Love maybe....

Falling apart

Monday morning felt heavier than usual.

Not because anything had changed—

but because everything had.

At Hartwich High School, silence didn’t exist.

Not really.

Even when people weren’t talking, they were watching.

And today—

they were definitely watching Jess.

The moment she stepped through the school gates, she felt it.

Whispers.

Glances.

Half-hidden conversations that stopped the second she walked past.

She tightened her grip on her bag.

Ignore it.

That was the plan.

Pretend nothing happened.

Pretend Friday night didn’t exist.

Pretend Malakai didn’t see her holding Tania’s hand.

Pretend everything was still… normal.

But normal had already left.

And it wasn’t coming back.

Jess barely made it to her locker before Amara appeared.

“Okay. What happened?”

Jess exhaled slowly.

“Nothing.”

Amara blinked.

“Jessica.”

“I’m serious.”

“Then why is the entire school acting like you started a war?”

Jess stayed quiet.

Amara studied her face.

Then her expression changed.

“Oh.”

Jess looked up.

“What?”

“That kind of nothing.”

Jess looked away.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Amara softened.

“Okay… but you’re not okay.”

Jess gave a small, tired smile.

“I’ll survive.”

Amara didn’t look convinced.

But she didn’t push.

First period felt endless.

Jess didn’t hear a single thing the teacher said.

Her mind kept replaying the same moment—

Malakai’s face.

The confusion.

The hurt.

The silence.

That silence was the worst part.

Because Malakai wasn’t someone who stayed quiet when he was upset.

He talked.

He argued.

He demanded answers.

But on Friday—

he just… looked at her.

Like he didn’t recognize her anymore.

And that scared her more than anything.

By lunch, the rumors had fully formed.

Jess didn’t even need to ask.

She heard enough just walking past people.

“She cheated on him.”

“With a girl.”

“No way.”

“Yes way.”

“I knew that new girl was trouble.”

“Tania, right?”

“Yeah. She’s the problem.”

Jess stopped walking.

That last part hit differently.

Because deep down—

she knew it wasn’t true.

Tania wasn’t the problem.

The problem was that Jess didn’t understand herself.

And now everyone else thought they did.

She found Malakai behind the gym.

Of course she did.

That was where he always went when he wanted to be alone.

For a second, she almost turned back.

But she couldn’t keep running.

Not anymore.

“Malakai.”

He didn’t turn.

She stepped closer.

“Can we talk?”

A pause.

Then—

“About what?”

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

Jess swallowed.

“About Friday.”

He let out a quiet laugh.

Not amused.

“Yeah. Let’s talk about Friday.”

He finally turned to face her.

And the look in his eyes—

hurt more than anger ever could.

“You embarrassed me.”

Jess flinched.

“That’s not what happened.”

“No?” he said.

“Because from where I was standing, my girlfriend was holding hands with someone else.”

Jess shook her head.

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Then what was it like, Jess?”

She opened her mouth—

and stopped.

Because for the first time—

she didn’t have an answer that sounded believable.

Malakai watched her closely.

And in that silence—

he understood.

“You don’t even know,” he said quietly.

Jess’s voice dropped.

“I didn’t plan for this.”

He nodded slowly.

“That’s what makes it worse.”

She stepped closer.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know,” he said.

“And somehow that doesn’t make it better.”

Jess felt tears sting her eyes.

“Malakai…”

He took a step back.

“I loved you, Jess.”

Past tense.

That word hit like a final door closing.

“I still—”

“Don’t,” he interrupted.

“Don’t say it if you’re not sure.”

Jess froze.

Because she wasn’t sure.

And he could see it.

That broke something in him.

He shook his head.

“I deserved honesty.”

Jess whispered,

"I was trying to figure things out.”

“And you figured it out with someone else?”

Silence.

That was answer enough.

Malakai exhaled slowly.

Then said the one thing Jess wasn’t ready to hear.

“We’re done.”

The world didn’t stop.

No dramatic music.

No big moment.

Just quiet.

Final.

Jess stood there, unable to move.

Unable to fix it.

Unable to undo anything.

Malakai walked past her.

And didn’t look back.

By the end of the day—

everything had changed.

Jess wasn’t “half of the perfect couple” anymore.

She was something else now.

Something people didn’t quite understand.

Some avoided her.

Some stared more.

Some judged without even trying to hide it.

And Tania—

Tania had become the center of it all.

Jess found her near the empty corridor after school.

Leaning against the wall like nothing in the world could shake her.

Jess walked up slowly.

“They’re blaming you.”

Tania didn’t look surprised.

“They always need someone to blame.”

Jess sighed.

“I hate this.”

Tania looked at her.

“You hate being seen differently.”

Jess shook her head.

“No. I hate that I hurt him.”

“That too.”

Silence stretched between them.

Jess spoke again, quieter this time.

“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

Tania stepped closer.

“But it did.”

Jess met her gaze.

“And now everything is falling apart.”

Tania’s voice softened slightly.

“Or maybe everything fake is just breaking.”

That should have felt comforting.

But it didn’t.

Because losing something real—even if it wasn’t perfect—still hurt.

Jess looked down.

“I don’t know what to do.”

Tania studied her for a moment.

Then said the one thing Jess wasn’t ready for.

“Then be honest. For once.”

Jess laughed weakly.

“Honesty is what got me here.”

“No,” Tania said.

“Half-truths got you here.”

That stung.

Because it was true.

Jess stepped back slightly.

Everything felt too heavy.

Too complicated.

Too much.

“I need time.”

Tania nodded.

“I know.”

Jess hesitated.

Then asked softly,

“Are you going to leave too?”

Tania didn’t answer immediately.

And that silence—

felt like foreshadowing.

“I don’t stay in places where I’m not wanted,” she finally said.

Jess’s chest tightened.

“I want you here.”

Tania held her gaze.

“Do you?”

Jess didn’t respond.

Because wanting something and choosing it—

were two very different things.

And for the second time—

she stayed silent.

That night, Jess stood by her window again.

The same place everything started.

The same place everything changed.

Across the street, Tania’s room light was on.

But the distance between them felt bigger than ever.

Jess rested her forehead against the glass.

Because now—

she had lost Malakai.

She was losing Tania.

And worst of all—

she still didn’t fully understand herself.

And maybe that was the real tragedy.

Not heartbreak.

Not rumors.

Not even losing people.

But realizing too late—

that fear had been making her decisions all along.