The auditorium was nearly empty by the ti Alex finished.
Most students had already left campus, their voices fading into the cool evening outside while janitors moved through the halls collecting discarded papers and cups.
Gael leaned against the back wall waiting while Alex stood near the judges' table arguing with another debate student about environntal policy.
The guy looked exhausted already.
Gael hid a smile.
So things never changed.
A minute later Alex finally gathered her papers and walked toward him.
"You stayed."
"You sound surprised."
"You usually leave with Haley."
"She's at dinner with Gloria."
Alex nodded once before adjusting the strap of her bag.
The walk toward the parking lot started quietly.
Then Alex sighed.
"I hate team debates."
"That sounds aggressive."
"My partner kept improvising statistics."
"That sounds legally questionable."
"It felt offensive."
Gael laughed softly while she shook her head to herself.
Honestly, Alex looked different after debates.
Sharper sohow.
More energized.
Like competition woke sothing up in her.
"You were good tonight," he said.
Alex glanced sideways imdiately.
"You were listening?"
"You called a senior illiterate in front of fifty people."
"He was economically illiterate."
"That's not the impressive part."
For once, Alex didn't imdiately answer.
Instead she looked ahead toward the parking lot for a few seconds before speaking again.
"You know Haley doesn't really care when you miss things with her," she said carefully. "But she notices when you show up for other people."
Gael slowed slightly.
"That sounds specific."
"She notices attention." Alex adjusted the papers in her arms. "Especially yours."
The honesty in the statent caught him off guard a little.
Because Alex didn't usually soften information.
She just said things.
"You think she's upset?" he asked.
"No." Alex shook her head lightly. "Just more aware lately."
That lined up with what he'd already started noticing.
The closer he beca with the entire family, the more Haley seed to quietly reclaim space around him afterward:
holding onto his arm longer,
pulling him into conversations,
dragging him away with her more often.
"She likes being your priority," Alex continued.
Gael leaned against the car after unlocking it.
"I'm not exactly ignoring her."
"I know." Alex looked down briefly at the debate folders in her hands. "That's why it's complicated."
For a second the conversation settled there between them.
Then Alex laughed softly to herself.
"This sounds way more serious than I ant it to."
"A little."
"I bla psychology."
"You bla everything on psychology."
"Because psychology explains people."
"And economics apparently explains morality."
"That too."
Gael smiled faintly while Alex rolled her eyes.
The tension eased naturally after that.
But not completely.
Because sothing had shifted.
Just enough that both of them seed aware of the conversation lingering underneath the easier banter now.
Before getting into the car, Alex paused beside the passenger door.
Then:
"For the record…"
Gael looked over.
"You ca tonight because you wanted to." She gave him a more direct look. "Not because Haley asked."
The observation was quiet.
Certain.
And sohow more personal because of it.
Before he could answer, Alex slid into the passenger seat first.
Leaving Gael standing outside the car for half a second longer than necessary before following after her.
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