Ruby POV
I never thought I'd be the kind of girl who had a "group."The kind that sat around a cafeteria table like it was their inherited kingdom. The kind who shared fries without asking. Who knew each other's allergies and shoe sizes. Who took up space like they belonged there.
I was always the satellite—hovering, orbiting, quietly admiring the glow of other people's suns.
But now… now it was different.
Now I had Becky on one side, Felix on the other, and Sam Walker directly across from me—eating from my mom's packed lunch like it was the most normal thing in the world.
And that terrified me.
And thrilled me.
And made me want to burst into stars and scatter myself all over the floor.
The shift had been slow. Soft. Like water finding its way through cracked stone.First came the food court. Then her visit when I was sick. Then, in the afternoon when we ended up sitting together at lunch because Becky pulled Felix into a heated debate about glitter glue being superior to stickers.
Now, it was almost… routine.
Sam didn't sit with Alex anymore.Or, well, Alex didn't sit with her. He'd shrug it off like it didn't matter—but even he had stopped joking about her "glow" lately.
And today, Sam slid into the seat across from me like she'd been doing it her whole life.
"Your mom makes magic," she said between bites of homemade dumplings.
I blinked. "You say that every time."
"Because it's true every time."
Her praise made my chest flutter—and not in that dramatic swoony way people describe in books. It was quieter. Deeper. Like something aching inside me was finally being seen and held.
Becky bumped her shoulder into mine and smirked knowingly. "Careful, Ruby. At this rate, Sam's going to start rating your mom's food like it's a Michelin menu."
Sam grinned. "Too late. I'm thinking of starting a food blog: Dine with the Janes."
Felix pretended to gag. "You're all obsessed. Where's the love for cafeteria nachos, huh?"
"No one wants food poisoning, Felix," Becky replied.
They kept talking.
I kept watching.
Sam had always been beautiful to me. Even from afar.But this version of her—the one who laughed with her mouth full, who elbowed Felix over the last piece of tofu, who complimented Becky's homemade hair clips like they were runway accessories—was something else entirely.
She was real.
Not a dream. Not a symbol. Not the girl I watched from hallways and turned away from when her shadow grew too long.
She was here.
And I didn't know what to do with that.
I had spent so long convincing myself that I was just another background blur in Sam's life. Someone who observed, admired, scribbled anonymous confessions behind pink paper like a coward.
But now…
Now she looked at me.
Now she said my name like it tasted nice in her mouth.
Now she laughed when I muttered something under my breath and leaned closer like she didn't want to miss a word.
How do you hold yourself steady when the person you've dreamed about for years suddenly becomes part of your reality?
You don't.
You just pray you don't explode.
Later that day, the four of us stayed behind after school.Becky wanted to finish the props for the upcoming festival, and Felix was in charge of spray paint (a decision none of us fully supported). I offered to help, mostly to stay near them. Sam stayed, too. Just because.
"I'm terrible at crafts," she warned.
"You're good at bossing people around, though," Becky said. "Be useful."
Sam rolled her eyes but smiled, and suddenly, she was perched next to me at the table, legs brushing mine.
Every cell in my body went still.
"Which color looks better for the stars?" she asked, holding up gold and silver.
I glanced between them.
She was looking at me.
Waiting for my opinion.
My mouth was dry. "Uh… gold. Feels warmer."
"Yeah," she said. "That's what I thought too."
My heart squeezed.
Because I knew—knew—that if Becky had said silver, Sam would've nodded and agreed.
But she didn't.
She asked me.
And she smiled like my answer mattered.
We worked until the sky outside the window turned soft and dusky. The classroom smelled like glue sticks and cheap glitter. Felix accidentally sprayed half his hand blue and claimed it was a symbol of artistic suffering.
By the time we cleaned up, I was bone tired but weirdly happy.
We walked out as a unit—four shadows stretching across the pavement. Sam walked next to me again. Our arms didn't touch, but I could feel the static, like the nearness was rewriting my skin.
She tilted her head and asked, "Hey, you free Saturday?"
My stomach did somersaults. "Uh… maybe. Why?"
"There's this art exhibit downtown. I saw flyers near the library. Thought you might like it."
I blinked. "You… thought of me?"
She shrugged. "Well, you're always drawing stuff. And I figured you'd appreciate someone smearing paint on walls better than I would."
Felix coughed dramatically from behind us. "Did I hear that right? Sam Walker is asking someone out?"
Sam turned and socked him lightly in the arm. "It's not like that."
"Sure it's not," Becky said, linking arms with me and winking.
Sam looked at me again. "Anyway. Let me know."
I nodded, trying not to look like my brain had stopped functioning.
"I will."
That night, I sat in bed with the lights off.
Phone in hand. Music playing low.
My heart still hadn't calmed down.
I thought about Sam. Her smile. The way she watched my face when I talked. The way her voice got softer when she spoke directly to me.
This couldn't be real.
I had spent so long pushing her to the edge of my world, convinced she belonged in a place I could never reach. I wrote her letters because I thought it was the only way she'd ever hear me. I never expected her to see me.
But she did.
Or at least… she was starting to.
And I didn't know if I was ready.
But I wanted to be.
So badly.
The next day, when she sat next to me again at lunch, I didn't flinch.
I didn't turn away.
I smiled.
And for the first time… I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, I could belong in her orbit too.
Later that night — Group Chat: 'Goblin Lounge 💀'Becky, Felix, Ruby
Felix:SOOOOOOO… someone's got a date 👀💅
Becky:Shut up, you idiot. It's not a date.…but also… it's definitely a date.
Ruby:IT'S NOT A DATEShe just invited me because of the art.
Felix:Sure. And I once painted a goat in art class because I liked anatomy.
Becky:That was a nightmare goat.Back to the point—are you going?
Ruby:I'm thinking.I mean. I want to.But like. What if I pass out from heart pressure???
Felix:Then we'll bury you with honor. "She died loved." 🪦
Ruby:I'm serious, you jerks.
Becky:Okay okay. You don't have to decide now.But you should go. You've wanted this for ages.
Felix:Also, if she tries to make a move, text us 911. I'll parachute in through the ceiling.
Becky:We'll keep an eye on her. From a safe undercover distance.
Ruby:What does that even mean???
Felix:Nothing. 👀Don't worry about it.
I closed the chat, cheeks burning, heart racing.
I wasn't ready for this.
But I wanted to be.
[End of Chapter 18: Us Four]
They say stars burn quietly before they shine. Maybe this was that—a quiet burning.A gentle becoming.And somehow, we were becoming… us.