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🎨 Art Class Mishap
It started off innocent.
Lila, Theo, and Kai all chose to sit together for art class.
The assignment?
"Paint something… that you want."
Theo and Kai glanced at Lila at the same time.
Lila? She was just picking her brush, clueless.
But while everyone got busy…
Kai painted something abstract — messy yet passionate.
Theo? He was sketching something more detailed, carefully hidden under his arm.
Lila peeked.
Lila:
"Are you painting me?"
Theo (nervous):
"What? No! Why would I— I mean…"
Kai (smirking):
"Caught in 4K, my guy."
Theo threw a paintbrush at him.
Lila (laughing):
"You both are idiots."
But her cheeks were pink.
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🍫 The Accidental Drop
After class, they were heading to the vending machine.
Lila dropped her chocolate bar while opening it.
Kai:
"I got it—"
Theo:
"No, I'll—"
Their hands brushed again.
Their eyes met.
Both flinched back like electricity had just zapped them.
Lila (laughing nervously):
"Relax, guys, it's not a proposal ring."
Theo (soft):
"But what if it was?"
Kai looked at Theo sharply.
Lila blinked — confused… and maybe flustered.
---
🏠After School Walk
Only Theo walked her home that day.
The silence between them was soft… comforting.
But heavy.
Theo (quietly):
"You ever wish people just… said what they felt?"
Lila:
"All the time."
He looked at her sideways.
She met his gaze.
They stopped walking.
The air felt charged.
Like the sky just before a storm.
But neither of them moved.
Or spoke.
Until Lila looked away.
Lila (soft laugh):
"You're weird."
Theo (muttering):
"You have no idea."
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🌙 At Night
Lila stared at her ceiling, wondering what Theo almost said.
Theo lay in bed, wondering why he didn't just say it.
And Kai?
He looked at his painting again — a swirl of red and gold — and whispered:
Kai:
"You're slipping away from me, Lila."
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End of Chapter 25