Chapter 6
801 Words
The hallway felt the same.
Same noise.
Same students.
Same routine.
And yet—
Nothing felt normal anymore.
Rose adjusted her bag on her shoulder as she walked through the corridor, her expression calm as always. Anyone looking at her would think nothing had changed.
But everything had.
Her eyes moved carefully, deliberately—
Avoiding one person.
---
“Rose!”
She turned quickly at the sound of her name, relief flashing across her face when she saw it wasn’t him.
“Hey,” she said, forcing a small smile.
“You’re finally back!” her friend said. “We heard about the accident. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Rose replied automatically.
Another lie.
She had said that too many times already.
---
As they walked, laughter and chatter filled the space around her—but Rose barely heard it.
Her thoughts kept drifting.
Back to the hospital.
To her mother’s words.
To that name—
Aethra.
Her fingers tightened slightly around her bag.
---
“Hey… are you listening?”
Rose blinked. “Sorry—what?”
Her friend frowned. “I asked if you’re ready for the test today.”
Test?
Right.
School.
Normal life.
“I’ll manage,” Rose said.
She always did.
---
Then—
The air shifted.
It was subtle.
But she felt it instantly.
Her steps slowed.
Her chest tightened slightly.
She didn’t need to look.
She already knew.
---
Alex.
---
He was standing a few lockers away, talking to someone—but not really paying attention to them.
His gaze lifted.
And met hers.
---
That feeling—
Stronger than before.
It hit her all at once.
Recognition.
Fear.
Something deeper she didn’t want to name.
---
Rose looked away immediately.
Too fast.
Too obvious.
“Let’s go,” she said quickly, grabbing her friend’s arm and pulling her along.
“Wait—what—?”
“I just remembered something. I need to get to class early.”
She didn’t wait for a response.
She just walked.
Faster than usual.
---
Behind her—
Alex didn’t move.
But his expression changed.
Slightly.
---
Alex
Something was off.
He noticed it the moment she walked in.
At first, he thought it was nothing.
Maybe she was still recovering.
Maybe she was just tired.
But then—
She avoided him.
Completely.
---
Alex leaned back slightly against the lockers, watching her disappear down the hall.
“…What was that?”
The guy he had been talking to kept going on about something, but Alex wasn’t listening anymore.
That wasn’t like her.
Rose didn’t avoid things.
Especially not him.
If anything—
She usually challenged him.
Directly.
Without hesitation.
---
Now?
She wouldn’t even look at him.
---
His jaw tightened slightly.
“…Seriously?”
---
Later—
In class—
It got worse.
---
Rose sat two rows ahead.
Close enough to see.
Far enough to ignore.
---
Every time he looked up—
She was focused on something else.
Her notes.
The board.
Anything but him.
---
Alex frowned.
At first, it annoyed him.
Then—
It didn’t.
It bothered him.
And that was worse.
---
During class, the teacher asked a question.
Silence.
Then—
“Rose?”
She answered.
Perfectly.
Of course.
---
“Alex?”
He answered right after.
Also correct.
---
Same as always.
Nothing had changed.
Except—
Everything had.
---
After class—
Alex stood up, already planning to leave—
Then stopped.
---
No.
This wasn’t happening.
---
He walked toward her.
Direct.
No hesitation.
---
“Hey.”
---
Rose froze.
Just for a second.
Then she turned.
Her expression was calm.
Too calm.
“Yeah?”
---
There it was again.
That distance.
---
“What’s your problem?” Alex asked.
Straight to the point.
---
Rose blinked. “I don’t have one.”
“You do,” he said. “You’ve been avoiding me all day.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“That’s not an answer.”
---
A pause.
---
Rose looked at him.
Really looked this time.
And for a moment—
That feeling came back again.
Stronger.
Clearer.
---
Her chest tightened.
---
It’s him.
---
She stepped back slightly.
Just enough for him to notice.
---
“I said I’m fine,” she replied, her voice quieter now. “You’re overthinking it.”
---
Alex’s eyes narrowed.
“I don’t overthink.”
---
“Then don’t start now.”
---
She turned.
And walked away.
---
This time—
He didn’t stop her.
---
But something inside him shifted.
---
Because for the first time—
It didn’t feel like he had lost an argument.
---
It felt like—
He had lost something else.
---
And he didn’t even know what it was.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD