Between us

Chapter seven

Aditi

The day had worn me down completely. By the time I finally left my last class, my head was spinning with a jumble of dates, deadlines, and notes I barely remembered taking. I dropped my bag onto the library table with a thud, hoping some quiet time might help me sort through everything.

I glanced at the clock—it was only five, but the golden autumn light outside made the room feel warm and inviting. And that's when I saw her, a few tables over, focused so intensely on a textbook that she hadn't noticed me. Summer was deep in study mode, her fingers absently twisting the end of her ponytail as she read, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Without overthinking it, I walked over, an idea sparking in my mind. "Hey," I said, trying to sound casual. She looked up, surprised, her frown easing. "You look like you could use a break." I hesitated, a little nervous but still hopeful. "Want to come over later for a movie night? Just me, Tai, and Alex. Nothing big."

For a split second, I worried I'd interrupted her or that she'd just brush it off. But then her face softened into a small smile. "Yeah... actually, that sounds perfect," she said, and something warm settled in my chest.

"Cool," I said, probably a bit too quickly, but her smile widened. With one last grin, I left the library, my exhaustion replaced by an excitement I hadn't felt all day. Tonight was already looking better.

"Welcome to our room!" Said Alex as he pushed open the door dramatically.

"Wow, love the spider man poster." I said looking around the room. Tai took over: "Right so, Alex you make the couch cozy, I'll make the projector thingy work and Aditi take care of the snacks?" He turned his head looking over to me while shutting the curtains closed. "Sounds good!" I replied.

I headed over to the kitchen and opened the popcorn. Popped it and placed it on the table alongside sodas and some candy. I'd just finished setting up a mountain of pillows and blankets on the floor of Alex and Tai's room when I heard a soft knock at the door. My heart did a quick leap, and I exchanged a quick look with Tai, who rolled his eyes in a "you're way too obvious" kind of way. Ignoring him, I opened the door, trying not to look too eager.

Summer stood there, her hands tucked into her jacket pockets, her cheeks flushed pink from the cool evening air. She gave me a small smile, her eyes scanning the cozy chaos of blankets and popcorn bowls.

"Hey," she said, her voice warm, if a little shy. "Am I early?"

"Perfect timing," I replied, stepping aside to let her in. She took a tentative step into the room, giving a nod of greeting to Alex and Tai, who waved back with grins.

"Welcome to the movie fort," Tai joked, gesturing to the arrangement of blankets that, admittedly, looked like something out of a pillow fortress. Summer chuckled, her shoulders relaxing a bit.

"Impressive setup," she said, raising an eyebrow as she looked around. She pulled off her jacket, and I offered to take it, draping it over a chair before joining her on the floor.

As everyone settled in, I couldn't help but steal a glance at Summer as she leaned back into a pile of pillows beside me, her gaze on the screen but her expression more at ease than I'd ever seen. I didn't expect her to actually come tonight, but now that she was here, everything felt... brighter somehow.

Alex hit play, and as the opening credits started, I glanced at Summer, who was already sneaking a handful of popcorn from the bowl between us. She caught me looking and gave me a small, playful smile. I looked away quickly, hoping no one noticed the ridiculous grin spreading across my face.