The sun peeked through the curtains, painting the room in soft shades of gold and amber. I woke up slowly, relishing the warmth of the bed and the comforting weight of his arm draped across my waist. It felt like nothing in the world could disturb the peace we had found together. For a moment, I wanted to stay there forever, wrapped up in this cocoon of safety and contentment. But as much as I wanted to stay in bed, I knew we had to get up and face the day. School waited for us, and after the past few days, I was beginning to feel like maybe we could handle whatever came our way. I shifted slightly, trying to gently disentangle myself from his embrace without waking him. He stirred anyway, his arm tightening briefly before he opened his eyes. A sleepy smile spread across his face as he saw me. "Good morning," he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. "Good morning," I replied, brushing a few strands of hair from his forehead. "We should probably get ready for school." He groaned softly, burying his face in the pillow. "Do we have to? I was hoping we could just stay here all day." I laughed, lightly tapping his shoulder. "As tempting as that sounds, we’ve already missed enough school. Come on, let’s get up." With a sigh, he rolled out of bed, stretching his arms above his head. I followed suit, feeling the slight stiffness in my muscles from the previous day’s activities. We dressed quickly, keeping our conversation light and playful, and before long, we were heading downstairs. His mom greeted us in the kitchen, already busy preparing breakfast. The smell of bacon and eggs filled the air, making my stomach growl in anticipation. She smiled when she saw us, clearly pleased to see us in good spirits.
"Good morning, boys!" she said cheerfully. "I hope you’re hungry—I made plenty." "Smells amazing," I said, taking a seat at the table. "Thanks, Mom," he added, sitting beside me. "You’re the best." We ate breakfast together, the atmosphere warm and relaxed. His mom chatted with us about our plans for the day, asking how things were going at school. We answered her questions easily, both of us feeling more at ease than we had in days.
Once we finished eating, we grabbed our bags and said our goodbyes, promising to be home in time for dinner. The walk to school was peaceful, the morning air crisp and refreshing. As we approached the building, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of optimism. The past few days had been rough, but today felt different—like things were finally starting to fall into place. The school building loomed ahead, a familiar sight that somehow felt new and strange after everything that had happened. I glanced over at him, catching his eye. He smiled back, and I felt a little of the tension melt away. Whatever happened today, we’d face it together. We made our way through the crowded hallways, heading to our lockers to grab our books. The usual whispers and glances from other students were still there, but they seemed less intense, less threatening. It was as if the initial shock had worn off, and now people were just moving on with their lives.
As we reached our lockers, I noticed a few girls from our grade standing nearby, chatting among themselves. They glanced our way, their conversation faltering as they saw us. One of them offered a small, tentative smile. I nodded back, feeling a bit of the tension ease. It wasn’t much, but it was something.
We grabbed our books for first period, our conversation focused on the upcoming weekend. We had plans to go to the movies, maybe grab some dinner afterward—just a normal, boring weekend. And that’s exactly what I wanted. The bell rang, and we made our way to class. The hallway was crowded with students hurrying to their rooms, the usual pre-class chaos. As we turned the corner, I spotted a familiar face in the crowd. One of his old friends, the one who had been particularly vocal in the past, was leaning against a locker, talking to a couple of other guys. For a moment, our eyes met, and I felt a chill run down my spine. But then he looked away, continuing his conversation as if he hadn’t seen us. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and continued walking. Maybe today would be okay after all.
