Chapter 12-ALMOST
569 Words
She avoided the almond tree for two days.
Said she had prefect duties. Said she was tired. Said she had cramps.
Tyler didn’t believe any of it, but he didn’t push.
He just sent her a message the second evening,
" Still haven’t forgotten how you drew me with a bandaged heart, you know.
If you ever feel like talking , I’ll be here.
# Superman "
She didn’t reply. But she saved it.
By the third day, she couldn’t take the distance anymore.
She walked straight to the tree after school, heart pounding like it had something to confess.
He was there. Of course he was.
He looked up the second he saw her.
“T,” he said softly.
She sat beside him, not too close this time. Just close enough.
They didn’t talk for a while. Just listened to the wind rustle above them.
Then he spoke.
“I miss when we weren’t pretending.”
She blinked.
“What do you mean?”
He didn’t look at her. “You’ve been quiet. Far. And I get it, maybe something’s going on. But I’d rather hear the ugly truth than sit in silence wondering what I did wrong.”
She felt the lump rise in her throat. Her fingers dug into the edge of her skirt.
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Then what is it?”
She opened her mouth. Closed it.
Looked at his face ,kind, patient, but hurt.
She couldn’t say it. Not yet.
So instead, she lied.
“I’m just overwhelmed. With school. Prefect stuff. Life.”
He nodded slowly. But his eyes told her he didn’t believe her.
Still, he reached out , fingers brushing hers.
She didn’t pull away.
But she didn’t hold him either.
That night, she dreamt of the kiss again.
Only this time, in the dream, they weren’t alone.
Tonia was watching , eyes cold, smile sharp.
She woke up sweating.
Elsewhere, Tonia sat on her bed, typing. Deleting. Typing again.
The message she was crafting wasn’t for Tara this time.
It was for someone else.
A boy from another class.
Someone known for knowing things.
She attached the photo.
"Do with this what you want. Just don’t mention my name."
Then she hit send.
Back at school, Tyler sat at the edge of the football field the next afternoon, watching the team practice.
Scot, a loudmouth from the other class , jogged past, then paused, grinning.
“You and that Tara girl, yeah?” he smirked.
Tyler raised a brow. “What about her?”
Scot just laughed and pulled out his phone.
Showed him the photo.
There it was. Him and Tara . That moment under the tree. Close. Smiling. The kind of smile you don’t fake.
It wasn’t just in someone’s messages anymore.
Now it was circulating.
Tyler’s heart stopped for a beat.
Scot clapped him on the back. “Relax, You guys look good together. Just didn’t know you had it in you.”
But Tyler wasn’t hearing him anymore.
His mind had already started spinning
Who took the picture?
Who sent it?
Did Tara know?
And if she did… why hadn’t she said anything?
Later that day, he texted her
"We need to talk. Tonight. Please."
Tara stared at the message when it came in.
She knew it was coming.
The almost was ending.
And the truth?
It was knocking now.
- Writer
