The words that was left unsaid

Chapter 3

The next morning, Rue found herself at school, the usual hum of chatter and footsteps filling the halls as students milled between classes. Her mind was still tangled with the memory of last night—Cara's soft cheek against hers, the unexpected tenderness in the way they'd said goodbye.

Rue had replayed the moment over and over in her head, wondering if it meant anything more than the usual affection Clara showed her, or if it was just a fleeting, unintentional gesture.

Her locker creaked open with a familiar groan as she reached it, the noise grounding her in the present moment. Rue shoved a few notebooks into her bag, her movements automatic, when she heard a soft voice behind her.

"Hey,Rue".

She turned quickly, startled, and there stood Cara, leaning against the locker next to hers, looking effortlessly casual in a loose hoodie and jeans. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and the faintest trace of sleep still clung to her eyes, but she looked... radiant. Like always.

"Cara!" Rue said a little too sharply, quickly clearing her throat. Smooth, she thought, trying to shake off the tension in her chest.

Cara smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "You okay? You look like you're about to fall asleep standing up," she teased, but there was something gentle in her tone.

Rue let out a small, nervous laugh, trying to play it off. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired." She closed her locker a little too forcefully, then glanced up, meeting Cara's eyes. "Didn't expect you to be here so early."

Cara shrugged nonchalantly. "I've got a free period first, so I thought I'd hang out. Got any plans today?".

Rue felt her stomach tighten at the question, but she forced a smile. "Nothing much. Just the usual," she replied, adjusting the strap on her backpack. The usual. It wasn't the usual when Cara was standing in front of her, looking like she could destroy Rue with just one of those smiles.

Cara leaned against the lockers, a little closer this time, the faint scent of her perfume drifting toward Rue. Cara's voice lowered a little. "You seemed... different last night. You know, after the coffee shop." Her eyes darted away briefly, as if she was choosing her words carefully. "Is everything okay?".

Rue's heart skipped. Last night. The brief, almost electric touch, the unspoken things that had hung in the air. Cara's curiosity was making her nervous. What if she knew something Rue didn't?

"Yeah, I'm just... tired," Rue said quickly, hoping to steer the conversation away from anything more personal. She busied herself with her bag again, her fingers trembling slightly as she stuffed another book inside.

Cara didn't seem convinced. "Okay, but if you ever wanna talk, you know I'm here," she said softly, leaning just a little bit closer. "You can tell me anything."

Rue felt her chest tighten, her breath catching in her throat. Anything. It wasn't that Rue didn't trust Cara—she did, more than anyone. But it wasn't just the surface-level stuff she wanted to share. It was everything—all the feelings she'd buried deep inside her, all the love she'd quietly kept locked away for years.

But she couldn't say that. Not yet.

"Thanks," Rue muttered, her voice soft. She took a deep breath, then forced herself to look Cara in the eye. "I guess... I guess I've just been thinking a lot about stuff, you know? Life and... things."

Cara smiled, her eyes full of that familiar warmth. "Yeah, I get that," she said, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "I'm the same way. Sometimes, I just need to clear my head."

Rue nodded absently, her heart racing again. Every time Cara looked at her like that, every time their eyes met, Rue felt like she was standing on the edge of something she couldn't define. Was it just friendship? Or was it something more? The lines between them were blurring, and Rue wasn't sure how to navigate it.

Cara's voice pulled her back to the moment. "You doing anything after school?" she asked, her tone casual but laced with that subtle hope Rue couldn't quite ignore.

Rue hesitated. The old Rue, the one who liked to hide away in the corners, would have said no, would have offered up an excuse to retreat. But something about Cara's presence made her want to say yes, to step out of her own comfort zone.

"Uh, maybe we could hang out?" Rue suggested, her voice almost shy. "I don't know, we could grab dinner or... something?"

Cara's face lit up immediately, her smile infectious. "Yes, I'd love that," she said, a spark of excitement in her eyes. "It's a date then. I'll text you later?".

Rue felt a flutter in her chest at the word date. She knew Cara didn't mean it the way Rue's heart was interpreting it, but still... it lingered in the air between them, a quiet invitation that felt both exhilarating and terrifying.

"Yeah," Rue said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's a date."

Cara winked before turning to walk down the hall, her energy lighting up the space around her. Rue stood frozen for a second, watching her go, her mind racing. What did all of this mean? Was this just a normal hangout between best friends? Or was Cara feeling something too?.

Rue shook her head, trying to make sense of everything. She couldn't keep living in the unknown, caught between what she felt and what Cara might feel. But for now, she had a date—however small, however innocent it seemed—to look forward to.

And for Rue, that was enough... at least for today.