Double Star

12 : Legacy.

PoV Sarah:

The next morning, I hurried out of the house, relieved that my aunt was still asleep. I wasn't ready to face her—not with the key burning a hole in my pocket. The key that had mysteriously appeared on my bed last night. The key that bore my father's name.

What was I supposed to do with it? And why did it exist in the first place?

Noelle's familiar voice called out to me as I entered the school grounds.

"Hey!" she greeted, but there was a hint of unease in her voice.

"Hey," I replied, noting the way students around us were stealing glances and whispering.

"You see the way they're looking at me?" Noelle asked, shifting nervously.

I glanced around. She was right—people weren't just looking. They were staring.

"Oh, I knew this was going to happen," she groaned, her voice shaky.

"It's okay. Just ignore them," I reassured her. But before I could say more, a hand landed on Noelle's shoulder. Noelle turned around, caught off guard.

Tommy Cross, the captain of the rugby team.

His charming smile made Noelle and I exchange quick, wide-eyed looks.

"Hey," he said smoothly.

"Uh... hello?" Noelle's voice was barely above a whisper.

"You really impressed us yesterday," he said, admiration clear in his tone. "I never thought anyone could stand up to Taylor like that."

"Oh, um... thanks." Noelle rubbed the back of her neck, avoiding eye contact.

"So..." Tommy shifted slightly, looking almost—nervous. "Would you, maybe, want to go out with me this Sunday?"

"You and me?" Noelle blinked as if trying to process his words. Tommy nodded.

Noelle stood there, completely frozen, her mouth slightly open in shock. I gave her a firm nudge with my elbow, snapping her out of it.

"Y-yes! Of course! It would be amazing to go out with you! Well, when I say 'go out,' I don't mean like a date-date, it could be as friends or classmates, or—"

I cut her off before she could dig herself deeper.

"What she means is she'd love to go on a date with you," I clarified, throwing her a pointed look.

"Yes! Exactly!" Noelle quickly agreed, her cheeks flushed.

Tommy grinned. "Great. See you Sunday." And with that, he walked away.

The moment he was out of earshot, I turned to her. "I didn't know you had a crush on him."

Noelle looked down, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Me neither."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, fine! I've had a crush on him since primary school," she admitted, practically bouncing with excitement.

"And you kept this to yourself?" I asked, genuinely surprised.

"Well, when you're a kid with braces and your mom calls you her 'fat teddy bear,' you tend to keep these things under wraps," she muttered.

I burst into laughter as we made our way to class.

When we entered the classroom, the same curious stares greeted us. Some students murmured their admiration for Noelle's boldness in standing up to Taylor and Britney, while others remained in their silent, brooding observations.