Cracks
1023 Words
Wednesday started badly, which should have prepared me for the rest of the day but it didn’t.
The first problem arrived before breakfast.
The second arrived during the first period.
The third arrived at exactly 1:17 p.m.
Through my phone. Unknown Number.
My stomach tightened immediately.
I should have ignored it, instead, I opened the message.
That was a mistake. A photo appeared on my screen.
An old photo. My breath caught it had been taken at my former school nearly a year ago.
I recognized the track instantly, recognized the uniform, recognized the people standing around me.
Including Avery my former best friend.
The sight hit harder than I expected.
Before I could process it, another message appeared beneath the image.
Funny how they all left when the truth came out.
Cold spread through my chest I stared at the screen.
A third message arrived.
You should’ve stayed gone.
The hallway suddenly felt too small, too crowded, and too loud.
I locked my phone immediately and shoved it into my pocket.
My pulse refused to settle.
The old memories came rushing back anyway.
The disappointment in people’s eyes everything flashed through my head.
I hated it.
By the time lunch arrived, I had completely lost my appetite.
Which was how Kiara found me sitting alone behind the athletic center.
Ignoring a perfectly good sandwich.
“You look terrible.”
I glanced up.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She sat beside me.
The humor disappeared from her face almost immediately.
“Okay. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Lie.”
I groaned.
Kiara crossed her arms waiting patiently.
Eventually, I gave up.
My phone appeared in my hand.
A few seconds later, she was staring at the messages.
Her expression darkened.
“Again?”
I nodded.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The afternoon breeze moved through the trees overhead.
Students passed nearby, life continued.
Meanwhile, I felt stuck.
Trapped inside something I couldn’t escape.
“You should tell someone.”
I laughed quietly.
“And say what?”
Kiara frowned.
“The truth.”
“Nobody believes the truth.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Silence followed.
Because deep down I knew that wasn’t entirely true, not anymore.
There was at least one person who seemed willing to listen.
And that scared me.
Practice arrived far too quickly.
I almost skipped it.
Coach Daniels would’ve hunted me down personally.
So unfortunately, attendance won.
The stadium looked unusually busy today.
Athletes filled the track, and managers carried equipment.
The usual chaos. I headed toward lane six naturally at this point, it felt inevitable.
Jace appeared a few minutes later.
The second he saw me, his expression changed slightly.
Subtle, but noticeable.
“What’s wrong?”
I nearly laughed. Of course, he noticed.
“Nothing.”
His eyes narrowed, clearly unconvinced.
“Sure.”
The whistle blew before he could question me further. Thank God.
For the next hour, I focused entirely on running.
Anything to keep my mind occupied.
It worked for a while, until Coach announced cooldown laps.
The moment activity slowed down, the thoughts returned.
The messages. The photo. The memories. Everything.
By the time practice ended, my chest felt tight.
I grabbed my bag quickly ready to leave and be alone.
Unfortunately, life had other plans.
Halfway across the stadium, my phone buzzed again.
Unknown Number.
Fear shot through me instantly, but I opened it anyway.
Another photo.
This time from the day everything fell apart.
My stomach dropped, the image blurred suddenly, and my vision followed.
No. Not here. Not now.
I turned sharply toward the empty bleachers.
Away from the athletes and everyone.
My breathing quickened, and the familiar pressure returned.
My hands started shaking.
I hated this. I hated how one message could drag me backward.
I hated how powerless it made me feel most of all, I hated that it still hurt.
The stadium sounds faded.
My pulse roared in my ears.
I sat heavily on the lowest bleacher trying to breathe and think.
Trying not to completely fall apart.
“Naomi.”
I froze. It was Jace.
Please not now.
“Go away.”
The words came out rougher than intended.
He didn’t move.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
The lie sounded pathetic even to me.
Silence stretched then footsteps got closer.
I kept my head down embarrassed, frustrated, and angry.
A hundred emotions at once. For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then—
“You’re shaking.”
My throat tightened unexpectedly.
Great.
Exactly what I needed. Witnesses.
I stared at the ground refusing to look at him.
Refusing to let him see more than he already had.
But Jace remained beside me; he was quiet and patient. He wasn't pushing; he was just there.
Somehow that made everything worse.
Because I was used to judgment, questions, and assumptions.
I wasn’t used to this. To kindness, to someone staying.
A painful lump formed in my throat I swallowed hard then harder but it didn’t help.
The next thing I knew, a tear slipped free.
I immediately wiped it away it was humiliating.
“Hey.”
His voice sounded softer and more careful.
Like he was approaching a wild animal.
I laughed bitterly.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Pretend you can fix this.”
The words hung between us heavy and honest.
For a second, I expected him to leave as most people did.
Instead, Jace sat down beside me not too close or too far, just enough.
“I know.”
I blinked.
“What?”
His gaze stayed fixed on the track ahead.
“I know I can’t fix it.”
The answer surprised me.
Because there was no false promise.
No heroic speech just honesty.
The kind that hurts less.
For the first time all day, my breathing began to slow.
The pressure eased slightly not gone, just lighter.
Beside me, Jace remained silent.
Giving me space, giving me time.
And somehow, without even trying—
He became the first person to see my cracks.
And stay anyway.
- Writer
