Chris
I sat at my desk, staring at the stack of papers in front of me, but my mind was elsewhere. Lunch with Shayla had been the only thing I was looking forward to today—a break from the chaos and a chance to just be with her. But she was swamped with work, too busy to step away, and I couldn't exactly blame her. Still, it left me feeling a bit deflated, sulking like a kid who didn't get his way. I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck as I tried to refocus.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, and my best friend, Alex, strolled in with his usual grin plastered on his face. As soon as he was close enough, we broke into our old special handshake—a quick slap, a fist bump, and a snap. It was something we came up with years ago, and it never failed to bring a smile to my face.
"Langston, you look like someone just canceled Christmas," Alex teased as he dropped into the chair across from my desk. I chuckled despite myself.
