Episode 6: Rain Between Us
1069 Words
The words stayed with me for days.
"You're my favorite person, Charles."
It should have been a simple sentence.
A friendly sentence.
The kind of thing best friends said to each other.
But every time I remembered it, my chest tightened.
Because Diovann had said those words so naturally.
So honestly.
And somehow, that made them impossible to forget.
The worst part was that he seemed completely unaffected afterward.
The next morning, he greeted me the same way he always did.
The same smile.
The same energy.
The same Diovann.
Meanwhile, I felt like my entire world had shifted slightly off balance.
I hated it.
And I hated how much I liked it.
A week passed.
Then another.
Life continued normally.
Classes.
Projects.
Lunch breaks.
Rooftop conversations.
Everything remained the same.
At least on the outside.
Inside, however, things were becoming increasingly complicated.
One afternoon, our last class ended later than usual because of a group presentation. By the time students started leaving the school, dark clouds had already gathered overhead.
I noticed them immediately.
The sky looked heavy.
Like it was holding its breath.
Beside me, Diovann stretched his arms.
"I think it's going to rain."
"No kidding."
He laughed.
Then the first raindrop fell.
A second later, dozens followed.
Within moments, the sky opened completely.
Students screamed and rushed toward nearby buildings.
Teachers hurried to protect equipment.
The school grounds quickly emptied.
Diovann and I found shelter beneath a covered walkway near the gymnasium.
Rain poured from the sky like a waterfall.
The sound filled the air.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
We simply watched the storm.
"It's beautiful."
I glanced at him.
"The rain?"
He nodded.
"Yeah."
I looked back at the gray sky.
Maybe he was right.
There was something calming about it.
Something honest.
Rain never pretended to be anything else.
Eventually, Diovann leaned against the wall.
"So."
I immediately became suspicious.
"So?"
"What's been bothering you?"
My stomach dropped.
Not this again.
"Nothing."
"Liar."
I sighed.
He wasn't going to let this go.
Not today.
"Why are you so sure something's wrong?"
Diovann looked at me.
His expression softened.
"Because I know you."
The answer came so quickly that it caught me off guard.
He continued.
"You've been distant lately."
"I haven't."
"You have."
I looked away.
Rain continued falling outside.
The sound somehow made everything feel quieter.
More personal.
More difficult to escape.
For a moment, I considered telling him.
Not everything.
Just enough.
Just the truth that had been weighing on my chest for weeks.
But fear immediately stopped me.
What if things changed?
What if he looked at me differently afterward?
What if I lost the most important person in my life?
The risk felt too great.
So I simply shook my head.
"I'm fine."
Disappointment briefly flashed across his face.
Only for a second.
Then it disappeared.
"Okay."
The conversation ended there.
But somehow, that made me feel worse.
A few minutes later, another voice interrupted the silence.
"Found you."
Both of us looked up.
Ethan stood a few feet away holding an umbrella.
Of course he did.
Sometimes I genuinely wondered if he possessed supernatural timing.
He joined us beneath the shelter and immediately looked between me and Diovann.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Like he had walked into the middle of a conversation.
Which, technically, he had.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Charles is being mysterious again," Diovann replied.
"I'm not mysterious."
"You absolutely are."
Ethan laughed softly.
Then, to my horror, he said:
"I think he's just afraid."
My heart nearly stopped.
Diovann frowned.
"Afraid of what?"
Ethan looked directly at me.
For one terrifying second, I thought he was about to reveal everything.
Instead, he simply smiled.
"That's for Charles to answer."
I wanted to strangle him.
The rain eventually weakened.
Students began leaving campus again.
One by one, people disappeared into the evening.
Soon, only the three of us remained.
Ethan checked his phone.
"I should go."
Diovann nodded.
"See you tomorrow."
Before leaving, Ethan walked past me.
Then he quietly whispered:
"You can't hide forever."
My eyes widened.
By the time I turned around, he was already walking away.
Traitor.
Absolute traitor.
The walk home felt unusually quiet afterward.
The streets glistened from the rain.
Puddles reflected the evening sky.
Beside me, Diovann kicked small stones along the road.
Eventually, he broke the silence.
"You know..."
"What?"
"If something's making you unhappy..."
I looked at him.
His expression was serious.
A rare sight.
"...I hope you tell me someday."
The sincerity in his voice hurt.
Because he trusted me.
And I was keeping the biggest secret of my life from him.
The guilt settled heavily in my chest.
"I know."
He smiled.
A small smile.
One meant only for me.
And suddenly, I realized something.
The problem wasn't that I liked Diovann.
The problem was that I liked him too much.
Enough to be afraid.
Enough to stay silent.
Enough to risk breaking my own heart just to keep him close.
That night, I returned to the rooftop.
The rain had stopped completely.
The clouds slowly drifted apart.
And above them, the stars began appearing once more.
One by one.
Silent.
Patient.
Unchanging.
I sat alone beneath the night sky.
Thinking.
Wondering.
Trying to understand my own heart.
A few minutes later, footsteps echoed behind me.
I smiled without turning around.
"You really need a new hobby."
Diovann laughed.
"And miss seeing you?"
My chest tightened again.
He sat beside me.
As always.
The stars shone brightly overhead.
For a while, neither of us spoke.
Then Diovann suddenly pointed upward.
"Look."
I followed his gaze.
A shooting star streaked across the darkness.
Gone within seconds.
Beautiful.
Brief.
Perfect.
"Make a wish," he said.
I laughed softly.
"You still believe in that?"
"Just do it."
I closed my eyes.
For a moment, I thought carefully.
Then I made a wish.
A selfish one.
A dangerous one.
A wish I knew would probably never come true.
When I opened my eyes again, Diovann was already smiling at me.
"What did you wish for?"
I shook my head.
"If I tell you, it won't come true."
He laughed.
"Fair enough."
The stars continued shining above us.
And somewhere deep inside my heart, I finally admitted the truth.
I was in love with my best friend.
And I had absolutely no idea what to do about it.
- Writer
