A Love Unexpected

Chapter 12: Secrets

The laughter in Heart’s room continued to echo as they shifted from movie to movie, their spirits high. Then, Coleen leaned forward with a cheeky grin. “Heart, did you know that these two have a crush on Ryndell’s best friends?”

Heart raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Wait, what? Who?”

“Uh, Kyle and Hiro,” Coleen teased, clearly enjoying the moment. “Arielle has a crush on Kyle, and Charity’s got it bad for Hiro!”

Heart’s eyes widened in surprise. “Hiro and Kyle? You mean the two half-Japanese guys?” She couldn’t help but chuckle. “You two are into them?”

Arielle quickly shot Coleen a glare. “Coleen! You promised to keep it a secret!”

Coleen shrugged, unable to hide her grin. “Sorry, but it’s too good not to share! Besides, it all started when you left for Italy!”

Charity buried her face in a pillow, clearly embarrassed but unable to suppress a smile. “Okay, fine! It’s true! But can we please keep it under wraps? I don’t want them to know!”

Heart laughed, enjoying the playful atmosphere. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul. But you guys have to spill the details! What’s so special about them?”

Arielle leaned in closer, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Kyle is just so... charming! He has this way of making everyone laugh, and he’s super good at basketball! He’s always so supportive during practices.”

“And Hiro!” Charity chimed in, her voice rising in excitement. “He’s so sweet and thoughtful. Remember that time he helped us with the science project? He’s always looking out for everyone. Plus, he’s really cute!”

Heart nodded, feeling the warmth of their crushes. “Okay, I can see why you like them. But have you told them how you feel?”

Arielle shook her head vigorously. “Not yet! I mean, it’s so nerve-wracking! What if they don’t feel the same way?”

“Exactly! I can’t risk it,” Charity added, biting her lip nervously. “What if they laugh at us?”

“Girls, you’ve got to be brave!” Heart encouraged, feeling inspired by her friends’ vulnerability. “If you like them, then just go for it! What’s the worst that can happen?”

“Heart, that’s easy for you to say,” Arielle retorted. “You’ve got Ryndell practically holding your hand in public! Meanwhile, we can’t even have a normal conversation with Kyle and Hiro!”

Coleen laughed, leaning back. “Well, maybe we should make a plan! Like a ‘crush strategy’ or something.”

Heart smirked. “I’m here for it! What if we all hang out with them together? You can drop subtle hints or something.”

Charity’s eyes lit up at the idea. “That could work! But how do we get them to hang out with us?”

“Well,” Heart mused, “we could invite them to the next student council meeting. We can say we want their input on the upcoming event. It could be a casual setting, and it’ll give you both a chance to talk to them!”

“That’s actually genius!” Coleen said, nodding enthusiastically. “We could even organize a group study session after school!”

Arielle and Charity exchanged glances, excitement blooming in their eyes. “Okay, I like this plan!” Arielle declared, her earlier hesitance fading.

“Just promise you’ll help us if we get nervous,” Charity said, biting her lip again, but now with determination.

“Of course! We’re in this together!” Heart exclaimed, feeling the thrill of their shared excitement.

With the plan set, the night continued with more laughter and brainstorming. They threw around ideas about how to get the boys’ attention, filled with silly suggestions and jokes that sent them all into fits of giggles.

As the clock struck 2 AM, the energy in the room finally started to wind down. They sprawled out on the floor, tired but exhilarated.

“Okay, but no matter what happens with Kyle and Hiro, just remember you’re amazing as you are,” Heart said, her tone sincere. “Crushes are fun, but don’t forget to love yourselves first.”

“Yeah, Heart’s right,” Coleen added, yawning. “We’ll figure it out together, and even if it doesn’t go as planned, at least we’ll have each other.”

As they settled down for sleep, Heart felt a wave of gratitude washed over her. In that moment, surrounded by her friends and their shared hopes, she knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead—whether it was schoolwork, crushes, or her responsibilities as a student leader—she wouldn’t have to face them alone.

Heart’s POV

Arielle’s voice cut through the quiet of the room. “Heart, do you have a crush?”

The question hung in the air for a moment, and I felt all eyes turn toward me. I hadn’t really thought about it lately, not with everything going on. But now that she asked, I didn’t know how to respond.

I shrugged, playing it cool. “I don’t know. I mean, crushes are fun and all, but I’ve been so focused on my responsibilities. I haven’t really had time to think about anyone like that.”

Arielle wasn’t buying it. She raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Come on, there has to be someone! You’re telling me with all the guys around, you haven’t been interested in anyone? Not even Ryndell?”

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name. Ryndell and I had been close for a while, and it wasn’t like I hadn’t thought about him that way before. But things were complicated. We had a good thing going, and I wasn’t sure if it was worth risking our friendship. Plus, with everything on my plate, adding feelings into the mix seemed... overwhelming.

“Ryndell?” I echoed, trying to sound casual. “He’s... he’s just a good friend. We’ve known each other for a long time.”

Coleen laughed. “Just a friend, huh? That’s why he held your hand earlier and practically ran away from Maxine?”

I felt my cheeks flush. “He was just being polite! You know how he is.”

Charity wasn’t about to let it go. “Polite or protective? Because the way he looked at Maxine was definitely more than just politeness.”

I sighed, knowing there was no way out of this conversation. “Okay, fine. Maybe there’s something there. But I don’t know if I’m ready to deal with it right now. I’ve got a lot going on, and I don’t want to complicate things with feelings.”

Arielle sat up, a playful grin on her face. “Heart, you’re always so practical! Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow. If you like him and he likes you, why not see where it goes?”

I shook my head, a smile tugging at my lips. “You guys are too much. I appreciate the advice, but let’s focus on your crushes for now. I’m not the one swooning over Kyle and Hiro, remember?”

Charity laughed, throwing a pillow at me. “Deflect all you want, but we’ll get back to you eventually. You can’t hide your feelings forever!”

I chuckled, knowing they were right. As much as I tried to keep my emotions in check, it was hard not to think about Ryndell. He’d always been there for me, and lately, things felt... different. But for now, I was happy to push those thoughts aside and focus on my friends.

“We’ll see,” I said, my voice softening. “But for now, let’s just get through this week. Between crushes, student council, and everything else, we’ve got enough to deal with.”

They all nodded in agreement, the tension lifting as we shifted back to lighter topics. But as the night wore on and we finally drifted off to sleep, I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, it was time to stop ignoring what was right in front of me.

Maybe Ryndell was more than just a friend after all.