"Ugh! It's so hot! When is summer vacation anyway? I need to relax. I miss seeing the girls swimming at the beach, man!" Zion complained dramatically, fanning himself with a folder. His uniform was already drenched in sweat as if he'd just finished a marathon.
I rolled my eyes and tossed him a bottle of cold water. "Here. Before you melt into a puddle."
He caught it and grinned. "You've been awfully quiet, Bryle. Don't tell me you and your girlfriend had a fight?"
I nearly choked on my drink, coughing like crazy. "What kind of question is that?! Since when have I ever had a girlfriend?"
Zion burst out laughing, slapping his knee. "Well, you've looked so 'in love' lately! Like you're constantly deep in thought."
I was about to argue when I saw her—Alice. She was walking toward us with Kianna by her side, and suddenly, the world slowed down.
Her wavy hair swayed with every step, sunlight bouncing off the lenses of her glasses. Her smile... God, that smile could knock the wind out of anyone. Every time I see her, my heart starts racing its own private marathon.
"Bryle!" Alice called out, waving as she approached.
Zion elbowed me teasingly. "There's that smile again! Ha-ha! You are totally head-over-heels for that nerd. Just ask her out already!"
I ignored him and jogged toward Alice and Kianna, trying my best not to look too obvious about how freaking happy I was to see her.
"Hi, Bryle," Kianna greeted me cheerfully.
"Hello," I replied, smiling back but keeping my eyes on Alice.
"You look happy today—oh, here. You left this in your classroom," Alice said, handing me a small towel.
"What were you doing in our classroom?" I asked, raising a brow. She rarely came near our building unless... well, unless it was about her boyfriend, Alex.
"Oh, nothing. I was just passing by and your class president handed it to me. Said you dropped it," she said casually.
Before I could even reply, Kianna chimed in with a mischievous grin.
"Uyy, Bess! We weren't 'just passing by!' Didn't you take a peek at your crush, Alex? Seriously, he is so handsome!"
Tch. I'm way better looking than that guy.
"Ah, is that so," I muttered, forcing a smile. "Alright, thanks for bringing this over."
I turned around and started walking away before my fake smile gave out on me.
"Bryle! Wait, I still have something to say!" Alice called out, but I pretended not to hear her. Maybe it's better this way. She always chooses Alex anyway.
"You okay, Bryle? Did you just get rejected?" Zion asked as he caught up and threw an arm around my shoulder.
I shrugged him off. "How could I be rejected when I haven't even asked her out? Besides, I don't even like her."
I lied. But sometimes, lying hurts less than hoping.
"What's his problem?" Kianna asked, watching Bryle's back as he walked away.
"I'm not sure," Alice replied softly, her chest tightening for reasons she couldn't explain. Did she say something wrong? Why did she suddenly feel guilty?
"Bess, let's go. We're going to be late for our next subject," Kianna said, snapping her back to reality.
As they walked down the hallway, whispers followed them.
"Bess... do you think they're talking about me?" Alice whispered, frowning at the stares.
"Don't mind them. They probably just realized how pretty you are," Kianna replied, smirking.
Alice sighed but smiled. Kianna always knew how to lift her mood. "Really?" she asked shyly.
"Of course! So don't hide that face. Your beauty is being wasted, Bess!!!" Kianna suddenly shouted, her voice echoing through the hallway.
"Kianna! You're so loud!" Alice hissed, trying to hide behind her hair, but Kianna wasn't done.
"Move aside! The most beautiful student on campus is coming through!" Kianna declared, holding Alice's arm like a proud stage mom.
Students started looking. Some even took out their phones. Alice wanted to vanish into thin air.
"Bess, what are you doing?! They're staring at us!" she whispered, covering her face.
Kianna laughed, brushed Alice's hair aside, and said, "Bess, you're beautiful, okay? Don't hide it. Let them stare."
"It's not that, Bess! It's embarrassing!"
"Who cares! We were given free will, right? This is how I'm using mine!" Kianna said before dancing backward, chanting at the top of her lungs:
"YOU'RE SO PRETTY, BESS!! SO, SO PRETTY, EYY!! YOU'RE SO PRETTY, BESS!!"
Everyone turned their heads. Laughter filled the hall. Alice couldn't stop blushing.
"Bess, please! Everyone is looking!" she pleaded, hiding her face again.
But Kianna didn't stop. She twirled, grinning, and yelled, "Roses are red, violets are blue! When the stars are shining, I remember you! Bess, if I were a guy, I'd court you myself! Hahaha!"
Alice burst out laughing despite herself. That was Kianna—crazy, fearless, and full of life. No matter how heavy things got, Kianna always knew how to make her smile.
Thank you, Kianna, she thought, smiling for real this time.
When they reached the classroom, the door was locked—class had already started. They crouched down, trying to sneak in quietly through the back.
"You two. Where do you think you're going?"
They froze. Alice slowly lifted her head... and saw a pair of shiny leather shoes. Oh no. It was Mr. Yamah, the most terrifying math teacher on campus.
"Ah, S-sir, we just went to the restroom—" Kianna began, but before she could finish...
"GET. OUT. OF. MY. CLASS."
They bolted out the door, laughter exploding as they ran back down the hallway.
"Grabe, Bess! I feel like we're going to be kicked off the class list!" Kianna yelled, still running.
"Bess, stop it! How embarrassing!" Alice cried, but she was laughing too, clutching her stomach.
And just as they turned the corner—Bryle saw them.
His eyes met Alice's for a moment. She stopped laughing. And for some reason... his heart skipped.
BRYLE's POV
For a second, the heavy thoughts in my head vanished. There was just her.
"Bryle? What are you doing here?" Alice asked, her laughter dying down into a shy, breathless smile. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of red.
I cleared my throat, trying to regain my composure. "I got kicked out, too. Late for English," I lied quickly. In reality, I had just been wandering, unable to focus because my head was full of her.
Kianna, never one to miss a beat, smirked and nudged Alice. "Well, Bess. Looks like we have company in the 'Hallway of Shame.' Bryle, watch over Alice for me, okay? I'm going to find some water; shouting made me thirsty!"
"Wait, Kianna—!" Alice tried to stop her, but Kianna was already halfway down the corridor, waving her hand without looking back.
And then, it was just us.
The silence that followed was heavy, a sharp contrast to the noise from earlier. I leaned against the locker, trying to look cool, while Alice stood awkwardly, fiddling with the strap of her bag.
"Sorry about earlier," I muttered, looking at my shoes. "When... when I just walked away."
Alice looked up, her expression softening. "It's okay. I really thought you were mad at me. Or... maybe you were just tired."
I looked at her then—really looked at her. I wanted to tell her that I wasn't tired of her. That I could never be mad at her. That the only thing I was tired of was pretending that being "just a friend" was enough.
"I'm not mad, Alice. Never," I said, my voice lower than intended.
She bit her lip, looking away. "Good."
The tension in the air was suffocating. I forced a nod, keeping my face neutral.
I turned away, staring out the window at the playground in the distance—the same one where we used to play as kids. Back then, it was just us. No secrets. No erased memories.
"Bryle?" Alice called out softly.
"Hmm?"
"Thanks. For always being there. Even though... even though I'm crazy sometimes." She chuckled weakly.
I didn't look back. I couldn't. If I did, she might see the heartbreak written all over my face.
"Always, Alice," I whispered to the glass. "Always."
We stood there in silence, two people side by side, yet worlds apart. The sun continued to shine, the teachers continued to drone on inside the classrooms, and the clock on the wall kept ticking—unaware that for one of us, the world had just stopped turning.