March 23 – Morning / St. Ivy High
The Goodbye
"Thanks for the tea," Amaya said softly, her voice barely louder than the click of the door as she stepped into her shoes.
Jay stood in the entryway, hand resting against the doorframe. "going?"
She gave him a soft look. "yes, If I don't, I might never leave."
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "That sounds like a good problem."
Her cheeks flushed. "Maybe another time."
He opened the door for her.
The hallway light flickered once before going still.
She turned, looked up at him. "You're really back, huh?"
"I guess," he said.
She gave a tiny nod, then stepped out.
And just like that—she was gone.
The Couch and the Thought
Jay sat back down on the couch.
The cushions were still warm where Amaya had been sitting.
The room was quiet. Not uncomfortable—just still. The kind of stillness that made you hear things you normally ignored.
He stared at the ceiling.
Everything feels the same.
The apartment.
The school.
The people.
Even the way Tyler complains and Sofia flirts and Emma—
He stopped that thought before it finished.
But it lingered.
They all feel the same. But I don't.
That was the strange part.
It wasn't them who changed.
It was him.
The way he looked at the walls. The way silence no longer scared him. The way someone's presence felt heavier now—even if they didn't say anything at all.
He rubbed his eyes, stood, and went to get ready.
The Girl at Her Desk
Next Day
Emma sat with her chin in her palm; eyes fixed on the empty seat in last.
Jay's seat.
He hadn't arrived yet.
Her notebook was open. Page blank. Pencil held just above the margin but unmoving.
She wasn't writing.
She was thinking.
Why did I hug him?
It wasn't like her.
Not logical.
Not calculated.
Just… impulse.
And the worst part?
It felt right.
Which made it worse.
What had he thought about it? Did he think she was being weird? Or worse—did he think it didn't mean anything?
Her eyes flicked toward the door.
Still no Jay.
Her heart was pounding in a way that annoyed her.
Control, Emma. You're the rational one. The composed one.
Except yesterday, she hadn't been either of those things.
The Reunion (Part Two)
Jay stepped into the classroom with five minutes to spare.
His hair was slightly tousled. His tie wasn't knotted all the way up. And yet, he looked like he belonged exactly where he was.
Emma's eyes shot down to her desk instantly.
Jay paused beside her, then slid into his seat without a word.
Silence.
She felt the heat rising in her ears.
He turned to her slowly.
"Morning," he said, gently.
She glanced up, nodded once. "Morning."
Another beat.
He opened his mouth to say something else—but the bell rang.
She turned sharply to face the front, cutting off the moment like a scalpel.
Jay blinked.
What was that?
The Fluster
The first period passed in a haze.
Emma couldn't concentrate.
Not because of the lesson. But because she could feel him there.
Sitting. Breathing. Occasionally glancing at her.
She hated that it made her flustered.
She hated that one simple hug had unravelled weeks of composure.
And she hated most of all that she kept replaying it in her mind.
His voice. His warmth. The way he didn't pull away.
She scribbled something in the margin of her notes just to distract herself.
Jay, on the other hand, was just confused.
He kept trying to catch her eye. To say something simple. Light. Normal.
But every time he turned, she'd already looked away.
Enter the Chaos
Second period break arrived.
And Sofia pounced.
She leaned over Emma's desk, grinning like she'd just found buried treasure. "SOOO... did something happen?"
Emma stiffened. "What?"
Sofia smirked. "Don't play innocent. You've been jumpier than a rom-com protagonist."
Emma turned a shade redder. "You're imagining things."
Sofia spun around and perched herself dramatically on Jay's desk, crossing her legs like she was on stage.
"Jay," she said sweetly.
He looked up. "Hmm?"
"Did something... romantic... happen yesterday?"
Emma coughed violently.
Jay blinked. "Define romantic?"
Sofia leaned in. "Oh, don't play dumb. You have that quiet, brooding face on today. Which means something happened."
He smiled faintly. "Maybe I just missed you."
She grinned wider. "Careful. You flirt like that and I'll start thinking I'm special."
"You're already special," Jay said casually, leaning back in his chair.
Emma rolled her eyes so hard she nearly fell over.
Sofia noticed—and doubled down.
She leaned even closer to Jay, resting her elbow on his desk. "You know, I had a dream about you once."
"Oh?" Jay tilted his head. "Was I charming in it?"
Sofia's eyes twinkled. "You were shirtless in it."
Jay blinked. "That track."
Emma slammed her notebook closed. "You two are insufferable."
The Crack
The bell rang again.
Jay sat back in his chair, letting out a slow breath.
Sofia had retreated, victorious. Emma was visibly annoyed. And Jay?
He was still trying to make sense of everything.
He wanted to talk to Emma.
He wanted to ask what that hug meant.
But she was guarded again.
And it wasn't something he could force.
As the teacher entered and the class began to settle, Jay looked over one last time.
Emma didn't return the glance.
But he saw the corner of her notebook.
One line scribbled messily, almost like she didn't mean to write it.
"Why did I do that?"