The Red Fox of Westbridge

Let’s talk

Marin walked quietly down the hallway, her uniform still slightly stained from the spilled juice.

She stopped in front of her locker.

With calm, steady movements, she opened it and reached inside, pulling out her P.E. uniform. She needed to change.

As she closed the locker and turned—

She froze.

Adrian was standing right in front of her.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

"Are you okay, Marin?" Adrian asked, his voice careful, almost hesitant.

Marin tilted her head slightly, her expression soft but unreadable.

"Yes, I'm okay," she said. "Do I look like I'm not?"

Adrian paused, unsure how to respond.

"The girls... they can be like that sometimes," he continued. "Maybe Kristine just got irritated seeing you with us—especially Julian. They used to be in a relationship, and it didn't really end well, and—"

"Yes, I know, Aid."

Marin cut him off gently.

Her tone wasn't harsh—but it was enough to stop him.

"Don't worry."

There was a brief silence.

Then Marin looked at him—directly this time.

"How about you, Aid?" she asked softly. "How are you doing?"

Adrian blinked, caught off guard.

"Well... about that..." he hesitated, then frowned slightly. "How do you know my name?"

Marin smiled faintly.

"Can we talk about that later?" she said. "I need to change, and we have class at 1 PM."

She stepped back slightly.

"I'll see you later, okay?"

Adrian scratched his head awkwardly.

"Ah... yeah. Okay."

And just like that—

She walked away.

Leaving him with more questions than answers.

—

Back in the classroom, the afternoon lesson continued.

Theo sat upright, fully focused, confidently answering every question the teacher threw at him.

Caleb leaned back in his chair, staring into space, clearly lost in his own thoughts.

Adrian tried to concentrate, listening carefully. Despite everything, he remained one of the top students.

At the front, Cheska and the other girls listened attentively, composed as ever.

Julian, on the other hand, looked exhausted—his head slightly tilted as if he might fall asleep at any second.

Marcus, sitting beside him, wasn't paying attention to the lesson at all.

He was watching Julian.

Quietly.

Carefully.

Because Marcus knew him.

And something about Julian today... felt off.

—

After class, everyone went their separate ways.

Marcus was picked up by his butler—as usual when his father was home.

Caleb rushed out quickly, probably heading straight back to his games.

Julian left not long after, hands in his pockets, unusually quiet.

Theo stayed behind, heading somewhere else in the school.

And Adrian—

Adrian went to the running track.

—

The sky was beginning to dim as he ran.

His footsteps echoed steadily against the ground, breath controlled, mind slowly clearing with each lap.

Running was the only thing that made sense.

The only thing that felt certain.

Then—

He slowed down.

From a distance, near the benches—

He saw someone.

A figure sitting quietly.

Then—

A hand lifted.

Waving.

It was Marin.

Adrian stopped completely.

For a moment, he just stood there... staring.

Then he walked toward her.

"You're here," he said.

Marin smiled softly.

"I told you we'd meet after class, right?"

Adrian scratched the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed.

"I didn't think you actually meant it..."

He glanced at himself, noticing the sweat.

"Uh... I'm kind of soaked. Let me just change first."

Marin nodded.

"I'll wait."

—

Fifteen minutes passed.

Adrian quickly washed up in the locker room, changed into clean clothes, and hurried back.

By the time he returned—

It was already 6 PM.

The sky had turned a soft shade of orange, fading slowly into evening.

And Marin—

She was still there.

Sitting quietly on the bench.

Earphones in.

Listening to music.

Waiting.

—

Adrian stopped a few steps away.

He didn't approach immediately.

Instead, he just... watched her.

The way the wind gently moved her red hair.

The way she sat so still, so calm—

Like she didn't belong to the noise of the world around her.

He swallowed.

Took a deep breath.

Then finally walked toward her.

"Marin."

She looked up.

At that exact moment, a soft breeze passed between them, brushing through their hair.

Their eyes met.

And that's when Adrian saw it.

Tears.

"Marin?" he said, his voice lowering.

For a second, she didn't respond.

Then—

She smiled.

Softly.

But there was something fragile in it.

"I'm sorry, Adrian," she said quietly.

She shifted slightly on the bench.

"Come... sit beside me."

—

They sat side by side on the bench.

Neither too close... nor too far.

The air around them felt still, as if time itself had slowed down.

A soft wind passed through, gently brushing their hair, carrying with it the quiet sounds of the evening.

For a moment—

No one spoke.

Then Marin broke the silence.

"The song..." she said softly. "It makes me cry."

Adrian turned his head slightly, looking at her.

"You cry because of the song?" he asked, almost gently.

Marin gave a small, fragile smile.

"I get sentimental easily sometimes."

The music from her earphones was faint—an old song, distant and nostalgic, like a memory that refused to fade.

Adrian paused, thinking.

Then he leaned back slightly and stretched his arms, exhaling.

"It's okay not to be okay sometimes," he said. "And it's okay to feel things like that... even from a song."

He glanced at her briefly.

"It's normal."

Marin lowered her gaze, wiping the corner of her eyes.

For a moment, she stayed quiet.

Then she spoke again—her voice softer this time.

"Have you ever felt something so heavy..." she murmured, "...like it's too much to carry... but you can't let anyone else hold it for you?"

Adrian didn't answer immediately.

He stared ahead, thinking carefully.

"I don't know..." he admitted. "Maybe I have."

He rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together.

"Balancing everything feels heavy sometimes," he continued. "Studies... training... expectations."

He let out a quiet breath.

"I'm good at academics, yeah. But being an athlete... that's what pays for my future."

His voice lowered slightly.

"So I have to be better at that."

A small pause.

"I can't afford distractions."

He glanced at her, then looked away again.

"But... my friends," he added, a faint smile forming. "They can be a headache sometimes."

A soft chuckle escaped him.

"But we help each other. Even if people don't see it."

His tone grew more sincere.

"If one of us loses our way... the others pull him back."

He looked at his hands for a second before finishing quietly—

"They're... my treasure."

Marin listened without interrupting.

Her expression softened.

"Really?" she said. "That's nice... having people like that."

She turned slightly toward him.

"How did you all even become friends?" she asked. "You're all so different."

Adrian let out a small laugh.

"You noticed that too?"

He shook his head.

"Honestly... we don't even know how it happened."

He looked up at the sky, thinking.

"Julian's like a natural leader. You'd expect him to have his own group."

"Caleb? He'd probably live inside a computer if he could."

A small smile.

"And the rest of us... we're just... different."

He paused.

"People at school always wonder about it too."

Another quiet moment passed.

Then Adrian glanced at Marin again.

"But somehow..."

His voice softened.

"We just... stayed."

⸻

The wind passed again.

Gentler this time.

And for a moment—

It felt like something invisible had quietly connected them.