Interlude
245 Words
Days turned into weeks, and Crestwood High slipped into its usual rhythm—assignments, laughter, and whispered hallway drama.
But something had quietly changed for Aria Linton.
It wasn’t love. Not yet.
It was the way her heartbeat sped up when Taylor’s name popped up in a group chat, or how her stomach fluttered when she caught him sketching during lunch.
He didn’t talk to her much anymore—just polite “hi”s and half-smiles—but that only made her notice him more.
Sometimes she’d see him with Selly, their heads bent close over a shared joke, and she’d force herself to look away.
“You okay?” Ursula asked one afternoon, finding Aria doodling aimlessly on her notebook.
“Yeah,” Aria said too quickly. “Just tired.”
Ursula smiled knowingly. “You’ve been tired a lot lately. Especially when Taylor’s around.”
Aria groaned. “Please don’t start.”
“Fine,” Ursula said, laughing softly. “But if you’re not careful, he’s going to walk right past you again.”
That night, Aria couldn’t sleep.
The rain had started again, soft and steady outside her window, tapping the rhythm of her thoughts.
She opened her sketchbook and began to draw—a silhouette with messy hair and tired eyes. It looked like him, even though she’d never admit it out loud.
And when she closed the book, she whispered to herself,
> “Maybe I should’ve said
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- Writer
