Dare to Fall

Chapter XXV

The hallways were starting to clear as students rushed to their classes, the muffled hum of conversation slowly fading. I stood there for a moment longer, Cayden's words echoing in my head. That's not why I'm hanging out with you. He said it so simply, as if it were obvious, but it left me questioning everything I thought I knew about him. About us.

I shook my head, trying to clear the jumble of thoughts threatening to unravel me, and started walking towards my locker. My first class was about to start, and I wasn't ready for the million questions I knew Amelia would throw my way. Not yet.

I grabbed my books, the familiar routine grounding me for a moment. I wasn't sure how to feel. Cayden was the last person I ever imagined would look at me the way he did, with that mix of curiosity and sincerity. It wasn't the kind of attention I'd ever sought. It was unsettling, confusing, but—if I was being honest—something about it also made me feel... alive. And that scared me more than I wanted to admit.

The first bell rang, snapping me out of my head. I stuffed my books into my bag and hurried off to history class. I barely made it to my seat when Amelia dropped into the chair next to me, her wide grin giving away the fact that she'd been waiting for me all morning.

"So," she started, leaning in with that all-too-familiar look of mischief in her eyes. "You and Cayden, huh?"

I groaned internally. Of course she noticed. Amelia noticed everything, especially when it came to me. "What are you talking about?" I tried to play it off, focusing on pulling my notebook out of my bag.

Amelia gave me a look. "Come on, don't pretend like I didn't just see him all wrapped around you in the hallway this morning. Everyone saw."

I sighed, knowing there was no way out of this conversation. "It's not like that."

She raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair. "Sure didn't look like nothing."

Before I could respond, the teacher walked in, saving me from having to explain myself. But I could still feel Amelia's gaze on me, her curiosity practically buzzing in the air between us. I stared down at my notebook, willing myself to focus on the lesson, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Cayden.

Why was he hanging out with me? It wasn't like we ran in the same circles. He could've had any girl in this school, and most of them would jump at the chance. So why me?

The class dragged on, and when the final bell rang, I practically bolted for the door, hoping to avoid more of Amelia's questioning looks. But, of course, she was right on my heels.

"Hey, wait up!" she called, falling into step beside me. "You know you can't just leave me hanging like that."

I let out a frustrated sigh. "There's really nothing to say, Amelia. He gave me a ride to school, that's all."

Amelia narrowed her eyes, clearly not buying it. "And the hand on your shoulder? The way he looks at you? Come on, Hailey, something's going on."

I stopped walking, turning to face her. "I don't know what's going on, okay? I don't. He's just... I don't know." I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of my own confusion. "It's complicated."

Amelia's expression softened, her teasing tone fading. "Hey, I didn't mean to push. I just... I've never seen you like this before."

"Like what?"

She smiled a little. "Like... flustered."

I laughed despite myself. "I'm not flustered."

"Sure," she said, bumping her shoulder into mine. "Whatever you say."