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Florence tapped her feet impatiently against the gravel road. It had been a while since she was waiting outside her favorite waffle shop. Waiting for Daniel to show up. She pulled out her cell phone and refreshed their chat screen. There were no new messages from him, and the last one still said, ‘I’ll be there.’ She had asked him to meet her there at four o’clock. But now it was twenty minutes past four and he was nowhere in sight. Maybe he wasn’t going to come. Why would he, after all, when she had avoided him for two days, not picking up even one of his 56 calls and responding only after he sent 426 messages? In her defense, she had needed the time to come to terms with what happened, and what it meant, and how it could go from there. She had learnt that being by herself was no help—her brain was constantly thinking of Daniel—and she had to meet him to sort this out. She licked her lips, thinking hard on how she would greet him. How would she even begin addressing the topic? Sh
Luke had never felt worse. He tossed and turned on his dorm bed, the numbness of his chest only increasing in intensity. He wasn’t sure if he was breathing properly. He wasn’t sure if he was breathing at all. Everything was strange—the way the air felt in the room, the way it touched his skin, the way his feet tingled, and the way the pit of his stomach rumbled—but not in hunger. Ruby didn’t remember anything he had said. Of course, she wouldn’t. He had expected that—that being partly the reason he decided to confess in the first place. But it still hurt him, knowing she’d never know his feelings. Because he would never ever gather the courage to speak his heart out again. He could try, perhaps, but what was the point? She liked Caden, and now, after talking to her, he was sure it was more than just a mere crush. She had said so herself. He was to her as he always had been. Her best friend. Luke could be nothing more. He had known it for a long time, and yet every time he reminded
Ruby smeared the tinted lip balm over her lips as she stared at her reflection in the oval mirror. Her sister, Riley, had managed to draw the perfect eyeliner above her eyes. All of this with the silver drop earrings and a maroon ribbed crop top made sure she looked beautiful. She examined herself carefully, wondering if she had overdone that. She had never put much effort before in making herself look pretty; she had believed she looked good without anything on her face and that was enough for her. But now she felt the need to do a little extra. It made her happy, she realized, in surprise. And as much as she tried to not admit the reason behind it, she knew very well why. Caden Miller had her doing things she never imagined she’d do. What was the purpose though?Was she trying to actively get him to be hers? No, that was silly. All she needed was a glance, a smile perhaps. That’d be enough. She slapped her forehead. What was wrong with her? Her cheeks flushed red as she recalled
Caden would break her heart, just as she had broken his. If he couldn’t be harsh with his actions, he’d be merciless with his words.Paige had always maintained an air of innocence. Though Caden was perceptive enough to see through it, he’d never truly accepted her flaws. He was so infatuated that he was ready to forgive anything she did against him.But he had suffered far too long. He had to let her go. For his own good.Caden unplugged his earphones and placed them on the bench where he had just been sitting. He stood firm, his arms folded across his chest.Paige’s smile faded as she approached him. Of course, she’d sensed his anger. Or perhaps it was his clenched jaw that gave it away. “Caden,” she murmured his name with an innocent tone.How could she pretend even now? Did she think he hadn’t seen what she had done? That he’d been blind to her actions? He began, his voice cold and cutting, “Say what you have to say, Paige. Because once you’re done, I’m never giving you a chance to
Six days into the term break, Ruby had started to feel restless. She had never spent so much of her time inside the house, not since she had first left for her boarding school. Riley had kept her company in the evenings upon returning from work. They watched teen dramas together, getting stuffed on popcorn as Riley gossiped about her co-workers. While Ruby’s days were spent immersed in the pile of books she owned—reading about bad boys that turned good for the girls they fell in love with; grey characters that struggled with making decisions; and why the stars were something to be fascinated about endlessly. The feeling was odd because she had always believed she enjoyed her own company. She’d never felt the need to be around other humans. It was because she missed school. She missed being on her toes with all the homework and classwork and assignments and presentations. She missed being surrounded by Olivia, Luke, Florence… and Caden. Although she had made up her mind to speak to C
Florence smiled against Daniel’s lips as he leaned in across his seat to kiss her. Something that started off as a soft peck on her lips made her heart flutter in a way that she found herself, pulling him closer by grabbing the collar of his shirt. “Woah,” he voiced, giving into the kiss. When Florence pulled apart, she was just fine, but Daniel was breathing hard. He blinked slowly twice, and from the look on his face, Florence knew she had sent him back to heaven and brought him right back into her car. They had been on their way back from Willowbrook’s second football match in the inter school championship. This one had ended on a high note—everyone had been holding their breath up until the last few seconds when Luke had thrown in the winning goal. Somewhere along the way, she had found herself unable to hold back—Daniel had been looking way too cute lately and all she wanted to do was kiss his face all day. Now as they sat staring at each other, the night quiet outside, an exc
Daniel’s mother opened the front door of the house. Her eyes widened the moment she saw Florence’s distraught face, but she quickly bit her lip and offered a smile. “Oh, hello, dear. Come inside. Dinner’s ready.”Florence tried her best to stretch her lips into a smile, but she failed terribly and could only cry. Daniel was supportive, guiding her in, his arm still protectively wrapped around her. He told his mom, “Can you bring our food upstairs?”“Of course,” his mother said, nodding. “Give me just a minute.”He guided Florence up the stairs, although she didn’t need it. Florence had been frequently visiting Daniel’s house ever since she was a baby. They had been playschool mates because their mothers had been childhood friends. However, the stark change in Florence’s mother’s behavior over the last few years had clearly affected her relationship with Daniel’s mother as well. The moment Florence stepped inside Daniel’s room, a question struck her mind. “Does your mom know that we’
Ruby realized with clammy fingers that tomorrow was the day as the tip of the red pen smoothly completed the cross mark in the tiny square of the calendar. She had run out of time to prepare, feeling the weight of anticipation settling upon her.The impending arrival of tomorrow consumed Ruby's thoughts, causing her heart to race and her stomach to churn with anxiety. Despite having carefully considered this day throughout the past week, her nerves threatened to drive her to madness as it drew near. The absence of her friends, who had chosen to continue their education at her former boarding school, only worsened her unease. Even Luke, her close companion, would not be there.Glancing at the untouched glass of warm milk her mother had placed on the bedside table hours ago, Ruby noted its transformation into a cold liquid mirroring the raindrops against her window. The thought of its taste made her cringe, and she abandoned the book in her hands, too weary to continue reading. Trying t