Through the Noise

Tensions Unravel

The past few weeks had been a whirlwind for Beam. He’d been caught in a mess of emotions he could barely begin to sort out, all centered on Forth. It was both thrilling and terrifying to feel so close to someone, and every time he let his guard down, he felt himself stepping into something deeper.

But as they grew closer, something else lingered in the background—a tension neither of them fully acknowledged. Beam could feel it in the way people looked at them, the way Forth’s friends would mutter and cast disapproving glances. Even his own friends, Kit and Phana, had voiced their concerns more than once.

One morning, as Beam was grabbing his books from his locker, he heard footsteps approach. He looked up to find Kit standing there, his expression troubled.

“Hey,” Kit said, his tone unusually serious. “Can we talk?”

Beam raised an eyebrow, sensing that this wasn’t going to be a casual chat. He closed his locker and leaned against it, crossing his arms. “What’s up?”

Kit hesitated, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. “It’s about Forth,” he said, lowering his voice. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

Beam frowned, feeling a flash of defensiveness. “What do you mean?”

Kit sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I just… I worry about you, Beam. Forth’s not exactly known for… commitment. Or for keeping people around for long.”

Beam clenched his jaw, trying to brush off the sting of Kit’s words. “Forth’s different with me,” he said, though he wasn’t entirely sure if he believed it himself. “We’re… we’re figuring things out.”

Kit looked at him, his gaze softening with sympathy. “I just don’t want you to get hurt,” he said gently. “You’ve been through enough already.”

Beam forced a smile, trying to mask the uncertainty creeping into his mind. “I can handle it,” he said, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt.

But as he walked to his next class, Kit’s words lingered, gnawing at the edges of his thoughts.

---

**The Rift**

That evening, Beam was supposed to meet Forth for dinner. But when he arrived at the campus café, he found Forth already there, surrounded by a group of engineering students, including Park and Lam. They were laughing, Forth’s arm slung casually around a girl Beam didn’t recognize.

For a moment, Beam froze, feeling a pang of jealousy twist in his chest. He’d never been one to care about what other people did, but seeing Forth so at ease, laughing with someone else, hit him harder than he expected.

Forth noticed him and waved him over, but Beam forced himself to keep his expression neutral as he approached.

“Hey,” Forth said, grinning. “Didn’t know you were coming this early.”

Beam shrugged, trying to keep his voice light. “Figured I’d join the party,” he said, though the words tasted bitter.

The girl next to Forth smiled at him, but Beam barely acknowledged her. He could feel the tension building inside him, a jealousy he wasn’t used to dealing with. He didn’t want to be the kind of person who got possessive, but something about Forth’s carefree attitude left him feeling unsettled.

After a while, he couldn’t take it anymore. He stood up, forcing a smile. “Actually, I just remembered I have something to do,” he said, his voice tight. “Catch you later.”

Forth’s smile faded, and he reached out, grabbing Beam’s arm. “Wait, Beam—”

But Beam pulled away, muttering a quick goodbye before walking out of the café, his heart pounding. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was hurt—hurt by how easily Forth could brush him aside, hurt by the realization that maybe Kit was right.