𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 | 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

𝐓 𝐇 𝐈 𝐑 𝐓 𝐘 - 𝐒 𝐄 𝐕 𝐄 𝐍

Camden

Sitting in math class, I try to focus on the teacher's voice, the equations on the board, anything to keep my mind from drifting back to last night. But it's no use. My thoughts keep circling back to Sofia, to what she said at the park, to the way she hugged me, her soft "I love you" that's been echoing in my head all morning. What does it even mean, "wait for her"? Wait for what? And why the secrecy?

I lean back in my chair, barely registering the numbers in front of me. The words, the look in her eyes... it all felt so heavy, so confusing. I've known Sofia my entire life, and I can't remember the last time I saw her look that tired, that lost. It's like there's something eating away at her, and she won't let me in.

"Hey." I'm jolted out of my thoughts as Caden nudges my arm. He's looking at me with that concerned expression he gets when he knows something's off. "You okay?"

I manage a small smile, forcing myself to sound more casual than I feel. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... tired, I guess."

He raises an eyebrow, clearly not convinced, but thankfully he doesn't press. Instead, he just gives me a nod and turns back to his notebook. I let out a quiet sigh, grateful he didn't push for more. I don't even know what I'd say. How do I explain that my best friend, the girl I've loved for so long, has thrown my entire world into chaos with a few cryptic words and a kiss on the cheek?

The bell finally rings, snapping me back to reality. I gather my things and head out of the classroom, moving through the hall like I'm on autopilot. Chemistry is next, and I try to shake off the fog in my head, hoping I can focus on something other than the whirlwind of questions swirling inside me. But then I see her.

Sofia's standing a few feet away, talking to Sabrina in the hallway. She looks... well, she looks terrible. Her shoulders are slumped, her face pale, and her blue eyes, usually so bright and full of life, look dull and drained. It's like she's carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, and I hate that I don't know why. I hate that whatever's going on, she doesn't trust me enough to tell me.

I can't help but feel this pang of worry twist in my chest as I watch her. What is she hiding from me? And why does she look so... broken?

Before I can overthink it, I quickly turn away and head to my next class. Chemistry, right. I need to get my head on straight. I take a seat at my desk, trying to push all thoughts of Sofia to the back of my mind. I need a distraction, anything to stop thinking about her.

As I'm setting up my notebook, Max slides into the seat next to me. "Hey, you busy after basketball practice?" he asks, glancing over at me with that easy smile of his. "I was thinking about going for a bike ride around the trails. You down?"

I don't even hesitate. "Yeah, I'm in." I reply, a bit too quickly. But at this point, I'd agree to just about anything if it'll get Sofia out of my head for a while. Maybe if I spend a few hours doing something, anything, I won't be consumed by the worry gnawing away at me, the questions I don't have answers to.

Max grins and gives me a thumbs-up. "Cool, meet you at the lockers after practice, then."

I nod, trying to summon up some enthusiasm. But as he turns back to his own stuff, I can't help but feel this gnawing sense of guilt. Here I am, agreeing to hang out with Max, to go about my day like everything is normal, while Sofia is... well, I don't even know what Sofia is dealing with. And it's killing me inside, not knowing what's wrong, not being able to help her.

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~ R