I caught him alone that night, just for a second, as he stepped outside for air.
"Aarib," I said.
He turned. His expression didn't change much. He nodded, like he was trying to place where he knew me from.
"It's me," I added, forcing a chuckle. "We were in the same class. Class 8, remember?"
"Oh... yeah," he said, then looked away.
"Just wanted to say... I've been watching you, man. You've really... changed."
He smirked. "People do."
I didn't know what I expected—maybe a hug, or an apology, or some spark of our old connection. But he just nodded again, said something vague about being busy, and walked back inside.
That was it.