Coby & Alex [REWRITTEN] | OC

Chapter 7

(Tw: bullying and harassment)

It's a pleasant and bright sunny morning, Jonah finds herself sitting on the campus lawn with her friends Alex and Emily, sketching under the shade of a large oak tree. Alex flips through his notes he wrote about a couple days ago for his science project, while Emily is occupied with a new book.

As Jonah adds the finishing touches to her drawing, she looks up to see Jai walking towards them, his usual confident stride making her smile. He had just finished practice, evident from the slight sheen of sweat on his forehead and his athletic attire.

"Hey guys," Jai calls out, dropping his backpack next to Jonah and sitting down. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," Jonah replies, smiling warmly. "How was practice?"

"Exhausting, but good," Jai says, wiping some sweat from his forehead. "What are you up to?"

"Just sketching for my art project," Jonah responds, showing him her concepts of anatomy and thumbnail drawings. "What do you think?"

"Woah! That's amazing!" Jai says, genuinely impressed. "You've got talent!"

Jonah blushes slightly. "Thank you."

Alex looks up from his notes and smiles. "Hey Jai. Nice to see you."

Emily glances up from her book and waves. "Hey Jai."

The group chats for a little while, the conversation flowing easily between them. As the sun rises higher in the sky, Jai pulls out his phone.

"Hey, I was thinking," Jai begins, a little hesitantly. "We should hang out more. You know, outside of random encounters on campus. What'd ya say?"

Jonah's heart skips a beat. "Yeah, I'd like that."

They exchange numbers, a simple act that feels monumental in their blossoming friendship. As Jai saves her contact, he grins. "Talk to ya later?"

Jonah smiles. "Of course!"

Jai gets up and waves goodbye before heading off, leaving Jonah with a warm feeling of flutter and anticipation.

Emily grins and nudges Jonah playfully. "Someone admires you."

Jonah blushes, looking down at her sketchbook. "Oh, stop it. He's just a friend."

Alex, who has been quietly observing, chuckles. "Yeah, sure. He looked pretty interested to me."

Jonah tries to ignore the warmth spreading across her cheeks. "Seriously, guys, it's no big deal."

Emily leans in. "Don't worry, Jo, we're just teasing."

Jonah shakes her head and laughs. "Well regardless of what you think, we should probably start heading to class."

Alex checks his watch. "Yeah, we've got a little time before class starts. Let's go."

The three friends gather their things and make their way across campus. The sky remains clear and sunny, with only a few clouds beginning to gather in the distance. The light chatter of students and the bustle of campus life continue around them as they head to their respective classes.

•••

Coby crouches at the starting line of the track, his heart pounds in rhythm with his breath. The sun shines brightly, casting a warm glow over the track, but dark clouds are rolling in, hinting at the storm that is expected later in the afternoon.

As he takes off, his focus sharpens on the 400 meters, his decathlon training demanding his full attention. Each step brings him closer to his goal, but his mind wanders back to the greenhouse where he and Alex had shared a meaningful moment. He remembers Alex's genuine smile and excitement when he found that rare flower for his project. The expression remains vivid in Coby's mind.