As classes ended and the bell rang for dismissal, we packed our bags, still lingering in the buzz of everything that happened.
The walk back home felt quieter than usual.
Jane and I walked side by side, and up ahead, we saw Eric and Aizen walking together. For a while, none of us spoke, just the crunch of gravel under our shoes and the occasional honk from a passing school buses and cars.
Halfway down the road, Aizen turned left into a narrow lane. That must be where he lived.
Jane nudged me lightly. "That's pretty close."
I just nodded. His house wasn't exactly on our route, but it was close enough that we often passed by it when we went to the small shop near our building.
Eric continued straight, walking a little ahead of us, earbuds already in, while Jane and I kept on toward our lane.
"He's really nearby, huh," she said again, more to herself this time.
"Yeah," I replied, glancing back toward the corner he disappeared around. "He's just… right there."
As we reached Jane's building, we spotted her mom standing just outside the gate, keys in hand and purse slung over her shoulder. She looked like she was heading somewhere.
"Hey, Mom!" Jane waved.
"Auntie!" I smiled and greeted her with a small wave.
She returned the smile warmly. "Hello, Ana. How was school today?"
"Good," I replied, trying not to let all the strange thoughts from earlier show on my face.
She looked at both of us for a moment, then said, "You two always look like you're up to something." She chuckled. "Come home for dinner one of these days, okay? It's been long."
I nodded eagerly. "Of course, Auntie. I'd love to."
She reached out and gently squeezed my arm before turning to Jane. "Don't keep her too late chatting, hmm?" she teased.
"We never do that," Jane said innocently, to which both Auntie and I laughed.
As her mom walked off, I felt a little warmth settle in my chest. No matter how weird or confusing the day got, there was always something grounding about familiar faces and small gestures like that.
"Your mom is the sweetest," I said as we walked into her building.
Jane grinned. "I know. She likes you more than me sometimes."
"Can't blame her," I teased, nudging her lightly.
We entered her house and headed straight to her room. I tossed my bag aside and flopped onto her bed like it was my own because honestly, at this point, it kind of was. Jane did the same, and soon we were lying side by side, limbs tangled in lazy comfort, chatting about anything and everything.
"It's weird how we all live so close by, right?" Jane said, staring at the ceiling. "Aizen just on our way, Eric just a few blocks away. All within five to ten minutes."
"Yeah, actually," I nodded. "It's kind of a nice feeling. We never had this many classmates nearby before. I mean, if we both miss school, we could literally form a homework rescue team."
We both laughed, imagining knocking on our classmates doors with emergency notebooks and late-night cold drinks.
"Weren't you supposed to live where Aizen lives now?" Jane suddenly asked.
"Yeah, somewhere close by, I guess," I said, turning my head towards her. "But I like my current place better."
"Destiny," she said dramatically, waving her hand in the air. "Maybe the universe was guiding you to live here so you'd meet Aizen and get poked by his keychain."
I rolled my eyes, laughing. "Great destiny. Ends with a scratch."
"But a band-aid from a mysterious boy," she added, wiggling her eyebrows.
I smiled, eyes drifting toward the band-aid he'd so quietly, so carefully placed on my hand. It was just a small gesture barely a few seconds but it stayed with me longer than it should have. The edges of the band-aid curled slightly, but the warmth of that moment hadn't faded.
Something about the way he didn't say much, didn't overdo it, just quietly did what he felt was right, it made my heart skip a beat. Maybe it was silly. Maybe I was reading too much into it.
I smiled to myself, a little too quietly this time. Maybe it was a weird day but I kind of didn't mind.
I picked up my bag and slung it over my shoulder. "I should go," I said, standing by the door.
"Already?" Jane pouted. "Stay a bit more!"
"I wish," I sighed, "but if I'm late, Mom's going to explode. You know how she gets."
"Yeah, yeah. Go before she starts calling me too," she teased.
We laughed as I waved goodbye and walked home which was just a block away, in the soft warmth of the afternoon sun. The streets were quiet, and everything felt calm.