.
Then I heard a quiet voice beside me.
Sorry about John," Mia said softly.
I glanced at her.
She was looking down at her notebook, twirling her pencil between her fingers.
"He's always like that."
"It's fine," I said.
She nodded a little, but didn't say anything else.
For a moment, the silence returned.
Then Mia spoke again.
"...Cody."
I looked at her.
She hesitated, like she wasn't sure if she should continue.
"...Do you still hate me?"
The question caught me off guard.
I didn't answer right away.
Instead, I looked back at the front of the classroom.
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The teacher was still talking, but the words sounded distant.
"I don't know," I said quietly.
Mia didn't respond.
She just stared at her desk.
For a moment, I thought she wouldn't say anything else.
Then she spoke again, her voice quieter than before.
"...I guess that makes sense."
I glanced at her.
She still wasn't looking at me.
"I mean..." she continued softly, "after everything... I wouldn't blame you."
The classroom stayed filled with the sound of the teacher talking and chalk scraping against the board.
But between us, it felt strangely heavy.
Mia finally looked up a little.
"I know I can't just... fix things," she said. "Not like this."
I didn't say anything.
Part of me didn't even know what to say.
She gave a small, almost sad smile.
"...But I wanted to ask anyway."
Then she turned her attention back to her notebook and started writing again.
Like the conversation had ended.
I looked at the front of the classroom again, but my mind wasn't on the lesson anymore.
Her words kept repeating in my head.
I know I can't just fix things.
I tightened my grip on my pen.
Why was she acting like this now?
After all this time.
I looked down at my notebook, but the page was still blank.
And for some reason...
I couldn't stop thinking about what she said.
The bell finally rang.
The teacher placed the chalk down and looked at the class.
"Alright, that's all for today," she said. "Make sure you review the lesson for tomorrow. Have a good afternoon, everyone."
Chairs began sliding across the floor as students packed their bags.
The classroom quickly filled with noise.
I slowly closed my notebook and stood up.
Before I could leave, I heard Mia's voice beside me.
"Cody..."
I turned to look at her.
She hesitated for a moment.
"...Do you want to walk home together?"
The question caught me a little off guard.
For a second, I thought about saying no.
But instead I shrugged.
"...Sure."
Her expression softened a little.
"Okay."
We left the classroom and walked down the hallway with the rest of the students.
Outside, the afternoon air felt warm and quiet compared to the noisy school.
For a while, neither of us said anything.
We just walked.
"So..." Mia said after a moment, "how have you been lately?"
I glanced at her.
"You mean besides school?"
She nodded.
"...Yeah."
I looked ahead at the street.
"Same as always, I guess."
Mia didn't respond right away.
She looked like she wanted to say something else but held it back.
As we turned a corner, I noticed a small group of people standing near the sidewalk.
They were holding books.
One of them stepped forward with a friendly smile.
"Excuse me," the man said kindly. "Would you like a free Bible?"
I slowed down.
Mia looked at the book, then at me.
I wasn't sure why...
But something about it made me stop.
The man held the book out to me.
After a moment, I reached out and took it.
"...Thanks," I said quietly.
"No problem," the man replied with a warm smile. "God bless you."
We continued walking.
I looked down at the book in my hands.
The cover simply said:
Holy Bible.
For some reason...
I didn't feel like throwing it away.
END OF CHAPTER 10
