My Date to the Gala

m light, slow dances, whispered promises under the stars. But then she rolled over and saw the pale pink gown draped

all bee

was t

d her like the world didn't exist beyond that moment. She sat

reakfast? Or are you still fl

r the keyboard before she stopped herself. Be c

ends-are

ter, the r

hing for my

ontain the stupid grin on her face. Everything felt different now. Magical-but

at familiar smirk she secretly loved. She stepped out wearing joggers

ucking a loose str

coffee like it was a peace offeri

eir fingers bru

g much at first. Their usual banter felt... careful now.

ced sideways. "S

lip. "Yeah.

know. About not letting

I just... don't want to rush

e known each other forever, Lena. This isn

ed slowly

ka

dded.

ngs felt normal again. Not l

eath piles of assignments and coffee-stained notebooks. The hallways bustled,

methin

e hidden behind his water bottle. In the library, their hands would graze when reaching

uncertain

from the gala's glow? Or were they r

didn'

hing now?" she asked, ploppin

. "I-I don't know. Maybe? W

els don't matter. But feelings?

mumbled. "I'm

wh

Of messing it up

u're scared of what it means t

wer, but the wo

ted him leaning against the railing, earbuds in, hoodie half-zipped, e

you could use a

s ice cream at

ow me t

grass. The air was crisp, the sky streaked with the colors of dusk. The

space beside him. She joined, curling her le

g," he said after

fluttere

ds forever, and this feels like walking a ti

m, the tension in her

e never felt more certain

d hard, emot

ot just gala-night-dreamy-moment like you. I've liked you since sophomore year when you fell asl

pricking at the c

n't deserve it. And somewhere along the way, I stopped seeing you as my best

g moment, watching her

he loo

ed," she

kno

feel

ntly. "Then let's b

is shoulder, her

e above, they sat in that perfect in-between-no longer jus

assed. T

. Coffee dates turned into library study sessions that somehow always ende

is time on the rooftop after a m

was the answer she didn't

sn't

n't pe

t was

Lena wasn't afraid of

e them. The world felt quieter here, tucked away from the chaos of their schedules and expec

just stay the same f

head slightly. "F

ant in my life. And I held on to that so t

er, his gaze gentle. "

ealize she'd been holding. "I'm just n

e just not all the way. But I've never wanted to

s, at the truth of them. "Yo

o, I just say

eyes. "Okay. Let's try th

ingers intertwining like they al

ampus sky, Lena felt something shift i

e that had always been there, waiting