The library was quiet.
Only the soft hum of the air conditioner and the turning of pages filled the space.
Lily sat across from Ethan at their usual table, highlighting lines in the novel for their project. He was unusually silent, tapping his pen against his notebook.
"You're not even reading," she said without looking up.
"I am," he replied. "Just… slower than you."
She glanced at him. "That's because you're pretending."
He smiled weakly. "Okay, maybe a little."
She sighed but slid her notes toward him.
"Here. These are the important parts."
He looked surprised. "You're helping me?"
"Don't get used to it."
He chuckled. "Too late."
They worked quietly for a few minutes.
Then Ethan suddenly spoke.
"Why do you always sit by the window?"
She froze.
"What?"
"In every class," he said. "You always choose the seat by the window."
She hesitated. "I like the light."
He tilted his head. "That's not the real reason."
She stared at her notebook.
"It helps me breathe," she said softly.
He didn't laugh.
He didn't tease.
He just listened.
"My last school was… bad," she continued. "I didn't fit in. I kept to myself. The window made me feel like I wasn't trapped."
Ethan's expression softened.
"I didn't know."
"You didn't ask."
He nodded. "Fair."
There was a long pause.
Then he said quietly, "People think I have everything. Friends. Popularity. Confidence. But most days, I feel like I'm just playing a role."
She looked up at him.
"For who?" she asked.
"Everyone," he replied. "Sometimes I don't even know who I am without it."
Their eyes met.
No teasing.
No sarcasm.
No walls.
Just two seventeen-year-olds finally being honest.
Lily closed her book slowly.
"Maybe we're both just trying to survive high school."
He smiled gently. "Yeah. Maybe."
For the first time, she didn't feel annoyed by him.
She felt understood.
And Ethan realized something terrifying.
He didn't want to be her enemy anymore.