The morning after the party felt heavier than it should have.
I woke up with the same tight feeling in my chest — the kind that sits there no matter how many times you tell yourself you're fine.
I kept replaying the night in my head.
The campfire.
Kade's eyes on me.
Denzel outside.
The silence between me and Kade that felt louder than the music.
By noon, I couldn't take the overthinking anymore.
I finally texted him.
We need to talk.
About everything. Yesterday. And lately.
He didn't reply immediately.
The typing dots popped up, disappeared, popped up again — then nothing for several minutes.
When he finally responded, it wasn't what I expected.
KADE: I saw you with someone else last night.
My stomach dropped.
I typed fast.
MAYA: It wasn't like that. I just went outside for air. He only played something he was listening to. I didn't do anything.
He didn't reply.
Not even the typing dots this time.
I stared at my screen until it dimmed.
Later, after class, I ran into Rav outside the faculty building. He was buying something from a vending machine and lifted his brows when he saw me.
"You look like you're carrying the whole world," he said.
I couldn't help a small laugh. "It's been a long couple of days."
He leaned against the machine, relaxed in that quiet Rav way. "If you ever need to vent or… just talk about random things to distract yourself, I'm around."
It wasn't intense.
Just casual.
Easy.
Exactly what I needed.
We talked for a few minutes — mostly about classes, an annoying lecturer, and how chaotic the upcoming school schedule was. It felt normal, like breathing out slowly.
---
In class that afternoon, Denzel walked in with Sarah like usual. They always moved together — not in an obvious way, just naturally. Calm and steady.
He saw me as he passed my row.
"Hey, Maya," he said quietly.
It caught me off guard for a second.
"Hey," I replied.
Sarah glanced at me with a small nod before they went to their seats. Nothing big happened, it was just… a moment. A simple acknowledgement that somehow stayed on my mind longer than I expected.
---
When I got back to the dorm, the room smelled like popcorn and body mist — which meant Zoey had been stress-eating again and Ivy had probably sprayed something floral because she hated the smell.
All four of us were there:
Me, Lily, Ivy, and Zoey.
Lily was sprawled across her bed, scrolling on her phone with her boyfriend's sweater on. Ivy was sitting cross-legged with her notebook open, pretending to study. Zoey was talking nonstop as usual.
"Maya, you've been quiet," Ivy said first. She always noticed.
Zoey gasped dramatically. "Did something happen? You look like someone who needs a two-hour rant and maybe a drink."
"Not a drink," Lily said without looking up, "but she definitely looks like someone who needs to talk."
I sighed and sat down on my bed.
"It's Kade," I said.
That got their attention instantly.
So I told them.
Not every detail — just enough. How distant he'd been. The party. Him thinking I was with someone else. How he hadn't answered me since.
Zoey looked offended on my behalf. "But you literally did NOTHING."
Ivy nodded. "If he wants to assume the worst without asking you directly, that's on him."
Lily chewed her lip. "Do you… want to fix things with him?"
The question hit harder than I expected.
"I don't know," I admitted. "I keep trying to see if he still wants me. Or if I'm just… holding onto something he already let go of."
The room went quiet for a moment — not awkward, just thoughtful.
"We're here," Lily said softly.
And for the first time that day, something in me eased.
---
That night, Kade finally messaged.
KADE: Can we talk tomorrow?
Just six words.
No explanation.
No clarity.
But it was something.
I stared at the message for a long time, unsure whether to feel hopeful or nervous. Maybe both.
Before I could overthink it again, another message popped up — this time from an unexpected name.
Denzel: Hope you're good.
It was simple.
Calm.
Just like him.
And it surprised me how much I needed that tone in that exact moment.
I typed back a short reply, nothing deep, just polite. Then I lay down, staring at the ceiling, feeling the weight of everything shifting around me.
Kade wanted to talk.
Rav was becoming someone I spoke to casually.
Denzel existed in the background of my mind more than before.
And my friends — Lily, Ivy, and Zoey — were my only real anchor right now.
Tomorrow would answer something.
I just wasn't sure what.