"The Glances We Didn't Share"
The day after everything happened—the awkwardness, the teasing, the unanswered questions—I noticed something different about him.
He seemed… off.
There was a heaviness in the way he moved, a quiet sadness clouding his eyes every time they passed over me. And I, in all honesty, didn't know what to do. I had ignored him the day before, not out of cruelty, but confusion. My heart had been a tangle of doubt, jealousy, and longing. I didn't know if I was part of the story between him and Blae—or just an accidental extra.
The next morning, I was running late.
Not too late to miss class, but late enough that my heart was already racing when I reached the hallway. Just as I reached the door, I saw him.
He was walking in my direction with his friend Jack, their footsteps echoing lightly down the corridor. I hesitated. I could have walked away, pretended to tie my shoes, anything. But instead, I slipped quietly into the room, hoping they wouldn't notice me.
But they did.
Before I could find a comfortable corner to sit in, they came in—and without hesitation, sat right beside me. I froze. My hands felt cold, my face warm. My mind raced with what-ifs and why-nows.
Just then, as if summoned by the universe itself, my friends arrived. Relief washed over me like a wave. I barely mumbled an excuse before rushing toward them, slipping into the space between them like a bird seeking shelter from a storm.
The rest of the class felt strangely distant.
I kept my gaze fixed on the front, scribbling notes and nodding at everything the teacher said. I didn't look at him, not once. I didn't even try. And he didn't look at me—or if he did, I never noticed. We were inches apart in the same room, but it felt like we were oceans away.
When the bell rang, my friends and I stayed back a little, taking our time to put on our shoes. They were chatting, laughing, carefree. I, on the other hand, was quiet, distracted.
I watched him from the corner of my eye as he walked out.
I thought that was it. He had left. Gone.
But when we stepped outside, I saw him again—just a few steps ahead, standing under the soft sunlight near the front steps of the building. He had his phone in hand, tilting it slightly as he snapped photos of his friends. He was smiling, but not fully.
It wasn't the smile I knew.
For a moment, just a heartbeat, our eyes met again—but this time, I didn't freeze. I blinked once. Then turned away.
Not out of fear.
But because I didn't know how to face all the feelings inside me just yet.
So I ran to catch up with my friends, my heart fluttering in my chest like a secret waiting to be told.
---
What's next?
Maybe the silence would break. Maybe a message would come. Or maybe, just maybe, the universe would give us one more unexpected moment—one more chance to look at each other without fear, and finally say the words we've both been holding back.