SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FRIENDS AND FOREVER

Noah’s POV The school gates looked exactly the same. Rusted metal. Familiar noise. Students rushing in like nothing had changed over the break. But something had changed for me. I stepped through slowly, my bag hanging loosely on my shoulder. The morning air was cold, but it barely registered. What registered was the weight in my chest. Linda. Just thinking her name made everything feel heavier. Last term didn’t end normally. It ended with her standing in front of me and saying she liked me. And me… saying nothing. No explanation. No rejection. No acceptance. Just silence. I exhaled slowly and walked into the compound. Everything looked normal, students laughing, greeting each other, shouting across the courtyard. But I didn’t feel part of it. Then I heard her voice. “Noah!” I froze instantly. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. But I did anyway. Linda stood a few steps away, smiling like nothing had changed. Like she hadn’t changed everything with three words. “Hey,” she said brightly. “You’re here early. It feels good to be back.” My chest tightened slightly. That smile used to make everything feel easy. Now, it has made everything complicated. “Hey,” I replied. One word. Careful. Controlled. Wrong. Her smile flickered for a second. Not gone, but not real anymore either. “Oh,” she said softly. Silence stretched between us. Too long. Too uncomfortable. “I didn’t expect you this early,” she added, trying to sound normal. “Yeah… I just came early,” I said. Another pause. We used to never have pauses like this. Linda adjusted her bag strap. “Okay… I’ll see you around.” Before I could respond, she turned and walked away. And I just stood there. Watching her leave. Not stopping her. Not calling her back. Because I didn’t know what I was supposed to say anymore. --- Linda’s POV I didn’t look back. If I did, I might have stopped walking. And if I stopped, I might have said something I wasn’t ready for the answer to. So I kept moving. Step after step. Even though my chest felt tight. Even though my smile faded the moment I turned away. Even though I could still feel him standing there behind me. Noah. He used to feel like home. Now he felt like distance. And I didn’t know how that happened so fast. I entered class and sat down quickly, opening my notebook even though I wasn’t reading. My mind wasn’t here. It was outside. Stuck on that flat voice. That silence. That moment he didn’t stop me from walking away. I pressed my pen down on the page, but nothing came out. Because one thought kept repeating itself in my head: Did I ruin everything by telling him how I feel? And worse— Does he even care anymore? --- Noah’s POV I should’ve gone after her. That thought came too late again. By the time I finally moved, she was already gone. I stood in the courtyard watching students pass by like nothing had happened. But something had. And I was stuck in it. Before last term, everything between Linda and me was simple. She was my best friend. That was it. Easy. Familiar. Safe. Now, even thinking that felt wrong. Because I couldn’t ignore what she said. And I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t respond. I ran a hand through my hair. “Just act normal,” I muttered. But I didn’t even know what normal was anymore. A bell rang in the distance, pulling students toward class. I followed slowly. But one thought stayed behind as I walked: Linda didn’t look at me the same way anymore. And I didn’t know if that was because of her confession… or because I had already started losing her the moment I stayed silent.