CHAPTER 5: BETWEEN THE LINES
748 Words
By the second week after Iñigo’s arrival, he was no longer “the new guy.”
At least, not entirely.
The curiosity surrounding him had started to fade. Students had moved on to other things—upcoming football games, quizzes they hadn’t studied for, and whatever drama was currently spreading through social media. High school had a short attention span.
Iñigo, meanwhile, seemed to have settled into school life with surprising ease.
He wasn’t loud enough to command attention the moment he entered a room, nor was he trying to become popular. Somehow, that only made people like him more. He got along with almost everyone, teachers included. Even Mrs. Harper, who rarely smiled at students, seemed unusually patient whenever he forgot an assignment or asked questions during class.
I noticed these things because he sat beside me in homeroom.
That was all.
At least, that was what I told myself.
“Do you always take notes like your life depends on it?”
I looked up from my notebook.
Iñigo was leaning back in his chair, watching me copy down today’s assignment.
“What does that even mean?”
“It means you write everything.”
“That’s kind of the point of notes.”
He shook his head. “No, I mean everything. Mrs. Harper could sneeze and you’d probably write that down too.”
A laugh escaped before I could stop it.
“I don’t write that much.”
“You absolutely do.”
I glanced at his notebook.
The page contained exactly three lines.
“You’ve written less than a fortune cookie.”
“That’s because I believe in efficiency.”
“That’s because you’re lazy.”
“Also true.”
I rolled my eyes and returned to my work, though I found myself smiling slightly.
Conversation with Iñigo always seemed to come easily. There was no pressure to impress him or say the right thing. We simply talked. Sometimes about class. Sometimes about music. Sometimes about completely random topics that started with one question and somehow turned into twenty.
It felt uncomplicated.
And lately, uncomplicated was something I appreciated.
The bell rang a few minutes later, sending students flooding into the hallway. I gathered my books and headed toward my locker, already knowing who I’d find waiting there.
Sure enough, Nikolai was leaning against the row of lockers with his hands in his pockets. Vivienne stood beside him, laughing at something he had just said. The sight was so familiar that it should have felt normal by now.
Instead, it still made my chest tighten.
Not enough to ruin my day.
Just enough to remind me.
Nikolai spotted me immediately.
“There she is.”
I frowned. “Who?”
“The person who owes me twenty dollars.”
“I owe you nothing.”
“You lost the bet.”
“I never agreed to the bet.”
“You participated.”
“Against my will.”
Vivienne laughed softly as Nikolai looked offended.
“You can’t just change the rules afterward.”
“I can if they’re stupid.”
“They’re my rules.”
“Exactly.”
He groaned dramatically, earning another laugh from Vivienne.
For a moment, I simply stood there watching them. Not because I wanted to torture myself, but because there was something easy about being around them. Despite everything I felt for Nikolai, despite all the complications in my head, they were still my friends.
Vivienne especially.
That was the part nobody would understand.
It would’ve been easier if I disliked her.
Easier if she were cruel or possessive or selfish.
Instead, she was one of the kindest people I knew.
She remembered birthdays. She volunteered on weekends. She always texted people after exams to ask how they thought they did.
And she genuinely loved Nikolai.
The worst part was that he genuinely loved her too.
No matter how many impossible fantasies my heart created, that fact remained unchanged.
“You’re thinking again.”
Nikolai’s voice pulled me back.
I blinked.
“What?”
“You get this look when you’re overthinking.”
Vivienne nodded.
“He’s right.”
I frowned. “I don’t have a look.”
“You definitely have a look.”
“Great.”
“Don’t worry,” Nikolai said. “It’s mostly adorable.”
I immediately regretted being born.
Vivienne laughed while I attempted to ignore the warmth climbing into my face.
Thankfully, the warning bell rang before anyone could comment further.
- Writer
