The First Look 💖

The First Look- Part 8

The next day didn’t feel the same.

Sarah noticed it the moment she walked into class.

Something was off.

Samuel was already there, sitting in his usual seat—but instead of looking up or smiling like he always did, his eyes were fixed on his phone.

She paused for a second, confused.

Was he just tired?

Shaking off the feeling, she walked to her seat, glancing at him again. Still nothing.

No smile. No eye contact.

Her chest tightened slightly.

Throughout the day, things only felt… stranger.

Whenever she tried to catch his attention, he seemed distracted. Distant.

At lunch, instead of sitting with her under the tree like they always did, Samuel was across the yard… laughing.

With someone else.

A girl.

Sarah didn’t recognize her.

The way they were talking… it wasn’t just casual. They looked comfortable. Close.

Too close.

Sarah quickly looked away, her appetite suddenly gone.

“Who is that?” she whispered to herself.

A strange feeling settled in her chest—one she didn’t like.

Jealousy.

She tried to ignore it.

Maybe it was nothing.

Maybe she was overthinking.

But later that day, as she packed her bag to leave, she felt a presence beside her.

It was him.

“Hey,” Samuel said.

Sarah looked up, forcing a small smile.

“Hey.”

There was a pause.

Not the comfortable kind they used to have.

An awkward one.

“I didn’t see you at lunch,” he said.

Sarah blinked, surprised. “I was there.”

“Oh.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I guess I didn’t notice.”

That hurt more than she expected.

Before she could respond, the same girl from earlier walked up beside him.

“Samuel, are you coming?” she asked, smiling.

Sarah’s heart sank.

Samuel glanced between the two of them. “Uh… yeah, I’m coming.”

He looked back at Sarah. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

She nodded, even though something inside her didn’t feel okay at all.

“Yeah… later.”

As she watched him walk away with the girl, laughing again like nothing had changed, Sarah felt that same tight feeling in her chest grow stronger.

Maybe things weren’t as simple as she thought.

Maybe “together” wasn’t as certain as it felt yesterday.

And for the first time…

Sarah wasn’t sure where she stood anymore.