Chapter 14:
The next morning arrived with the soft rustling of leaves and distant hum of early traffic.
"Got everything?" Rachel asked, tightening her small ponytail.
"Yes, ma'am," Millie replied with a half-salute and a sleepy smile.
As they stepped outside, they spotted Ted closing the door of his house just across the street. Millie waved first.
"Hey, Teddy!"
Ted raised an eyebrow. "Back to 'Teddy', huh?"
"You were always Teddy," Millie grinned. "Don't act new."
Ted chuckled. "Right. I believe you."
"Where's Alex?" she asked.
"He's still getting ready. Probably arguing if he should go to school or not."
While they exchanged words, Ted and Rachel kept stealing glances at each other. They both opened their mouths at the same time.
"Hey—"
"Sorry—"
"You first—"
Millie blinked between them, then burst out laughing. "Awkward." She slipped between them, linking their arms. "Let's just go, you weirdos."
At School
"Morning," Liz said as they arrived.
"Hey! You're always here before everyone," Millie noted, dropping her bag onto her desk.
"I come early to study," Liz replied simply.
"You're already first in every test," Millie groaned. "Why so serious?"
"I'm going to be a lawyer."
"Yeah, but you're sixteen. You need to live a little. After being sick, I realized you have to enjoy everything. We should plan something for summer."
Liz hesitated, caught off guard. "I… I'll see. I'll ask my mom."
"Did someone say summer?" Pamela's voice practically sang across the classroom.
She twirled into the conversation without missing a beat. "That's my favorite time of year! We have to go to the beach. Or maybe the amusement park? And we'll totally watch a movie—great for our countryside vs. city assignment too."
She turned to Liz with a dazzling smile. "You're Liz, right? You're definitely coming. It'll be so much fun!"
Liz and Millie barely got a word in before Pamela began inviting others around the room. Excitement buzzed in the air like static.
Then the door opened again. Alex walked in with his earphones still in, looking half-asleep.
"Al!" Pamela chirped. "You're late! Should I start waking you up in the morning?"
"Don't even think about it," Alex muttered, brushing past her toward his seat.
"But that would be perfect marriage practice!" she added with a giggle, bouncing beside him and clinging to his arm.
"Pam, it's too early for this," he sighed. "Let me sit down."
"Okayyy~" She backed off slightly but didn't go far.
"Morning," Alex said, this time to Millie.
Millie met his eyes, surprised. "Good morning."
"You okay?"
"Yeah, nothing to worry about." She waved her hands quickly, avoiding too much eye contact.
He turned to Pamela, already sensing the whirlwind of words about to hit him. "Now… what do you want?"
"We were talking about summer!" Pamela chirped again. "It's the perfect time to explore the city and finish our assignment."
Alex blinked slowly. "Okay… Get to the point."
Pamela clapped her hands. "So we're going to the movies, an amusement park, and the beach!".
Alex blinked at the growing excitement around him. More students had gathered, buzzing about summer plans and ideas for their project. It was chaos wrapped in laughter.
"I'm not going," Alex said flatly, tugging one earbud out.
Pamela pouted immediately. "But we have to go. You have to. Do it for me, please? I want to do it with you."
He glanced at her, expression unreadable. "I'll think about it."
Her eyes lit up like fireworks. "For real? You're coming?"
"I didn't say that."
She leaned closer, grinning like she'd already won. "I know you so well, my Al. When you say I'll think about it, it means yes."
Alex looked around at the hopeful faces staring back at him—Millie, Liz, and some classmates.
He sighed, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Fine."
Pamela squealed. "Yay! I knew it."
She turned to the others with her arms stretched out dramatically. "I'll let everyone know—it's going to be so much fun! I can't wait!"
Alex sat back down, pulling his earbud in with a sigh.
Summer hadn't even started, and it was already exhausting.
Gymnasium
The squeak of sneakers echoed in the gym as the students gathered at center court.
"Alright, everyone! Today we're playing a match—Team Blue and Team Red," the gym teacher barked. "Pick your captains and teammates."
Pamela's hand shot up, her voice carrying like a bell. "I vote for Alex, sir!"
Several classmates murmured in agreement—some because Pamela suggested it, others because, well, it was Alex.
"Fine," the teacher nodded. "Alex, you're captain of Blue. And the Red team?"
"We're voting Eliot!" someone called out.
The teams quickly formed, Pamela skipping over to Alex's group, flashing her brightest smile. Liz ended up on Red, while Millie quietly lingered near the benches.
"You'll sit this one out," the gym teacher told her kindly. "You can watch from the side."
Millie forced a small nod, clutching her notebook like a shield. She was disappointed, but this wasn't new. Watching had become her role.
As the match began, she rested her chin on her palms, eyes tracking the blur of movement across the court. Alex seemed… different here. Confident. Every step, every pass—it all looked effortless, natural.
How come I never saw this side of him before? she wondered, her heart fluttering unexpectedly. He definitely has more presence than Ted… Maybe I actually enjoy watching from—
Her thought was cut short.
The ball hurtled toward her, a rogue missile from the court. She didn't have time to flinch before it smacked into her temple.
Crack!
Millie's world tilted. She saw nothing but swirling white light before everything went dark.
"Millie!"
Alex was there in an instant. He dropped to his knees beside her, panic flashing in his sharp eyes.
"Millie? Millie! Can you hear me?" His voice was low but urgent as he gently patted her cheeks. "Open your eyes—look at me."
Liz rushed over. "Is she—"
"She's breathing," Alex muttered, already moving. He scooped her up effortlessly, cradling her as though she weighed nothing, and stood with grim determination.
"I'm taking her to the infirmary," he called over his shoulder.
"Go," the gym teacher nodded quickly. "With her condition, don't waste time."
The girl who had passed the ball stood frozen, her hands trembling. "I… I didn't mean to—"
"It's okay," a classmate whispered, squeezing her arm. "You didn't know. Just pray she's alright. Pray it didn't… make things worse."
Pamela stood rooted to the spot, her usual brightness dimmed. Her lips parted, but no words came out as she watched Alex hurry out with Millie in his arms—his face tight with worry she'd never seen on him before.
What's going on? Why… Why does he look like that?
And for the first time, Pamela felt the uncomfortable sting of being completely, utterly out of the loop.