✿⋆·˚❀˚·⋆✿ The Thread that bind Us ✿⋆·˚❀˚·⋆✿

Kept the Promise

Noah stirred awake to the shrill sound of his phone vibrating against the wooden nightstand. He squinted at the screen, his messy hair falling into his sparkling blue eyes as he rubbed the sleep from his face.
**Buzz, buzz, buzz**— Amber.
The name flashed repeatedly, her messages a cascade of emojis and exclamation points. Noah sighed, not ready to dive into the chaos that was Amber's affection. He sighed, rolling over and burying his face in his pillow. He wasn't in the mood for her incessant chatter. Not today.
A moment later, another notification chimed in, this one from Ralph. "Check Risa's new post!" it read, followed by a string of emojis—😳💖😏
He opened his social media app, his heart picking up speed as he navigated to Risa's profile. What would she have posted? More glamorous party photos? A snapshot of her latest shopping spree?

The moment the image loaded, his breath caught. The first image that greeted him was of Risa sitting by a window in a bright yellow dress that hugged her figure perfectly, her long black hair tied up in a loose ponytail, and in her hands, she held a novel. Beside her, a fluffy black cat lounged lazily, soaking in the warmth. The picture radiated happiness, a stark contrast to the glamorous facade she usually presented. "Wow," he whispered, leaning closer to the screen. He swiped to the next photo, where she was playing with another cat, her laughter almost tangible through the pixels.
He recalled the events from the night before. Sitting on the balcony, they had shared their burdens, laying bare the weight of expectations that clung to them both. Risa had confided in him about her mafia family. "I'm tired of pretending to be someone I'm not," she'd admitted, her heart-shaped pink lips set in a determined line. Noah had nodded, his own heart racing as he spoke of his three sisters and his father in the army. "I just want to be me, not the quiet bookworm" he had confessed. And in that moment, under the vast expanse of stars, they had forged a pact: to shed the roles society had thrust upon them and embrace who they truly were.

"So this is who you really are, Risa Anders," he murmured to himself, a soft smile creeping onto his lips as he hit the "like" button. 

Across town, Risa's heart raced as she checked her notifications. She had just posted those pictures, hoping to share a more genuine side of herself. 
"Oh my God!" she squealed, her excitement bubbling over as she turned to her best friend Jess, who was lounging on bed, scrolling through her phone. "Noah liked my post!" Risa exclaimed, her brown eyes sparkling with joy. "He actually liked it!"
Jess grinned, her expression shifting from bewilderment to excitement. "That's great! He's a catch, you know. You should totally—"
"Not like that," Risa interrupted, her cheeks flushing slightly. "We're just friends."
"Sure," Jess teased, nudging her.

Just then, Amber's phone chimed, her expression darkening as she caught sight of Noah's like on Risa's post. Jealousy twisted in her gut. She had never liked Risa, and now it felt personal. With a scowl, she opened Risa's post and began typing furiously, her fingers flying over the screen. 

Back at Risa's house, Jess was scrolling through the comments on Risa's post when she suddenly gasped. "Risa! You need to see this!"
"What is it?" Risa asked, her heart racing as she approached Jess. "Look! Someone commented  that you're an attention seeker, fake, just a wannabe trying to be classy. Slut. Everyone knows you're just pretending to be someone you're not." 
"That's so unnecessary. Who even would say that?"
"Probably a hater, this is someone anonymous" Jess scoffed, bitterness lacing her tone. 
"Let's not give them satisfaction of being upset," Risa said, her voice steady despite the sting of the comment. "I'm not going to let them ruin this moment."
But when Risa checked the post again, she was taken aback by the flood of supportive comments that followed.
"She's just jealous because she can't be happy like you," one commenter wrote.
Another added, "You're beautiful and talented, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"
Risa's heart swelled. "Look at this, Jess," she said, her voice filled with hope. "They're defending me!"
"Of course they are!" Jess said, her enthusiasm returning. "You're amazing, Risa. This just proves it."

Just then, Noah's phone buzzed again, this time with a notification from Risa's post. He opened it, his brow furrowing as he read the comment. He typed out a response, his fingers flying over the screen. "She's just expressing herself. What's wrong with that?" But as he hit send, his heart raced—was he stepping too far into drama that didn't belong to him?

Risa and Jess were still reading through the comments when Risa's phone buzzed again. She opened it and gasped. "Noah!"
"What did he say?!" Jess leaned closer, her eyes wide with curiosity. "He defended me!" Risa exclaimed, her heart pounding. "He actually stood up for me!"
"See? He's into you!" Jess nudged her playfully. "You need to talk to him. This is your moment."
 "Yeah, but what do I say?"
"You should invite him over or something."
"Yeah, right," Risa said, a mix of hope and anxiety swirling inside her. "What would we even do?"
 Jess shrugged, a sly grin on her face. "You could make cookies. Everyone loves cookies. Then, you can talk"
"Cookies?" Risa laughed, the idea seeming absurd yet oddly comforting. "Okay, cookies it is. But what if he doesn't want to come over?"
"Trust me. He'll want to," Jess said confidently. "Just text him."
With a determined nod, Risa grabbed her phone again. "Noah, do you want to come over? I'm making cookies!"
Noah's heart raced at the invitation. "Sure! What time?" he replied quickly, excitement bubbling within him.
"Tomorrow, Just after school?"
"Sounds great!" He tossed his phone down and ran a hand through his messy hair, excitement bubbling in his chest.