The sun casts a warm glow over Mika's backyard as the group gathers around a sleek, glass patio table.
The air is slightly hazy with a bit of smoke from joints being passed around, giving the atmosphere a laid-back vibe. In the background,
smooth R&B tunes play softly, and the girls occasionally sing along to Jhene Aiko’s songs as they drift through the warm afternoon. It's a day wrapped in nostalgia, with laughter and unspoken emotions lingering in the air.
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Ariana Greenblatt
Something is off with me today. I can't even get it, but the way my heart races every time DD looks at me—it’s like I’m caught in a loop, like back when everything was easy between us.
But then, I catch myself. I'm supposed to be here with Lucas, right? He's the one who’s been around, the one who’s been trying to show me he cares.
But DD... he's got this pull, this way of just existing in the same space as me that makes everything else fade. It's so unfair.
We aren't even exclusive, Lucas and I. He hasn’t asked me to be his girlfriend, so why do I keep thinking of him as my boyfriend?
Still, there’s something in the air today, something I can't shake. Every time I look at DD, I can't help but smile. It’s like old times, when things were simple and sweet.
But I remember why we aren't together now—why I had to pull back. Communication was never his strong suit. I've tried so hard to fix us, to understand him, but it’s like talking wit a wall.
He says he needs space, but then why do he keep looking at me like that? His eyes, they’re full of something—something that ties my stomach in knots. And being around Lucas while DD’s here? It feels almost like... wrong.
“Ma, pass me that soda?” DD asks, reaching across the coffee table like it’s no big deal. Our fingers brush for a second, and it’s like the world just stops.
Then I see Lucas’s mood shift, and I realize what I’ve done. Oh, shit. can’t believe that just happened. But it’s too late to fix it now...
Omniscient POV
Lucas notices the fleeting touches and secret glances between DD and Ariana. He frowns, trying to hide his frustration behind a smile, but the way Ariana keeps drifting off,
her mind obviously elsewhere, drives him crazy. No matter what he does, it’s like there’s this invisible thread between her and DD, something he just can’t cut through.
Throughout the day, the tension between DD and Ariana builds, wrapped in silent exchanges and smirks that only they understand.
Each look they share is heavy with things left unsaid, emotions neither of them wants to confront but can’t ignore. The room is filled with laughter and old memories, but underneath it all, there’s this unspoken conversation between them.
As the sun dips lower and the golden hour gives way to dusk, the group moves inside, continuing the fun and nostalgia. But DD and Ariana’s stolen glances remain, their connection impossible to ignore.
Lucas tries one last time to pull Ariana’s attention back to him, to remind her that he’s the one here for her now. He leans closer, his words softer, more intimate, but she gently pulls away, lost in her own world of thoughts and memories. Her heart isn’t here—it’s with someone else.
David Reyes
Walking away from her Was the hardest thing. I want to turn back, to tell her everythin, but I can't. Not yet. I just hope she know how much she mean to me.
Man, this killing me. Being here, so close to her, but feeling like I’m miles away? It’s the hardest shit I’ve ever had to do. I look at her, and all I see is what we used to have, what we could’ve had if I wasn’t so fucked up.
But I can’t just drag her into my mess, can’t risk her getting hurt because of me. So I do what I gotta do—I keep my distance, let her think I’m over it.
But when I see her laughing with Lucas, when I see the way he looks at her like he’s got a chance? Man, it’s like a knife to my chest.
Around the end of the night I head to the door after sayin bye to all em folks
“Goodnight, chula,” I whisper when she catch my eye one last time. I try to smile, but it doesn’t quite reach my eyes.
Omniscient POV
As the door closes behind him, Ariana's mind races with thoughts of what could be. She's left with a sense of hope and longing, knowing that despite everything, her connection with DD is far from over.
However, underneath the hope and longing, anger and betrayal simmer. Despite their short relationship, the intensity of their feelings made it feel like a lifetime together.
Ariana can't shake the feeling of how easily DD seemed to have moved on from what they had, leaving her to wrestle with feelings of hurt and confusion.
As she cleans up after the gathering, memories of their time together flood Ariana's mind.
The girls r still chatting their heads off but she's no where in tht space, instead She replays their conversations, their laughs, and the way DD used to look at her with tenderness.
Yet, alongside those cherished memories, doubt creeps in. Did DD truly care for her as deeply as she did for him? Or was their connection just a fleeting moment in time for him?
Ariana's emotions are a whirlwind as she tries to make sense of it all. Despite the hurt, a part of her holds onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, there's still a chance for them to find their way back to each other.
But for now, she must navigate the storm of conflicting emotions and unanswered questions, hoping that clarity
