"Liam, attendance sheet, please," Mandy said softly, holding a paper out to him.
He froze. Up close, she was… different. More radiant somehow.
"Ah—thanks," he mumbled, taking it.
"Please pass it to the others," she added with a small smile.
There it was again. That smile. Simple. Polite. But somehow, it lingered in his mind.
"Bro, what's wrong with you?" Mark whispered when Liam returned to his seat.
"Nothing," Liam said too quickly.
"Sure? You've been staring at her all day."
"…Don't say anything," Liam muttered.
But he knew. Something had changed.