Episode 7
1044 Words
The library was unusually quiet that afternoon, and Karla welcomed the silence . She buried herself in case studies , pretending her mind wasn’t drifting back to a name that hadn’t left her thoughts in weeks .
She hadn’t heard from Christopher .
Not really . No messages . No check-ins . Just the occasional presence—his social media posts and stories that made it impossible to forget he was still out there . Living. Laughing. And not thinking about her .
Until today .
She’d just posted a casual picture on her story—her coffee cup, a stethoscope, and a little caption :
“ Clinic days and caffeine highs . ”
And twenty minutes later , he liked it .
He never liked her stories . Not anymore .
Karla’s heart skipped a beat . Silly , she thought . It’s just a like . But it didn’t feel silly . Not to her .
Later , while waiting for her group to gather outside the simulation lab , Karla caught two girls from her class whispering .
“…he’s totally been hanging out with that junior from the sports med batch. I saw them at that rooftop lounge the other night ,” one girl murmured , trying not to be obvious .
“ Wait, you mean Dr. Hale ? ” the other replied with a little smirk .
Karla stiffened .
The girls glanced her way , immediately lowering their voices .
Her heart clenched .
She smiled through it . Pretended she hadn’t heard . But inside , something hollow cracked open .
That night , she couldn’t sleep . The silence from him now felt heavy . Loud . She couldn’t stop scrolling through his stories—videos of him in Bali , poolside with friends, drinks, sunsets, music, and moments that looked like freedom . Like a life far removed from the reality she was trapped in .
And none of it included her .
She stared at the message screen .
Karla :
“Hey.”
(Sent.)
Three hours passed .
Then :
Christopher :
“Hey, trouble . Long time . How’s everything ?”
Short . Polite . Cold ?
She typed :
“All good. Just saw your stories. Bali ? ”
No reply .
Another two hours .
Christopher :
“Yeah. Much-needed break. PG life is killing me lol .”
She tried to keep it light .
Karla :
“Looks fun .”
Christopher:
“It is. You should plan a break too .”
Then silence again .
She stared at the typing field. Her thumbs hovered .
Karla (typing) :
“Can I ask you something ? There’s a rumor that you …”
She stopped .
Paused .
Then deleted it .
But as soon as she hit the back button , a tiny notification flashed under her name on his chat window .
“Karla deleted a message .”
A minute later, the screen lit up again .
Christopher :
“What was that ?”
She didn’t reply .
Another ping .
Christopher:
“You typed something and deleted it. Everything okay ?”
She hesitated .
She wanted to ask :
Are you like this with everyone? Was I just another distraction ? Did I make everything up in my head ?
But she didn’t .
Instead, she sent :
Karla :
“Nothing important. Just overthinking like always .”
He didn’t respond immediately .
So she turned off her phone, rolled onto her side, and stared at the wall . The silence that once protected her now felt like punishment .
Because this time, she broke it first .
And now she wished she hadn’t .
The other evening , Karla finally broke the silence—not with Christopher, but with someone who mattered more right now .
She video-called Jenna .
Jenna appeared on screen, messy bun, half-eaten ramen bowl beside her, and that familiar knowing look in her eyes .
“Okay,” Jenna said without preamble. “Talk . You’ve got that I’m-about-to-combust face . ”
Karla laughed softly . Then sighed .
“It’s him. Christopher. I don’t know what’s happening anymore. We haven’t talked properly in weeks, and I know I should just forget it but …”
“You can’t .”
Karla nodded. “He liked my story yesterday . Out of nowhere . And I know that doesn’t mean anything, but it does—to me. And then I overheard people saying he’s been seen out with some other girl. I don’t know. I just… I feel stupid .”
Jenna set her bowl aside and leaned in. “You’re not stupid. You’re just caught in something complicated. That doesn’t make your feelings any less real .”
Karla looked down . “I messaged him first. Just to say hi. He replied late. Dry. Then I almost asked him about the rumors but deleted it .”
“He saw that, didn’t he ?”
Karla groaned, falling back against her pillow. “Yup. He asked what it was. I said it was nothing .”
Jenna was quiet for a moment. Then said gently, “Karla, I know it felt real with him. And maybe it was. But you’ve been carrying this connection like it’s just yours to hold onto. And it’s not. He should meet you halfway—he’s not a boy who gets to disappear and pop up just to mess with your mind .”
“I think I keep hoping he’s better than this,” Karla admitted .
“And maybe he is,” Jenna replied. “But it’s not your job to prove it. It’s his. And until he does, you need to protect your peace .”
That stuck with Karla .
Protect your peace .
Later that night, after hanging up with Jenna, Karla scrolled through her chat with Christopher again .
she turned off her phone, rolled onto her side, and stared at the wall. The silence that once protected her now felt like punishment .
Because this time, she broke it first .
And now she wished she hadn’t .
- Writer
