I woke up smiling.
The warmth of last night's dream lingering like a second skin. Soshan's kiss replayed in my mind—soft, unexpected, but everything I never knew I craved. For a moment, I just lay there, eye closed, trying to stay in that dream world where everything made sense. Where I didn't have to explain myself. Where her touch was enough.
The thought of school felt like a rude interruption. Still, not even Monday's gray skies or the shrill alarm could dampen my mood. I hummed as I got ready, choosing my favorite hoodie, the one that somehow makes me feel both comfortable and brave.
We met at our usual spot by the lockers, and I was still grinning like someone who'd just been told their crush liked them back—which technically, wasn't far from the truth. it didn't take long for my friends to notice.
"Okay what's going on?" Nomi said, squinting at me suspiciously. "you've been smiling since you got here. Who's the guy?"
"Yeah", added Nova nudging me with a smirk. "You've got that 'i—just—got—texted—good—morning—by—a—boy—i—like' look. "Spill."
I opened my locker, trying to hide the way my cheeks warmed. I knew the question was innocent—based on history. Every time I show a hint of butterflies before, it had been about a boy. They thought.
But this time was different.so different that I wasn't even sure how to explain it.
I just smiled, closed my locker, and turned to them with a shrug that was more of a tease than an answer.
It's….complicated I said, leaving it hanging in the air like a mystery.
They both groaned in frustration, but I could feel their curiosity simmering.
And maybe that was the moment it started—the quiet build-up to a truth I hadn't said out loud yet. The moment before the reveal. The story before the shift. Because the butterflies I'd been smiling about? They didn't come from a guy.
And that made all the difference .
Just as Nomi raised an eyebrow, clearly about to press me further, the shrill sound of the bell cut through the hallway like divine intervention.
"Ugh saved by the bell," I muttered under my breath, grabbing my books with a smirk.
"You are not off the hook," Nova called after me, pointing dramatically as I slipped into the current of students flooding the corridors. I glanced back once and offered a smug grin, but inside my heart was still dancing to the rhythm of yesterday's kiss.
The day moved fast, but not without chaos. One class bled into the next—pop quizzes, half understood lectures, and the unmistakable buzz of a normal school daybuzz of a normal school day wrapping around me like a too—tight jacket I had time to check my phone, let alone catch my breath.
It wasn't until lunch that I finally found my back to our usual table in the courtyard, tray in hand, head buzzing. My friends were already there buzzing. My friends were already there half—slumped over their food like wilted plants in the sun.
"Someone tell me why math is still a thing" Nova groaned, face buried in his arms.
Nomi stabbed at her salad like it had personally offended her "Because suffering builds character."
I sat down, still glowing a little on the inside, but their exhaustion was contagious. Any spark of curiosity they had earlier had been completely swallowed by the drag of the day.