Chapter Four — Signals (Ace's POV)
536 Words
Ace had always loved the quiet of his room.
After a long day at school, it was the one place where he could think without interruptions. His desk sat beneath the window, his headphones rested around his neck, and the familiar glow of his phone lit up the dim room as another game loaded.
Normally, gaming helped him clear his head.
Tonight, it wasn't working.
His thoughts kept drifting back to Dunkin'.
To Sarah.
He smiled to himself.
Everyone else called her Sarah.
He'd never admitted it aloud, but somehow hearing her friends call her "Sarah" felt different than saying it in his own mind. There was something about her name that lingered longer than it should.
He remembered the way she'd laughed at one of Will's terrible jokes.
The way she tried to hide behind her coffee whenever her friends teased her.
And the way she'd looked at him for a split second before quickly looking away.
A loud sound came from his phone.
Defeat.
"You died again." Ace blinked.
Will sat beside him on the floor, trying—and failing—not to laugh.
"You've been staring at the same screen for two minutes."Ace rubbed the back of his neck.
"I wasn't paying attention.""I noticed."
Will picked up another controller.
"So..." He glanced sideways. "What's on your mind?"
Ace hesitated. "...Nothing."
"Liar."Ace sighed. "It's Sarah."
Will smiled as if he'd been expecting that answer all along. "I figured."
Ace rested his elbows on his knees.
"Do you ever wonder if you're imagining things?"
"What things?"
"The way someone looks at you." Will stayed quiet. Ace continued.
"Sometimes I think she enjoys spending time with me." He paused.
"Then I convince myself I'm reading too much into it."
Will nodded. "That's normal."
"You think so?"
"Yeah." He shrugged. "Feelings are confusing." Ace laughed softly. "That's not helpful."
"I wasn't trying to help." They both laughed.
After a moment, Will spoke again. "You know what I noticed today?"
"What?"
"Sarah laughs differently around you." Ace frowned.
"What does that even mean?"
"It's hard to explain." Will thought for a second. "It's like..." He snapped his fingers. "She's more relaxed."
Ace looked down at his hands. "I don't want to assume anything."
"Good." Will nodded approvingly. "Don't assume."
"But don't ignore it either."
The room fell quiet.
Outside, rain tapped softly against the window. Ace remembered the hug in the library.
It had lasted only a second. But somehow... he could still remember how surprised she'd looked afterward.
He smiled without realizing it.
Will noticed immediately.
"There it is."
"What?"
"That smile." Ace rolled his eyes."You're impossible."
"I know."Will grinned. "But seriously..." He stood and stretched. "Just keep being yourself."
"You don't have to rush anything."
"If Sarah likes you, she'll figure it out."
Ace looked out the window.
He wasn't in a hurry.
He liked the way things were.
The study sessions.
The teasing.
The comfortable silences.
If something more ever happened...
he wanted it to happen naturally.
For now, being close to Sarah was enough.
A small smile found its way back to his face.
Maybe some stories weren't meant to be rushed.
Maybe the best ones were written one quiet moment at a time.
- Writer
