Episode 5: "Almost, Maybe, Us"
936 Words
The school bus hummed steadily as it made its way back to the city, winding down the same road it had climbed just days ago. The retreat was over, but something had changed—and not just the scenery outside the window.
Aerin sat by the window seat, earphones in, her head leaning gently against the glass. But she wasn’t listening to music.
She was thinking.
About what Raven said last night.
“I never stopped liking you.”
It played in her head like a loop—over and over, until it didn’t feel real anymore.
She turned her head slightly, glancing at the reflection in the window.
Raven sat next to her.
Close—but not touching.
He had offered to sit beside her as soon as they boarded, and surprisingly, she didn’t hesitate. They hadn’t said much since then, but it wasn’t awkward.
It was quiet.
Comfortable.
Safe.
"Are you cold?" he asked suddenly, his voice low so only she could hear.
"A little," she admitted.
He unzipped his hoodie halfway and held it open. “Come here.”
She stared at him, blinking.
He shrugged, a soft smirk forming. “Not gonna bite.”
Aerin hesitated—but only for a moment—then leaned slightly against him, feeling his warmth envelope her like a shield from the outside world.
The bus continued its journey, the forest giving way to city lights.
And for the first time in a long time, Aerin allowed herself to just feel.
Back at school, everything fell back into routine—assignments, quizzes, project deadlines. But beneath the surface of normalcy, something had shifted.
Aerin and Raven didn’t define anything.
They didn’t say, “We’re together.”
They didn’t hold hands in the hallway.
But there were looks. Lingering glances. Little smiles. Shared secrets in crowded rooms.
And that was enough for now.
Mika, of course, noticed immediately.
“So?” she asked one afternoon as they walked to the cafeteria. “Are you guys dating now, or just emotionally entangled in the most confusing slow-burn romance of the year?”
Aerin nearly choked on her bottled water.
“What? No—We’re not—It’s not like that!”
Mika raised an eyebrow. “Girl. You’re glowing.”
“I am not!”
“You are. Raven Alcantara finally admitted he likes you and now you walk like your playlist is made of fairy lights and violin solos.”
Aerin groaned. “We’re just… figuring things out.”
Mika grinned. “Just don’t take too long to figure it out. Some girls are already looking at him like he’s single.”
That thought made something twist in Aerin’s chest. She didn’t like it—but she didn’t say anything either.
Because Mika wasn’t wrong.
The following Friday, it rained.
Not a soft drizzle. A full-on downpour that left the school grounds soaked and the walkways flooded.
Aerin had forgotten her umbrella.
She stood near the front doors of the building, watching the rain pour down like a curtain of silver. Students rushed past her with jackets over their heads, already drenched.
Great.
Her phone buzzed.
[Raven 🖤]: Don’t move. Stay where you are.
Before she could even type a reply, he appeared—completely soaked, holding an umbrella over both of them.
“You walked through the rain for this?” she asked in disbelief.
He shrugged, water dripping from his hoodie. “It’s just rain.”
“You’re soaked.”
“So are you,” he smirked, flicking a drop of water off her cheek.
They laughed.
“Come on,” he said, guiding her under the umbrella. “Let’s get you home.”
And just like that, the world seemed quieter—just the two of them walking together under a single umbrella, the rain fading into the background.
Almost like a dream.
Almost like… love.
They reached Aerin’s gate just as the rain began to ease into a gentle drizzle. Raven closed the umbrella and shook the water off it, glancing at her with a half-smile.
“Thanks,” Aerin said, brushing damp strands of hair from her face.
“For what?”
“For this.” She paused. “For showing up.”
Raven shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.”
“It is to me.”
There was a beat of silence. The kind that felt full—like something was trying to fill the space between them.
Raven looked down at his soaked shoes, then back at her. “Do you ever think about what this is?”
Aerin’s breath caught. “What do you mean?”
“This... us.” He rubbed his neck, suddenly nervous. “We talk like more than friends, but we don’t say it. And I know I’m bad at… defining things. But I don’t want to pretend there’s nothing here.”
Aerin blinked. “There is something.”
He looked at her, hopeful.
“But I’m still scared,” she admitted.
“So am I,” he said. “But maybe it’s worth being scared for.”
The rain fell quietly around them, like the world had paused to listen.
Aerin took a deep breath, heart pounding in her ears. Then she smiled—soft, shy, and genuine.
“Then let’s not rush it,” she whispered. “Let’s just keep walking… one step at a time.”
Raven nodded. “Yeah. One step at a time.”
And just before she opened the gate, he gently reached out—fingers brushing hers.
Not quite holding hands.
But almost.
Almost, maybe… something real.
- Writer
