It had been a little over a week since the beach. Not a lot of time, but enough for unspoken words and heavy silences to start weighing on them. The air between Saval and Semiel wasn't hostile, but it was thick — like every gesture had to be made with care. Nothing had happened again. And even though they talked, it wasn't like before. Something had broken — or maybe changed.
Semiel felt it. He knew it, but didn't say anything.
Saval, on his end, seemed more focused. He'd thrown himself back into studying with a discipline Mia didn't hesitate to praise when she saw him in the library.
—Wow, you're even highlighting stuff! —she said, sitting across from him with a smile. She had a frappé in one hand and her hair tied up with a colorful clip.
—It's either that or failing ethics again —he replied without looking up.
Mia watched him for a moment, with that sharp look she only gave when trying to figure something out.
—You guys haven't talked, huh? You can tell things are off.
Saval let go of his highlighter case. Took a second before answering.
—Not like before.
—I noticed. And Semiel… he's not the same.
—I know.
Mia took a sip of her frappé before speaking again.
—I was thinking of organizing something. Just a small get-together before finals. With George, David, you guys. Nothing big. Just to unplug for a bit.
Saval nodded. Not too excited, but didn't say no either. The last thing he wanted was to give Mia a reason to insist.
I know I said I wouldn't drift away, but it's hard, Semiel.
…The gathering was on a Friday afternoon at Mia's place. George brought beers and David
showed up with a bag full of unhealthy snacks. Xavier, interestingly, wasn't invited. Not because they forgot — it was a choice. No one really liked the way he slipped into conversations like he always knew more than he let on.
Semiel showed up late. He knocked with his knuckles, and Mia opened the door with a soft smile.
—Hey, Semiel.
—Hey.
They hugged briefly. It wasn't long, but it was warm. Inside, Saval glanced up.
—Hey —Semiel said, throwing the greeting out to the whole room.
David greeted him with a peace sign. George gave a quick "yo" from the kitchen. Saval didn't say anything. Just looked back down at the drink can in his hand.
For the first hour, things flowed. Mia had put on soft music, and George was telling stories about the film class he took just to pass something easy. David, as always, listened more than he talked, but when he did speak, it was either funny enough to get laughs or deep enough to make people go quiet.
Semiel stayed polite. Not cold, but clearly not comfortable. He kept glancing at Saval, hoping for eye contact, a sign — anything. But Saval had gotten good at dodging that.
Until Mia, without meaning to, played a song they'd listened to at the beach.
—Oh no —muttered Semiel under his breath.
Saval tensed up.
—I'll change it if you want —said Mia, catching the reaction.
—No. It's fine —they both replied at the same time, and that made them look at each other for the first time that night.
It lasted a second. Just one. But it was loaded with history.
David noticed it. As a psychologist, he had become an expert in reading those kinds of moments. And though he said nothing at the time, he made a mental note.
The rest of the night went by relatively calmly. Semiel chatted a bit with George about video games. Saval retreated to a corner with Mia, who tried to pull some emotional confession out of him —without much success.
When the gathering ended, David offered to drive Semiel home.
—I'll drop you off. It's on my way.
Semiel accepted.
During the drive, they talked about trivial things. A show they both watched, the traffic, and other bits. But when they reached a red light near Semiel's place, David said:
—You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but… did he hurt you?
Semiel turned his head, confused.
—I'm talking about Saval.
Silence filled the car for a few seconds. The light was still red.
—No. It wasn't that. He just… told me the truth. And I was expecting something else.
David nodded.
—Expecting isn't a bad thing. But it hurts when it doesn't come true.
Semiel looked at him again, this time with a hint of relief.
—Thanks.
David smiled.
—Whenever you want to talk, I'm here, you know.
The light turned green, and the car kept moving in silence.
…
Saval, meanwhile, walked home. Mia had offered him a ride, but he needed some air. He wanted to walk so he could think clearly.
He knew Semiel was hurt. Had been since the beach. And even though he didn't regret being honest, he couldn't help feeling like something inside him had gotten hurt, too.
He wanted to text him. Something simple. A —Did you get home okay?— But he didn't. He put his phone away and kept walking under the city sky, which was starting to fill with stars.
This was the beginning of what was to come. With pauses, wounds, and maybe even new beginnings.