Rewritten in Her Eyes

III. Between Statutes and Secrets

The air in the school courtyard hung thick and heavy with the scent of freshly cut grass and teenage angst. Kian slowed his pace, his gaze fixed on the sprawling oak tree that stood like a silent sentinel beside the brick building. There, bathed in dappled sunlight, was Samuel. And next to him, a girl Kian didn't recognize. A knot tightened in his stomach.

He knew, logically, it could be innocent. Maybe it was a tutoring session gone outdoors, or a simple chat with a classmate. But something about the way Samuel leaned in, the way the girl giggled, felt…off.

He pulled out his phone, his thumb hovering over Brielle's name, then hesitating. No, jumping to conclusions would be the worst thing he could do. He scrolled further down, finding Steven's name.

To: Steven Rodriguez

Hey, does Samuel have any cousins or sisters? Kinda saw him with a girl under the oak tree.

-

He waited, the screen illuminating his face as he kept an eye on Samuel and the girl. They were laughing now, Samuel's hand resting a little too casually on the girl's back. Irritation began to simmer beneath Kian's initial anxiety. Brielle deserved better than this.

Finally, Steven's reply popped up.

From: Steven Rodriguez

Nah, he's an only child. Parents are only children, too. Why?

-

Kian's breath hitched. So, not a family member. Just a random girl. He typed quickly.

To: Steven Rodriguez

Saw him with a girl. Just wanted to make sure it wasn’t family.

-

A beat of silence. Then, the words he dreaded, the words that sent a chill down his spine despite the warm spring air.

From: Steven Rodriguez

Look, this is prob not my place to say, but Samuel’s…got a history. Even before Brielle. Just sayin’.

-

Kian stared at the message, the pixelated words burning into his retinas. History. He vaguely recalled whispers, rumors from freshman year before Samuel and Brielle were even a thing. Dismissed them as gossip, the kind that swirled around any remotely popular guy. But Steven, quiet, reserved Steven, wouldn't say anything like that without good reason.

Kian shrugged off what he saw. He knew Brielle deserved to know, but he just couldn't go to her and accuse her boyfriend without proof that he was cheating on her. After attending his first and second periods, he went straight to the library.

The hushed silence of the school library was broken only by the gentle turning of pages and the distant hum of the air conditioning. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Brielle, brow furrowed in concentration, was hunched over a thick textbook, "Obligations and Contracts" emblazoned on its cover. Despite the fight with Samuel the night before, she was determined to ace the upcoming quiz.

She rose, stretching with a small groan, and scanned the towering bookshelves. Her fingers trailed along the spines, searching for a specific commentary on Article 1156. After a few minutes, she found it, tucked high on the top shelf. Balancing precariously on her tiptoes, she managed to pull it down, nearly losing her footing in the process.

Returning to her table, she noticed someone sitting a few tables away. It was Kian. He was engrossed in a book, his dark hair falling across his forehead. Brielle blushed slightly, remembering their last awkward encounter. She decided to ignore it and focus on her studying.

But the distance felt…wrong. The library was practically empty, just the two of them. With a deep breath, she gathered her belongings and walked over to Kian's table.

"Hey," she said, her voice a little too loud in the quiet space.

Kian looked up, startled. His cheeks flushed a rosy pink. “Brielle! Hi.”

"It's kinda lonely over there," she confessed, gesturing to her now-empty table. "Mind if I sit here? We're the only ones here anyway."

Kian swallowed nervously. "Uh, no, not at all. Be my guest." He scooted his chair closer to the table, making room for her.

Brielle settled in beside him, placing her books and notes on the table. “Don’t mind me,” she said, trying to sound breezy. “Just going to…try and absorb this legal jargon. You can keep reading."

Kian nodded, his eyes fixed on the open page of his book. But Brielle knew, and he knew, that he wasn't reading a word. She could practically feel his nervous energy vibrating beside her.

For what felt like an eternity, they sat in silence. Brielle chewed on the end of her pen, rereading the same paragraph for the fifth time. Contract law swam before her eyes, a confusing jumble of rights and responsibilities.

Suddenly, Kian cleared his throat. "You, uh…you look like you're about to throw your textbook out the window."

Brielle sighed dramatically. "I wish I could. This stuff is impossible."

"Want some help?" Kian asked, his voice hesitant.

Brielle looked at him, surprised. "You'd do that? I thought you were studying."

He shrugged, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Just doing some advanced reading. I can explain some of this stuff, if you want. Obligations and Contracts isn't so bad once you get the hang of it."

Brielle hesitated. She didn't want to impose, especially with everything that had happened with Samuel. "I don't want to bother you…"

"You're not," Kian insisted, his gaze meeting hers. "Really. I'd like to help."

A small smile tugged at Brielle's lips. "Okay," she said softly. "Okay, Kian. I could definitely use some help."

Kian's face lit up. He closed his book and turned to face her, a newfound confidence in his eyes. “Alright,” he said, pointing to her textbook. “Where are you stuck?”

As Kian began to explain the complexities of offer and acceptance, Brielle found herself focusing less on the legal definitions and more on the way his brow furrowed in concentration, the way his hand gestured as he spoke, the genuine desire in his eyes to help her understand. For the first time that day, the weight of the fight with Samuel seemed to lift, replaced by a quiet sense of peace and…maybe, just maybe…something more.

THE VISIONARIES & IDIOTS GROUP CHAT:

Members: Kian, Ten, Steven, Damien & Hunter

[Today, 1:43 PM]

(Damien sent a picture, it's a slightly blurry but clearly identifiable photo of Kian leaning close to Brielle, both heads bent over a textbook. Kian is completely engrossed in explaining something, and Brielle is looking up at him with a small smile.)

Damien: Looks like someone’s finally making a move!

Hunter: It is such a sweet, fine moment.

Ten: Photo’s taking too long to load. School’s wifi sucks!

Ten: Is that a picture of a girl? Are you guys looking for a potential girlfriend agan?

Hunter: Of course not!

Steven: Wow. Kian and Brielle?

Ten: Hold the eff up! The photo finally loaded! That’s it. I’m gonna start a slow clap for our friend.

Damien: They look so happy. Brielle, you don’t know how happy you would be if only Kian hadn’t been a coward months ago.

Hunter: Maybe this is the start of Operation: Make Brielle fall in love with Kian.

Ten: Yeah. Especially, Samuel and Brielle’s relationship is getting rougher and rougher each day.

Damien: They’ve been together for how many months already?

Ten: 9 months.

Hunter: Somebody needs to wake Brielle up. Samuel isn’t worthy.

Damien: I’m sure everything will be fine in the end. Right, Steven?

Steven: If our hunches about Samuel are correct, then maybe.

Steven: We’ll see.

Meanwhile, Kian pinches the bridge of his nose. He can see his notifications while teaching Brielle, but he chooses to ignore them.

Brielle noticed that Kian seemed distracted. “Everything okay? Your phone keeps on buzzing, maybe it’s important?”

Kian shook his head and shoved his phone into his pocket. “It’s just my friends.. You know, talking about stuff. Nothing important.”

They continued studying until Brielle saw the time. She immediately checked her phone for messages and saw a notification from her groupmate and Samuel.

Brielle: Shocks! Kian, I’m sorry, but I have to go and meet my groupmates. Thank you so much for teaching me.

Kian: No worries, Bri. You can always ask me for help.

Brielle: I’ll treat you someday. Promise! You’ve been nothing but kind to me since day 1.

Kian: Sure. I’ll be waiting for that treat then. I’m always here for you, okay?

Brielle left the library with a smile on her face, not until she received another message from Samuel.

From: Baby Sammy

[12:02 PM] Hey baby? I’m so sorry for yesterday.

[12:20 PM] You busy, baby?

[12:49 PM] Okay, I know you’re still mad. Still, I’m your boyfriend, so talk to me.

[1:26 PM] Really, Brielle? Still ignoring me?

[1:55 PM] Fine. I wanted to treat you out later, but I have an emergency meeting in our organization. I’ll give you a ride home instead.

“Organization? He didn’t join any organization except the varsity team.” Brielle sighed as she read Samuel’s messages. "Fine. One last chance, and that’s it. I just hope he won’t waste this chance.”

To: Baby Sammy

[2:19 PM] I was busy studying a while ago. Sure, I’ll wait for you in the waiting shed.

She locked her phone and shoved it into her bag before going to her group's location. Brielle knew that her boyfriend was an asshole, but she hoped that he would at least change a little. After being together for 9 months, nothing changed. Still the same old Samuel, who will prioritize his bad habits and hobbies over her.