4. The Silence Between Us
1310 Words
It had been over twenty-four hours since Lucas asked for my number, and not a single message or call had come through. It was Sunday—a day people usually had time, right? Maybe he really was busy. Or… maybe he just wasn’t that interested in getting to know me. That thought kept spinning in my head, endlessly.
I spent that Sunday with Jessica and Ashley. The three of us sat leisurely in the backyard of Jessica's house, chatting like usual. Or at least, they were chatting. My mind was elsewhere. My eyes kept dropping to my phone screen that remained stubbornly blank. Ashley, with her sharp instincts, noticed immediately.
"What are you staring at, Cell?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "You've been out of it the whole time. Were you even listening?"
"Yeah, seriously," Jessica chimed in. "Don’t tell me you’ve got a new crush."
I stammered, trying to appear casual. But Ashley looked at me intently.
"I thought we were on the same page, Cell. No falling in love again, remember?"
Jessica added teasingly, "Just tell us the truth. If you weren’t in the mood to hang out, why did you ask to meet up?"
"What are you guys talking about?" I cut in quickly with a smile. "No crushes, I swear. I’m just... waiting for a call from my father. He hasn’t come home in three days. Said he’s out of town on business."
I lied. And I hated it. But lying was easier than admitting I was waiting for a message from a boy who might not even care.
Jessica and Ashley exchanged a glance, then nodded. "Oh, okay," they replied almost in unison.
The rest of the day, I tried to bury my disappointment. I forced myself to be present, pretending nothing was wrong. That evening, around seven, I said goodbye and headed home. Tomorrow was Monday. School awaited.
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At home, Mom greeted me with a wide smile. "Let’s have dinner together, sweetie. I cooked something special—your brother is home!" she said. I knew she meant Gabriel, my older brother. But the moment I glanced at the dinner table and saw Tristan sitting there, my heart shut down.
"I'm full, Ma. Just eat with them," I replied coldly and hurried upstairs.
I couldn't pretend. It was sickening to sit at the same table with the two people who had destroyed my trust. Tristan, the man cheating with my mother. And my mother, acting like everything was perfectly fine.
After a shower and prepping my school things, I heard a soft knock on my door.
"Cell, it's your brother," Gabriel’s voice called.
I cracked the door open. His face looked concerned.
"What’s going on? You looked like you wanted to flip a table downstairs," he joked.
I forced a smile. "I’m fine, just tired. Senior year, you know. Tons of assignments."
Gabriel nodded, though I knew he wasn’t fully convinced. "If you ever want to talk, I’m here," he said gently.
He handed me a small bag with souvenirs and a gift. "This is for you."
I almost cried. At least someone still cared. At least I still had my brother.
"You remembered? Thanks, Kak. You actually remembered what I wanted," I said with a soft smile, hugging the bag.
He smiled back. "Of course I did, my cute and annoying little sister. No more sulking, okay? Take care of your health."
I nodded, heart a little warmer.
We chatted for a while—about school, his job, and funny stories from his trip. It felt nice, like remembering what home was supposed to feel like.
After a few minutes, Gabriel stood up and smiled. "Alright, I need some rest too. You’ve got school tomorrow. Don’t sleep too late."
I nodded again, watching his back as he walked out of my room.
Once the door closed, I went straight to my desk to finish preparing for school.
I tried to focus on my homework, but my eyes kept drifting back to my phone screen. Still no message. Still no trace of him. I told myself to stop hoping. But a small part of me—stubborn and foolish—still wished he’d remember me, even just a little.
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The next day at school, I decided to ignore Lucas. I pretended I didn’t know him, didn’t remember our conversation at the party, and had never given him my number. I wanted to act indifferent—because apparently, he could be even more indifferent.
But something unusual caught my eye as I walked down the corridor. Jessica was crying, sitting on a bench, comforted by Ashley.
"What happened?" I asked quickly.
Ashley sighed. "Samuel broke up with her last night."
My eyes widened. "What? Seriously?"
Jessica nodded, wiping her tears. "I don’t get it. He suddenly said we weren’t compatible. Everything was fine before."
Of course I’d heard the rumors. Samuel, the basketball guy, was supposedly getting close to Carissa, the cheer captain. Jessica had always been confident Carissa wasn’t in her league—in looks or popularity. The gossip had exploded after a picture of them holding hands at the mall went viral in our grade group chat.
We ended up taking Jessica to the restroom to help her calm down. She cried hard, and all we could do was hug her and offer words of comfort.
When we finally stepped out, Jessica, still wiping her eyes, accidentally bumped into someone.
"Oh! I’m so sorry..."
"It’s okay," Lucas replied with a smile, then walked away.
Jessica froze. Her smile returned. "Guys... I’ve moved on. I’ve found Samuel’s replacement!" she declared, pointing at Lucas.
I was stunned. So was Ashley.
"You were crying five minutes ago and now you’re crushing again?" Ashley shook her head with a tired laugh.
Jessica didn’t care. Her face lit up again.
And me? I stayed quiet. I liked Lucas. But I couldn’t compete with my best friend.
From that moment, Jessica got serious about pursuing Lucas. She reused the "old tactics" that had worked on Samuel. But this time, she seemed even more intense, like she didn’t want to waste time.
Every time Lucas practiced futsal behind the school, Jessica was already there. During matches, she was in the stands, fully dressed in uniform, ponytail neat, cheering whenever he scored.
During breaks, she’d hand him a cold drink and a gray towel she "just happened" to bring.
"Here, Lucas. You must be tired," she said softly, offering the bottle.
He took it, a bit awkward but still smiling. "Thanks."
Jessica giggled. "You look awesome out there. No wonder people are talking about you."
Their conversations were short, but they hit me hard every time I saw them from afar. Lucas never rejected her attention. But he didn’t seem that enthusiastic either. I wanted to believe he was just being polite. But maybe... all my feelings were just illusions.
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The next day, Jessica started showing up in the hallways Lucas usually passed through. She even knew his class moved to the computer lab every Wednesday. So when a teacher needed a student rep to guide Lucas, she quickly volunteered.
I could only watch from afar, trying to stay neutral, though it stung.
"She moves fast, huh," Ashley commented one afternoon as we stood by the library shelves, watching Jessica chat with Lucas at a corner table.
I didn’t respond. Just pretended to read a book.
That afternoon, Lucas and I passed each other in the hallway. Our eyes met. Just for a second. But time felt like it paused. There was something in his eyes—or maybe it was just the reflection of the hurt in mine. He looked away. So did I. But something in my chest twisted painfully.
I did like Lucas.
But maybe, it was all one-sided.
Maybe... I was never someone worth remembering.
- Writer
