Sixteen-year-old Yasmine Emori Sanders was getting ready to start at a new high school. She recently moved in with her sister Charlie after her mother's death. The death ultimately took a toll on her. She didn't eat or sleep for weeks. Her mother wa...
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Next Morning....
Yasmine woke up to the early morning light filtering through her curtains, casting a warm glow across her room. For a few precious seconds, she allowed herself to bask in the memory of the night before, a smile tugging at her lips as she remembered Noah's gentle touch, the way he'd looked at her, the feeling of finally being close to him in a way she hadn't allowed herself to imagine.
But as the morning grew brighter, reality crept in, the excitement of the night replaced by a twinge of guilt she couldn't ignore. She reminded herself that Noah still had a girlfriend, and the lingering thought of Kataleya gnawed at her conscience. Shifting in bed, she glanced over at the empty spot beside her where he had been only hours before.
Just as she was lost in thought, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Soreia: "Girl, where are you? You weren't answering my texts all weekend. Spill everything."
Yasmine hesitated before replying. She and Soreia had been inseparable for the small amount of time they've known each other, sharing every detail of their lives, but she wasn't ready to tell her best friend what had happened. Not yet. She typed back a quick response: "Long weekend! I'll catch you up at lunch."
As she got ready for school, Yasmine felt the weight of her own reflection staring back at her. Last night had been incredible, but it was as though she were teetering on the edge of something risky, something that could spiral out of control. She took a deep breath, threw on a comfortable hoodie and jeans, and decided that today, she'd keep her head down.
When she arrived at school, she kept her pace steady, her gaze focused forward as she walked down the hallway. She hoped to avoid Noah, but just as she turned the corner to her first class, she felt a familiar hand on her arm.
"Hey, Smiley," Noah said softly, using the nickname that always made her stomach flip.
She tried to play it cool, managing a quick smile. "Hey, Noah."
He glanced around, a hint of mischief in his eyes as he lowered his voice. "About last night... I'm glad we finally got to hang out."
Yasmine's cheeks warmed, and she looked down, trying to hide the emotions in her eyes. "Yeah, me too," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Before she could say anything more, Kataleya rounded the corner, her laughter echoing through the hallway as she approached them. Yasmine's heart skipped a beat, and instinctively, she took a step back. Noah quickly turned, smiling at Kataleya as though nothing had happened.
"Wassup, Ma" he greeted her, slipping effortlessly into his role, his arm around her waist as he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.
Yasmine felt a pang in her chest, guilt mingling with something else she didn't want to name. She forced a smile and quickly excused herself, ducking into the classroom before they could notice the turmoil in her expression.
