Episode 5:WHISPERS IN THE HALFWAY
455 Words
The halls of Maplewood College buzzed with the usual chaos—students rushing to lectures, lockers slamming, laughter echoing off the walls. Amina moved like a shadow, head down, backpack snug against her shoulder, trying to disappear into the flow.
It should have been easy.
But today, every glance felt sharper. Every whisper made her stomach twist.
She rounded the corner near the student center and froze.
Two girls leaned against the lockers, giggling softly.
“Did you see them in the library yesterday?” one whispered, eyes flicking toward Amina.
“Shhh! Someone’s coming,” the other warned.
Amina’s chest tightened. Her pace quickened. Why can’t they mind their own business? she thought.
Her phone buzzed. A message from Zuri:
“Library later? I can save you a spot.”
Her heart leapt. Part of her wanted to run straight to her. Another part wanted to melt into the floor.
She arrived at the library courtyard, scanning for Zuri. There she was, leaning against a tree, book in hand, looking effortless. Her gaze found Amina instantly, and for a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of them.
“Hey,” Zuri said softly as Amina approached.
“Hi,” Amina muttered, her voice barely audible over the distant chatter.
Zuri tilted her head, amused. “Something wrong?”
Amina swallowed, glancing around. A small group of students nearby seemed to be watching them, whispering. Their glances felt like arrows.
“They’re talking about us,” Amina admitted quietly.
Zuri’s expression darkened slightly, but she didn’t step back. “Let them. We know the truth.”
Amina shook her head. “It’s not that simple. People notice. People judge. Rumors… they spread fast.”
A few passing students threw her knowing looks, and Amina’s stomach sank. She instinctively stepped closer to Zuri, but even that small movement felt exposed.
Zuri reached out and brushed Amina’s hand gently. “Then we make them see something different. We move together. We don’t hide—not from each other.”
Amina’s pulse quickened. “It’s not that simple.”
“Nothing worth feeling ever is,” Zuri said softly, eyes locked on hers.
The courtyard seemed to shrink as whispers floated in from the hall. Amina’s fear clashed with the warmth Zuri offered. She wanted to retreat, to vanish. But Zuri’s steady presence made her question the rules she’d followed her whole life.
“I… I want to,” Amina admitted quietly, almost to herself.
Zuri’s smile was slow, patient. “Then we take it one step at a time.”
For the first time, Amina considered that maybe hiding wasn’t the only way.
The whispers lingered around them, but for a moment, it didn’t matter.
- Writer
