Tara stood leaning against the cool wall by the back staircase, the hallway empty except for distant echoes of lockers slamming shut and a few muffled laughs. She glanced at her phone, then looked up the stairs—where she saw Connor. His backpack hanging off one shoulder, that easy smirk on his face like he knew she'd be waiting.
"You're late," she said softly, but there was no anger in her voice.
Connor shrugged, descending the stairs slowly until he was standing right in front of her.
"Had to ditch Kelvin. He's too nosy." he said and Tara raised an eyebrow.
"And what exactly would you be hiding?" she asked and he smiled, then stepped closer, eyes narrowing slightly like he was trying to read her thoughts.
"You." he said and she blinked. Her heart stuttered just a little.
"Me?" she asked confused
Connor leaned in, his hand brushing a curl behind her ear, fingers lingering at her cheek.
"You've been ignoring me since Monday." Connor said
"I've been busy," she said, avoiding his gaze.
"With Tyler?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper, but Tara heard the jealousy buried deep. She looked up at him now. Really looked.
" He's my brother" she said giving him a stern look
" And so what?, I should be your first priority" he said
" Is that jealousy?" She asked
" Maybe " he said and they both laughed
Their silence spoke louder than words. The tension between them simmered—warm, steady.
"I wanted to see you here," she whispered.
"Away from all the noise."she added
"I'm glad you did," he replied.
"You drive me crazy, you know?"he said and she smiled slightly, looking away.
"You say that like it's a bad thing." she said and he laughed, and then pulled her gently by the waist, so their bodies touched, not urgently, but like gravity couldn't help it. Her arms naturally slid around his neck.
For a moment, they just stood like that—no words. No expectations. Then Connor leaned in, pressing his forehead to hers.
"What are we even doing, Tara?" he asked
"Something that feels right," she said, lips brushing his.
"I want to do this properly. I want the whole world to know that I have the world best girlfriend. I want our relationship to be public" he said
"You sure?" she asked
"Yeah," he whispered.
" I already did, told Kelvin and the guys to stay away from my world best girlfriend" he said and she stared at him in awe
" You're joking" she said
" Maybe" he said
"I'm not playing with you though, you're one thing I can't play with" he added
And then, finally, his lips met hers. It wasn't rushed. It was slow, deep, careful. Tara sighed into the kiss, her fingers tightening at the back of his neck.
A bell rang in the distance, but neither moved. When they finally pulled apart, she stared at him, breathless.
"We're so going to get caught," she muttered. "Worth it." Connor grinned.
And with that, they slipped back up the stairs hand in hand—just a little late to class.
Jeremy was just trying to get to physics early. That was it. He never meant to look. He wasn't that guy. But as he rounded the quiet hallway, the low murmur of voices pulled his eyes ahead.
There they were Tara and Connor by the window, bathed in slivers of afternoon sun. Close, laughing, then the laughter stopped. Tara looked up at Connor with a kind of softness Jeremy had never seen in her eyes, not even when she talked about her love for the stars that night. She leaned in, and then… she kissed him.
Jeremy froze mid-step, like his body couldn't decide whether to move forward or back. The sight punched the air out of him, not in a loud, dramatic way, but in a quiet, aching one. He blinked, heart sinking in that heavy way it does when something you wanted just isn't yours.
He didn't mean to stare. He looked away quickly, but the image was already burned into his mind.
Jeremy sat alone at the balcony and mika found him there. She always noticed when something was off.
"You saw them," she said, sitting beside him but he didn't reply right away.
"I wasn't snooping," he muttered.
"I was just… passing by." he said but Mika didn't push Instead she let him sit in it.
After a long pause, Jeremy added
"It's stupid. It's not like she owed me anything. We weren't a thing. She doesn't even know I—" He broke off and laughed at himself, shaking his head.
"I don't even know what I expected." he said
"You liked her," Mika said simply and Jeremy glanced at her, then nodded.
"I liked her. A lot more than I admitted." he said
"It still hurts, even if nothing official was ever there," Mika said softly and he looked up at the sky.
"It's weird. I thought the hardest part would be seeing her with someone else. But the hardest part is realizing she never even looked at me like that."
A gust of wind swept through, and he zipped up his jacket.
"You know the dumbest part?" Jeremy added with a small, sad smile.
"I was holding out. Like some background character just waiting for his moment. Turns out, I was never in the story." he said and Mika smiled gently.
"Then maybe it's time you start writing your own." she said and Jeremy turned to her and for the first time that day, smiled back just a little.
"Yeah. Maybe it is." he said
The wind was soft up here. Gentle. The kind that tugged at your hair and clothes but didn't push. Alex had her legs dangling over the edge of the rooftop, watching the slow descent of the sun as it painted the horizon in gold and blood orange. Behind her, the metal door creaked open. She didn't have to look back, she already knew it was Jeremy
He walked over quietly, his footsteps slower than usual. He sat beside her, matching her posture, legs out, arms resting on his knees. They stayed silent for a while, the silence wasn't awkward .. Not at first, until it lingered a bit too long and Alex glanced sideways.
"You've been quiet." she said and Jeremy exhaled through his nose.
"Just thinking." he said
"That's dangerous," she teased, nudging his shoulder and he smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes and she picked up on it instantly.
"Okay, what's going on?" she asked and he stared straight ahead at the horizon.
"I need to tell you something." he said and Alex blinked, sitting a little straighter.
"Alright…"
He finally turned to face her. And this time, she noticed really noticed the seriousness in his expression.
"I've been holding it in for a while," he began. "And I thought I could just ignore it or wait for it to pass, but… it hasn't. If anything, it's gotten louder." he said and Alex's heart thudded, suddenly cautious.
"Jeremy, what are you talking about?" she asked and he hesitated, fingers curling slightly into fists.
"I like you, Alex." he said and it felt like the world slowed.
She stared at him. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Her mind flipped through the words again.
"I like you. Not just as my best friend. Not just because you know all my weird jokes or because you've stuck with me since seventh grade. I like you. You. As in… I think about you all the time. I look for you in a crowd. When something good happens, you're the first person I want to tell." he said and Alex's breath hitched.
Jeremy pressed on, voice raw but steady.
"And I don't know when it shifted. Maybe it was always there, under the surface. But now, I can't not say it. I can't sit beside you every day and pretend it's not eating me up." He paused, watching her.
"I don't expect anything. You don't have to feel the same. I just… needed you to know." he said and Alex looked down at her hands, her throat felt tight.
"I thought…" she started, barely above a whisper.
"I thought you liked Tara." she said
Jeremy gave a breathy laugh, shaking his head. "I thought I did too. But that was confusion. That was me avoiding what I really felt, because liking you scared me more than anything." he said and she looked up, eyes wide, searching his face.
"But why?" she asked.
"Why would that scare you?" she added
"Because you matter more than anyone else," he said.
"If I lost you, I wouldn't just lose a crush.. I'd lose my anchor."he added
The rooftop wind blew again, soft and steady. Alex's heart pounded.
All this time… she'd never seen it. Or maybe she had, and she'd buried it...afraid of what it might mean for their friendship. She reached out, gently taking his hand. He flinched at the contact, but didn't pull away.
"You're an idiot," she said quietly
"Thanks?" Jeremy raised an eyebrow, his voice light with tension
"You should've told me sooner." she said
"Why?" Jeremy's chest stilled
Alex didn't answer with words instead she leaned forward, slowly, giving him the chance to move away but he didn't.
Their lips met, softly at first, then with the tentative heat of something years in the making. It wasn't rushed or dramatic, it was real.
When they pulled away, Jeremy looked stunned. "So… does this mean you like me too?" he asked and Alex smirked.
"I wouldn't kiss you just to be polite." she said and he laughed, the sound full and stunned. "Okay, yeah… okay."
They sat there in the golden hour glow, hands laced between them, feeling like the world had just cracked open in the best way possible.
Neither said it out loud, but they both knew everything had just changed and somehow, it felt exactly right.
The sun was dipping behind the rooftops, casting an orange glow over the garden behind Angela's house. The girls sat on a cushioned bench under the flowering pergola, half-drinking warm lemonade, half-holding back truths.
Angela broke the silence first. Her voice was quieter than usual.
"You remember Michael, right?" she asked and Tiffany turned her head.
"Michael as in… tall, neat afro, always smelled like peppermint gum?" Tiffany said and Angela gave a small laugh.
"Yeah. That Michael." Angela saif
"What about him?" Tiffany asked
Angela looked at the glass in her hand, swirling the last drops of lemonade.
"We talked again, last weekend. At Naomi's party." she said and Tiffany blinked.
"I thought you blocked him after that night you two kissed" Tiffany said
"I did, then unblocked. Then blocked again." Angela sighed, brushing invisible lint from her jeans.
"But that night… I don't know, Tiff. He looked at me like I was his girl" she added and Tiffany stayed quiet, letting her speak.
"And part of me..." Angela paused, choosing her words like they were glass.
"Part of me wanted to fall into it. Just because I missed… being seen like that." she said and Tiffany touched her hand lightly.
"Did you?" she asked
"No. I left before anything could happen. But it messed me up," Angela admitted, her voice a little shakier now.
"I keep pretending I'm above feelings, but sometimes I wonder if anyone's ever going to get me again like that." she added and Tiffany nodded, her voice soft.
"That's honest, Angie" she said and Angela looked at her.
"So," Angela said, trying to sound casual.
"You never told me about your oh-so-romantic dinner date with the delivery guy" she added and Tiffany smiled, clearly holding onto the memory like a soft, folded letter.
"It was actually really nice. We went to Casa del Luna. Just the two of us." she said and Angela's brow arched.
"Wait, Casa del Luna? That place charges for breathing." Angela said and Tiffany chuckled. "Yeah, it was a bit pricey, but I really wanted us to have a quiet night. No loud diners or greasy booths." she says Angela tilted her head. "And… he agreed to that?" Angela asked
"He didn't suggest it," Tiffany admitted, slipping off her sneakers.
"I kind of picked it. He was going to take me to that new burger place near the lake, but I'd had a long day and needed something different." she added
"Wait. Did you pay?" Angela narrowed her eyes, tone turning sharper and Tiffany paused, caught
"I covered most of it, yeah." she said
"So, you planned the date and paid for it?" Angela blinked and Tiffany met her gaze evenly. "Yeah. What's wrong with that?" she asked and Angela scoffed.
"Girl, everything. That's not a date, that's charity." Angela said and Tiffany stiffened. "Wow. Okay." she said and Angela pressed on. "I mean, come on, Tiff. You're literally one of the most stunning girls in school. And your boyfriend—works at a sandwich shop?" she said
"It's called Baker's Grab-a-Bite," Tiffany corrected coldly.
"And he's working there because he's supporting his mom and saving for his brother school. It's not glamorous, but it's honest." she added and Angela folded her arms.
"That's sweet and all, but let's be real. You're out here paying for dates and defending him like he's some underdog hero. He's below your standard." Angela said and Tiffany's eyes flashed.
"Below my standard?" she asked
"Yeah," Angela said.
"You've always said you wanted someone driven, polished, already on his way. Douglas is still figuring life out in an apron." she added and Tiffany's voice rose slightly.
"And that somehow makes him less than? He works. He shows up. He cares, I've dated guys who had cars, cards, and flashy shoes, but couldn't hold a real conversation or treat me right." Tiffany said and Angela's jaw clenched. "You deserve more." she said
"I have more," Tiffany snapped.
"More honesty, more peace, more real connection than I've ever had with anyone else." she added and Angela shook her head, still unconvinced.
"Just don't lose yourself trying to build him up." Angela said
"I'm not building him up," Tiffany said firmly. "He's building himself, and I'm just someone who believes in him."she added and Angela looked away, lips tight, but the silence hung heavy.
After a long pause, Tiffany added softly
"Not everything real comes in a black card or drives a Benz, Angie." she said
Angela didn't reply, but the look in her eyes said she heard it .. even if she didn't fully accept it yet.