Catch Me If You Can, Mr. President! [Skynani] - Book 1

Sky hadn't meant to avoid him that morning.

But between the backed-up club budgets, the absurd rumor about them holding hands in the hallway (they didn't), and the fact that his dad packed two lunches again without asking, Sky decided to keep things quiet.

Safer, maybe.

Because ever since that moment on the rooftop-Nani sitting beside him, casually calling him good-looking like it meant nothing, like it wasn't a loaded grenade dropped between them-something had shifted.

Not big. Not obvious.

Just enough to make Sky's heart feel too loud in his chest whenever Nani looked at him for longer than two seconds.

And now, he was tired. His head ached. His emotions were playing tug-of-war with his logic.

So when he stepped out of the student council room to get water and paused near the stairwell window...

He wasn't eavesdropping.

Not on purpose.

He heard voices-familiar ones.

Dew. Tee.
And Nani.

Sky wouldn't have stopped if it hadn't been Nani's voice that sounded off.

Not sarcastic. Not loud.

Just... tired.

> "I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

Sky went still.

> "One second we're fine, and the next he's just there. All the time. Looking at me like I'm something I'm not."

Tee's voice came, gentle. "You don't have to figure it out today."

> "It's not like I asked him to care."

Sky's jaw clenched.

> "It's not like I need him."

That was it.

Sky turned.

Didn't wait for the rest.

Didn't hear Dew's quiet, amused reply:

> "You're lying so bad, it's embarrassing."

Didn't hear Nani mutter:

> "I don't know how to need someone. I don't know how to let someone stay."

Didn't hear Tee say:

> "He would."

Sky was already halfway down the hall, expression blank, hands shoved deep in his pockets, trying not to feel that twist in his chest.

He shouldn't be surprised.

This is exactly why he didn't do feelings.

Because people said one thing when they looked at you and another when they thought you weren't listening.

----

The hallway near the school courtyard was unusually quiet after lunch-just the occasional echo of a locker slamming shut and the hum of ceiling fans stirring the humid air.

Nani had been heading back to the gym, hoodie tugged over his head, earbuds in, trying to will his thoughts into silence.

But he froze when he caught sight of them.

Sky and Felix.

Standing just outside the old music room. Close. Too close.

Felix had a hand resting on Sky's arm, head tilted, laughing at something Sky had said.