Ellie had never been this nervous before.
She stood outside the classroom, gripping the bouquet of tulips so tightly that her fingers had gone numb. The flowers were fresh, delicate, every petal soft and open like her heart had been when she picked them out earlier that morning. Tulips were Kyla's favorite. Not roses, not sunflowers. Tulips. Simple. Soft. Quiet, but beautiful in their own way. Just like her.
Along with the bouquet, Ellie had a handmade banner rolled up under her arm. It was big, maybe too big, but she didn't care. Bright red letters spelled out a single word: "SORRY."
She had stayed up the night before cutting each letter, painting them, gluing everything together even though her hands were shaking the whole time. She had replayed the rooftop conversation over and over in her mind and decided. She wasn't going to lose Kyla without trying.
And this time, she would do it right.
No lies. No confusion. No emotional chaos.
Just honesty.
Ellie took a deep breath and pushed the classroom door open.
Her heart stopped for a second.
Kyla was there.
Sitting near the window, her back straight, hair tied in a neat braid. Her head was down, flipping through pages of her notebook. She looked tired. But still stunning.
Ellie smiled.
For the first time in days, her chest felt light.
She took a step forward.
And then everything unraveled.
Out of nowhere, Astrid appeared.
She stepped into Ellie's path just as Ellie was about to approach Kyla. Her arms folded. Her eyes curious, but distant.
"Oh?" Astrid said with a smirk. "Who's the lucky girl getting those flowers?"
Ellie blinked. "It's… not what you think."
Astrid glanced down at the tulips, then back up at Ellie with a raised brow. "Didn't know you were still into romantic gestures."
Ellie offered a polite smile. "Some people are worth it."
But just as the words left her mouth, something shifted across the room.
Kyla looked up.
She had been watching.
Ellie didn't notice right away, not until she caught the change in Kyla's expression. The way her face fell. The way her lips parted slightly, and her eyes narrowed.
She saw the flowers.
She saw Ellie smiling at Astrid.
And she misunderstood.
Kyla stood up slowly, her chair scraping against the floor.
Ellie's heart dropped. "Wait, Kyla, no…"
But Kyla had already turned around, picking up her bag and walking quickly toward the door.
"No, no, no—" Ellie spun around, trying to chase after her, the tulips still clutched in her hands. "Kyla, please. Stop."
She grabbed Kyla's wrist just as she reached the doorway.
Kyla turned.
Her eyes were red.
Without a word, without hesitation, she raised her hand and slapped Ellie across the cheek.
The impact echoed louder than Ellie's breathless gasp.
The flowers dropped to the floor.
The banner slipped from under her arm.
The entire room had gone quiet, students frozen mid-conversation, eyes wide with shock.
Ellie didn't move.
Kyla's voice shook. "I can't believe I fell for this again."
And then she walked away.
Ellie stood there, frozen, one hand slowly rising to touch the burning spot on her cheek. Her eyes were locked on the classroom door even after it closed behind Kyla.
She didn't even look back.
That afternoon, Ellie sat at their favorite coffee shop with Tisha, Cassandra, Irene, Anastasia, and Veilah. The place was familiar. Brick walls, hanging plants in every corner, the smell of roasted coffee beans lingering like comfort.
Ellie stirred her iced latte with a straw, her mind a million miles away.
"Okay," Cassandra said, leaning forward, "can someone explain how this girl managed to get slapped twice in the same week by the same girl?"
"Like, are you secretly enjoying it?" Irene teased, sipping on her frappé.
"Should we be worried?" Veilah added with a mischievous smile. "Do we need to intervene?"
"I vote intervention," Tisha said with mock seriousness. "We tie her up and force her to read the dictionary definition of emotional damage."
Anastasia shook her head, giggling. "Poor Ellie. She just wanted to give flowers. How did it all go so wrong?"
"I mean," Cassandra grinned, "I was rooting for her. Big banner and everything."
"It was giving hopeless romantic," Irene said. "Like, classic K-drama stuff."
"Until Astrid showed up and did her 'main character' thing," Tisha added dramatically.
Ellie groaned and buried her face in her hands. "You guys suck."
"No, we love you," Veilah said, reaching over to pat Ellie's shoulder. "But we also love chaos, and girl… that was chaos."
Ellie let out a laugh despite herself, muffled behind her hands.
"I seriously thought this was going to work," she mumbled. "I really thought I could fix things."
"You could've," Anastasia said gently, "if Kyla hadn't misunderstood."
"She saw me smiling at Astrid," Ellie explained, voice quiet. "She thought the flowers were for her."
"Ohhh," Cassandra dragged the sound out, wincing. "Yeah… that would've stung."
"I tried to stop her."
"We know," Tisha said. "And I'm not gonna lie, I was impressed. Like, the bouquet? The effort? That was major love confession energy."
"Too bad it looked like a plot twist from a cheesy movie," Irene said with a small laugh.
Veilah leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "You really like her, huh?"
Ellie looked up slowly. "I don't know anymore."
The group quieted.
She sipped her drink again, eyes distant. "I love Astrid. Or I did. Maybe a part of me always will. But with Kyla… it was different. It was slower. Softer. I didn't even realize how much I needed someone like her until she was already there."
"But?" Anastasia asked gently.
"But I ruined it. And maybe she deserves better."
"No 'maybe' about it," Irene said honestly, "but that doesn't mean you're not allowed to try again."
"Exactly," Tisha nodded. "People mess up. Kyla just needs time to cool off."
"Or a better explanation," Cassandra added.
"Yeah, preferably not while holding hands with your ex," Veilah teased.
Ellie rolled her eyes. "I wasn't holding her hand!"
"Yeah but your heart probably was," Irene said, poking her arm.
Ellie went silent, staring down at the tulip sticker on her phone case.
After a while, Anastasia placed her hand over Ellie's. "You don't have to figure everything out right now. But you do have to be honest with yourself. Do you still love Astrid… or do you just miss the idea of her?"
The question settled deep in Ellie's chest.
She didn't answer. Not right away.
Outside, the sun began to lower behind the buildings. The sky was painted in warm oranges and pinks. People walked by the café windows, talking, laughing, living their little lives.
Ellie looked up at her friends. Every one of them watching her without judgment. Just love, and a little exasperation.
She smiled. "Thank you… for making fun of me."
"We'll always make fun of you," Cassandra grinned.
"With love," Tisha added.
"With brutal honesty," Veilah corrected.
"And free coffee," Irene said, holding up her cup.
Ellie laughed again, and this time it felt real. Like something inside her had unclenched. Even though she still hurt. Even though she didn't know what would happen next.
She was surrounded by people who reminded her that she was still whole. Even when she didn't feel like it.
Tomorrow, she might cry again.
Tomorrow, she might try to talk to Kyla one more time.
But tonight, she was just Ellie.
And she was okay with that.