Hazel joined Iris and Lucas in the classroom, her steps quick with excitement. The moment she reached Iris, she dropped her bag and sat beside her, gently nudging her shoulder.
"I missed you a lot, Iris. How are you feeling now? Better?"
Lucas smirked from his seat. "Iris, don't you have something to tell Hazel?"
Iris blushed instantly, hiding her face behind her hands. She leaned close to Hazel and whispered, "I'm too embarrassed... go to Lucas, he'll tell you."
Confused, Hazel walked over to Lucas. He leaned toward her and explained everything in a hushed voice, just enough for her to catch it all.
Hazel's sudden, shocked scream echoed through the classroom, making heads turn-including Noah's. He looked up from his phone, eyebrows raised. Seeing Hazel in disbelief, Lucas whispering urgently, and Iris with her head flat against the desk, he mumbled to himself, "What a weird trio."
The class began, but it didn't do much to pull Iris out of her thoughts. It was history class, after all-dry and dull. Her mind wandered to Noah again. How did I fall for him so fast? she wondered. And what if... what if he still likes Isla?
She turned slightly and glanced at Isla. That's when it hit her.
She gasped softly, "I remembered... How could I forget that drama?"
Flashback
Last year, Isla had developed a crush on Noah. She had shared the secret with a friend-but that friend betrayed her, and the news spread through the class like wildfire.
Iris, who had friends in that same class, heard all about it. And over time, she caught wind of a rumor: that Noah had actually liked Isla before Isla even realized her own feelings.
Wanting to help, Iris had approached Noah directly.
"If you like her," she had said, "why hesitate to date her?"
But Noah didn't respond. Not a word.
End of Flashback
The memory left Iris restless. Her head dropped back onto the table, and she sighed. "What if I end up as the third wheel between them? Should I just give up... for their sake?"
Hazel tilted her head. "You... have you thought of a nickname for him yet?"
The question caught Iris off guard. "Huh? A nickname?" she blinked. "Wait-why didn't I think of that sooner? Mykel was Avocado, so... what should I call Noah?"
Hazel tapped her chin for a moment. Then her eyes lit up. "Pineapple. Yes. That suits him."
From behind them, Lucas overheard the entire conversation. He glanced at Noah, then let out a soft laugh.
"Really... love does make you crazy."
Being who she is, Iris always had one problem: even though she liked socializing with others, she became shy around her crush. Talking to them felt impossible. It especially bothered her when Isla tried to talk to Noah and get his attention. Still, Iris kept her feelings to herself. She never told anyone-not even Lucas or Hazel-fearing they might think she was being silly or dramatic.
***********************************************************************************************
Because of their class schedules, Iris often spent time with some of her group members: Isla, James, and Noah. Over time, they all became friends. Lucas lived nearby, so he usually went home whenever they didn't have class, and Hazel, who was in a different group, couldn't manage to switch. Iris was especially close to James. They bonded over their shared love of gaming. Both were talkative and often chatted about everything-from random thoughts to their weekend routines.
As usual, Noah was more distant. He kept to himself, playing on his phone and ignoring everyone around him, even Isla, who always tried to include him in conversations-and, of course, win his attention.
One day, James wasn't there. Iris sat alone, quietly working on one of her mystery puzzles, when Noah came and sat beside her without saying a word. She didn't react, pretending to stay focused, though her heart pounded in her chest. Her cheeks burned. What if he notices? What if he thinks I'm just like Isla? she wondered, nervously.
When she finally looked up, she saw Isla glaring at her from across the room. As usual, Isla didn't hesitate-she hurried over with Abi and stood behind Noah. She gave Iris a sharp look and began to speak, "No-"
But Noah cut her off. He turned to Iris and asked, "Do you know how to solve a Rubik's Cube?"
Caught off guard, Iris blinked. "Uhm... I only know how to solve one color. I'm not as good as you think," she replied shyly.
Isla's face flushed with embarrassment. She couldn't handle being ignored, so she tried again. "Noah-"
But again, Noah spoke before she could finish. "Want me to teach you some?"
That was it. Isla gave up and left in frustration. Iris turned to Noah, unsure of what to say, but before she could speak, Lucas arrived and called her name. When he saw Iris and Noah sitting at the same table, he froze. Is that really Iris? Sitting next to Noah? he thought, stunned. She must be daydreaming again. Iris stood up quickly, grabbed her bag, and joined Lucas, leaving Noah alone behind her.
Did I say something wrong? Noah tilted his head slightly, watching as Iris laughed with Lucas, clearly enjoying their conversation. He didn't notice Isla, who was still sitting nearby, staring daggers at him. She was furious. Abi, who noticed Isla's expression, leaned in and whispered, "Is she going after Noah now? Who does she think she is?"
Without saying a word, Isla grabbed her bag and stormed off to the classroom.Lucas looked at Iris, his expression puzzled. "Was that really you sitting next to Noah back then? I just... I couldn't believe my eyes."
Iris gave a small nod, then quietly told him everything that had happened. Lucas listened, but still seemed skeptical-especially about Isla.
"Iris," he said carefully, "I'm not saying you're lying, but... Isla talked to me about Noah when we were seated together. And I'm pretty sure she told me she moved on. She said he wasn't worthy of her love, and that she had already given up on him last year."
He paused, frowning slightly. "She didn't mention anything about what happened back then-it was you who told me that story."
Iris simply shrugged, her shoulders rising in a silent I don't know. Before they could say anything more, the teacher walked in and class began, cutting their conversation short.
It was the last two hours of the school day, and everyone was exhausted-teachers included. While the teacher half-heartedly explained the lesson, he suddenly announced, "There will be a project for the end of the year. The group members will stay as you're sitting now."
Iris, who was sitting next to James, looked up in surprise when she realized Noah was sitting with them too. He must've taken the seat behind James earlier, and she hadn't even noticed. That meant the three of them-James, Iris, and Noah-were now officially a group for the final project.
Meanwhile, Isla ended up with Lucas and Abi in another group, along with a few others. Hazel, unfortunately, wasn't placed with any of them. The teachers had divided the class into two larger groups to make experiments and other activities more manageable. Having the entire class working together would've been complete chaos.
The weeks passed, and things settled into a familiar rhythm. During regular classes, Iris sat beside Hazel, while Lucas-unfortunately-was seated next to Isla. And what about Noah, you ask? He was always with his best friends, Theodore or Leo, sitting either right in front of Iris or just behind her. A cruel coincidence. Iris couldn't help herself-her eyes constantly drifted to him throughout the sessions, no matter how hard she tried to stay focused.
During group work, things were different. Iris struggled with Information Technology; the teacher's explanations felt like puzzles written in a foreign language. That's when she'd quietly ask Noah for help. He explained everything to her with calm patience, breaking it down in a way she could understand. And just like that, Iris found herself falling in love all over again-for the hundredth time, maybe.
One day, Iris sat beside Hazel, waiting for the teacher. The classroom was still filling up when Noah walked in, followed by the teacher. Isla entered right after them, and as her eyes landed on Iris, she gave her a look-her eyes gleaming as if to say, "I won."
Iris tried to ignore it. She doesn't matter. He doesn't even notice her that way... right?
But then Isla walked straight toward Noah... and sat next to him.
Iris's heart dropped. Her throat tightened, her eyes already glassy. She turned to Hazel quickly and whispered that she needed the restroom. Once outside, the tears poured out. She didn't even try to stop them.
A few minutes later, Iris splashed water on her face and forced herself to return to class. But anyone who knew her could see it: the bright, smiley Iris had dimmed.
Lucas noticed immediately. He watched her for a moment, then leaned in and whispered, "I have something to tell you after class."
When class ended, Iris was still quiet. The cheerfulness that usually radiated from her was gone. Lucas met her outside and handed her a cup of lemon-flavored ice cream-her favorite.
She took it and sat down on the bench, slowly eating, but the tears wouldn't stop. She didn't even try to hide them this time.
"Lucas..." she said in a trembling voice. "You saw that, didn't you? You probably think I'm pathetic, right?"
He stayed silent, giving her space to speak.
"What if I told you I've never felt this way before?" Her voice cracked. "If it were the old me, I'd have given up on him already. I mean... I've had crushes before, but this-this is different. With Noah, it's like... it's like my heart is tearing into pieces. It hurts so much, but there's no injury, no blood. Just pain."
She paused, looking up at him through teary eyes. "Explain it to me, will you? Because I can't even understand myself."
Lucas looked at her, and for once, he didn't try to joke it away. He just sat beside her, offering the one thing she needed most right now-quiet understanding.
**********************************************************************************************
The weeks passed quicker than anyone expected, and before they knew it, the exam period had arrived. Everyone was focused, lost in their own world-trying to understand lessons, solve every little problem, and push through the stress. It was a time of quiet chaos, filled with last-minute revisions, whispered questions, and scribbled notes.
But soon enough, the exams were over, and a sigh of relief swept through the school. Winter break had finally begun.
Yet, this wasn't just any holiday-it was the final week of the year. A time where the cold air felt different, filled with anticipation. The new year was just around the corner, bringing with it the promise of fresh starts, unexpected challenges, and maybe even a few exciting surprises.