Between Us

Late to Class, Early to Drama

The bell rang, signaling the end of chemistry. Jayden gathered his things, stuffing his notebook into his backpack and shutting his binder with a soft snap. He glanced over at Konner, who was chatting with some of the guys at the back of the room, laughing at something one of them said. Jayden felt his stomach do a little flip. He wasn't sure why, but there was something about Konner that made his heart race.

Before he could think too much about it, he heard a familiar voice from behind him.

"Jayyyyyyyyyyydeeeeeennnnn!"

Jayden turned to find Julio, his friend, already at the door, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed, tapping his foot impatiently.

Julio was impossible to miss. He dressed in a way that challenged everything the school stood for: crop tops, short skirts, tons of accessories, and chunky boots. His makeup was always flawless, and his attitude was even more colorful. Julio didn't care about fitting in—he was here to stand out, and he did it effortlessly.

"Come on! You're taking forever," Julio said with an exaggerated pout.

Jayden finishes up packing his bag. "I'm coming."

Julio rolled his eyes dramatically. "You're way too shy, Jayden. You need to learn to be more confident. Like me!" He says with a cocky smirk.

Jayden gave him a sideways glance as they started walking down the hallway toward their next class. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, I mean Konner. That cute boy who sits next to you in chemistry? I see the way he looks at you."

Jayden stopped dead in his tracks, blinking. "Konner? What do you mean? He doesn't—"

Julio snorted. "Please. I can spot a crush from a mile away. He's always glancing at you. It's cute, but also... come on, Jay. He's into you."

Jayden felt the heat rise to his cheeks, quickly looking away. "I don't know about that. We're just lab partners."

Julio smirked. "Uh-huh, sure. And I'm the Queen of England. You know, you're gonna have to stop being so blind about it. But anyway, let's talk about something else. Like, Nikko."

Jayden glanced at his friend. "Julio. Not again. You're still talking about him?"

Julio dramatically sighed and rolled his eyes. "Of course I am! You have no idea how exhausting it is being so in love with someone who doesn't even know it. Like, does he ever think about me the way I think about him? No. I'm over here, trying to be cute, trying to show him I'm worth his time again, and meanwhile, he's out there living his life, probably dating someone else. It's ridiculous."

Jayden groaned, though he knew Julio wouldn't listen to his advice. He had been obsessed with Nikko for the longest time, even though they'd broken up months ago. He still wasn't over him, and probably never would be.

"You know you're probably still in love with him, right?" Jayden asked, his voice a little soft.

Julio let out a long, drawn-out groan. "Oh, please, don't even remind me. The worst part is, I can't stop thinking about him. I should be over him by now, but every time I see him in the hallways, it's like I forget how to breathe." He snapped his fingers as if to punctuate the moment. "You have no idea how hard it is to be this fabulous and still have feelings for that... gorgeous man."

Jayden chuckled. "You're something else."

"I know," Julio replied with a giggle, as they turned the corner and neared the stairs to the next hallway. "Anyway, enough about that. We have math to deal with. You're lucky I'm here to help you through the dullness."

As they walked, they spotted Mrs. Barker, the hall monitor, talking to a group of students who were standing around and chatting instead of heading to class. Julio's eyes narrowed immediately.

"Oh, look who it is," Julio muttered under his breath. "Mrs. I'm-the-Rule-Maker Barker. She's always got her nose in other people's business. I bet she's about to yell at me for something I didn't even do."

Jayden raised an eyebrow. "You're not even doing anything wrong."

"Pfft, that doesn't stop her from acting like I'm a criminal. I swear she just looks for a reason to pick on me," Julio said, putting on a fake sweet voice as they approached Mrs. Barker. "Hi, Mrs. Barker, how are you today? Everything going okay in your world of rules?"

Mrs. Barker, a tall woman with short brown hair and a no-nonsense look, glanced at Julio and gave him a sharp look. "Julio, can you please get to class? You're already late for math."

Julio puffed out his chest. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were my mother. My bad for being a few seconds late. I didn't think that was a crime."

"Late is late, Julio. You know the rules," Mrs. Barker shot back, her voice stern.

Jayden sighed and stepped in, trying to defuse the tension before it escalated. "We're on our way to class right now. Sorry, Mrs. Barker, we were just talking. We'll be quick."

Julio huffed but didn't argue further, giving Mrs. Barker an exaggerated smile as if he were trying to win her over with charm. "Alright, alright. I'll go, but remember this, Miss Barker: I'm not that late. Just a little fashionably late."

Mrs. Barker shook her head, clearly unimpressed. "Just get to class."

As they walked past her, Julio muttered under his breath, "She's so uptight. It's like she thinks I'm the only one who's ever late. Get a life, lady."

Jayden tried to suppress his grin, knowing that if he laughed, it would only make Julio more dramatic. "You should tone it down a little."

"I'm just being real," Julio said with a shrug, looking completely unfazed by the interaction. "Anyway, back to the important stuff—like Konner. I saw him talking to you today in chemistry. I mean, he was staring at you so much that I thought he might burn a hole right through your head with his eyes."

Jayden froze in his tracks, his heart skipping a beat. He hadn't noticed Konner staring, but now that Julio pointed it out, he felt the familiar fluttering in his chest. "No way. He's just being friendly. We're lab partners."

"Oh, please. He's definitely into you. Every time you talk to him, he gets this goofy little smile. Trust me, I know these things. He's probably just too shy to admit it."

Jayden didn't know how to respond. He didn't even know what he thought about it yet. But now, the idea of Konner liking him was impossible to ignore.

"Well, whatever," Julio said, eyeing Jayden's flushed face and grinning. "You'll figure it out soon enough. Just don't keep being shy forever. You've got to make a move, babe. Or at least give him a little hint."

Jayden didn't say anything more. They had reached the math classroom by now, and as they walked in, Jayden found Konner already seated at his desk, looking up as they entered. His smile was small but genuine, and once again, Jayden felt a flutter in his chest.

"Hey, Jayden," Konner said, his voice soft but warm. "Ready for this math test?"

Jayden could only nod, his nerves kicking in as he made his way to his seat. The classroom seemed a little smaller now, the air a little thicker, as if everything suddenly revolved around the quiet tension between them.

But he didn't mind. Not really.

Maybe this could be the start of something.