The bell hasn't even rung yet, and the hallway already sounds like a zoo. Lockers slam shut, voices overlap with complaints about wasted summers, and someone's speaker blares a playlist of classical sheet music one of the band directors created.
Dahlia loops her arm through mine, practically dragging me through the mess of backpacks and oversized coffee cups. "Senior year, Kiara! Can you believe it?" Her enthusiasm is contagious, even if the early morning isn't doing me any favors.
Behind us, Aadhi saunters along, juggling his phone and an almost-toppling stack of books. "Senior year and you still can't carry your own stuff," he teases Dahlia, earning himself a playful glare.
Theo walks beside him, hands stuffed in his jeans, gaze low. Quiet. Too quiet.
"Hey, you good?" I ask as I untangle myself from Dahlia and sidle next to him, keeping my voice casual as I bump his shoulder with mine.
He glances up quickly, offering me the faintest smile. "Yeah, just tired."
His tone is convincing, but his eyes aren't. They seem distant, like he's here in the hallway but somewhere else entirely. Part of me wants to press him, but the other half feels like it's not my business, and before I know it, we file into first-period calculus before I can say more.
The chaos doesn't stop in the classroom. A group of guys loudly debate fantasy football trades while the teacher tries in vain to organize her papers. Dahlia claims her seat next to me and immediately starts scribbling doodles on her planner. I watch intently before the teacher has us pull out our notebooks.
As I flip open my notebook, someone leans over my desk. "Hey, Kiara, got any plans for the game Friday?"
I pause, caught off guard, glancing upwards to meet eyes with a boy who has curly brown hair, blue eyes, and acrylic-framed glasses. "Uh..." I fiddle with my pencil, glancing at Dahlia for backup. "No, sorry. I have... um, plans."
Do I have plans? No.
His smile widens, and he leans in a little closer. "Well, if you're free, maybe we could grab something after?"
Oh, no. I can't reject someone. In middle school it was different, like, I could say no thank you and get away with it just fine. High school is different. Some people won't take no for an answer. I've had first-hand experience with that.
A shudder creeps at my spine at unwelcome memories, but I shrug it off. "I have plans with my boyfriend," I mumble, diverting my eyes back to my notebook. The guy doesn't seem to hear me though, since he just walks away with a satisfied grin on his face, leaving Dahlia to nudge me with her pen. "You've got, like, a waiting list. You know that, right?" she says before also adding in a low whisper, "And girl, you have seriously got to get better at standing your ground. I can help you if you want."
I roll my eyes, trying to shake off the lingering awkwardness with a light laugh. "If by waiting list you mean people who want help with their tennis serves, sure," She looks unimpressed, so I quickly add- "...And I might take you up on that offer."
She nods with a satisfied smile and goes to talk with another friend of hers, so my eyes drift to Theo. He's sitting beside me, shoulders slightly hunched as Aadhi whispers something to him, gently resting a hand on his shoulder. A girl from the row in front twirls her red hair obnoxiously, leaning way too far into his personal space.
"Hey, Theo!" The girl says, batting her eyelashes at him. Heat spikes up my neck, and for a second I look away.
Some people don't take no for an answer.
Theo looks up, giving her a polite but detached nod. Even when he's disgruntled, he's still the sweetest person ever. Hey, Hannah, is all he says before looking down once more, absentmindedly plucking a stray string from his white crewneck sweatshirt.
I exhale a breath I didn't realize I was holding. Though we've been at the school for only an hour, several girls approached him, giggling. One girl even asked him for his number, but he somehow wriggled his way out of it. He needs to teach me his ways.
I catch his eye, giving him a sympathetic smile. His eyes light up for a moment, and he smiles back. A real, genuine smile, unlike this morning. I didn't realize I wanted that smile as much as I did.
But when he goes back to that string, he seems...off. The way his fingers tap lightly against his desk screams restless energy.
"Kiara," Dahlia hisses. "You're staring."
I whip my head back to her. "What? No, I'm not."
"You so were. Admit it."
The bell rings before I can deny it again, and calculus blurs into the monotony of photosynthesis and soon the anatomy of a human. By the time the fourth-period bell releases us, the hallway is just as chaotic as before, with the added drama of people shoving through to lunch.
As we walk toward the cafeteria, Dahlia and Aadhi veer off to our table to claim a spot, leaving Theo and me trailing behind.
Someone I barely know tosses a compliment my way—something obnoxious about my tennis uniform—and for a second, I freeze, unsure of how to respond. "Uh...thanks?" I manage, before ducking into the crowded lunch line. Note to self: Do not wear shorts during tryouts.
Theo stands beside me, quiet again. The noise of the cafeteria seems to push him further into his own head, and the urge to nudge him overtakes my protests.
"Are you sure you're OK?" I whisper as I meet my eyes with his green ones, keeping my tone light. He cracks a small smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes before he quickly kisses my cheek. "I'm sure. Just.. really tired." His smile fades away to be replaced with shock. "Oh, my god. I just kissed you in public. Are you OK with that, or, if you aren't, I'll-"
My lips on his get my answer across fairly quickly.
Grabbing a lunch tray and utensils, I pretend like nothing happened, though I can see from my peripheral that his face is bright red, despite the small, genuine grin creeping up on the edges of his lips. "Feeling better?" I mumble as I grab an apple, a small smirk making its way onto my own face.
"Yeah," He says quickly. "Loads."
A/n: I'm so pissed at the author for making me feel this single.
Oh, wait.
*Screams into pillow*
