I came to school still feeling weak from the treatment. My legs were light, and my arms felt heavier than usual. But at least I was well enough to walk and see people again. And there he was Lucas, my idiot best friend, as usual.
I was about to greet him, but then I saw something that made me stop in my tracks.
He was talking to a girl.
I froze. It wasn't something earth-shattering, but it felt like a glitch in reality. This dumb-looking guy, who usually joked about everything and couldn't even text properly, was talking to a real girl… and casually at that.
I didn't want to disturb his moment, so I went straight to my seat. A few minutes later, Lucas walked into the classroom and smacked me hard on the back.
I slapped him right back.
"Dude, why didn't you come to school yesterday?"
he asked, grinning like nothing happened.
"I wasn't feeling well,"
I replied.
Lucas laughed.
"You're lying. I bet you just didn't want to go to school and slept all day."
I pinched his back, hard.
Then he turned serious.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you there was a duo project assigned yesterday. Everyone already got their partners."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Who's my partner then?"
Lucas smirked.
"The transfer student you asked about before."
I blinked.
"Oh… I see."
I didn't realize it, but I was smiling for some reason. Lucas noticed and didn't say a word about it. He just gave a small, knowing smile.
Maybe he had already figured something out about me that I hadn't yet figured out myself.
Then, during arts and acting class, I was casually playing games on my phone, as usual, when someone started tapping my shoulder. I ignored it. I thought it was just Lucas messing around again. But the tapping continued.
Annoyed, I grabbed the hand tightly without looking and turned around.
That was a mistake.
It was her.
Calliope.
My eyes widened in panic. She looked surprised and a little uncomfortable, but not angry.
"Um… Marcus? When will you let go of my hand?" she asked softly. "People are starting to stare… and it kinda hurts."
I quickly let go, horrified.
"I'm really sorry! I thought you were Lucas—I didn't mean to—"
She smiled gently.
"No, it's okay. I was a little surprised too, but I understand. Don't worry about it so much."
She paused for a moment, then said,
"Anyway, I wanted to talk about the partner project. Since we're working together, I've already made a plan, but I don't want to decide everything myself. I want to hear your thoughts too."
I panicked and blurted out,
"Ah, don't worry! I haven't planned anything—I mean, your plan is probably better than mine anyway."
She tilted her head a little.
"Ah no… I'm sure yours is good too."
I smiled.
"No worries. I can adjust to whatever plan you already have."
Her face brightened.
"Alright then. I'll send you the outline and the files I've prepared. Just read the script and let me know if you want to change anything."
"Sure,"
I nodded.
She smiled again, then returned to her seat and started writing something.
Moments later, Lucas walked up to me with a wide grin.
"So… something happened, huh?"
I smacked his arm without hesitation.
"It's your fault. And stop imagining things. Nothing's going to happen."
Lucas laughed.
"Oh? Something did happen then."
I wrestled with him a bit, laughing. Recess came, and I found myself alone. Lucas wasn't around. That stingy guy always begged me to share whenever I bought food, so now that I had some extra money, I didn't even know what to get.
While I stood thinking about what to buy, I saw her again Calliope.
A thought hit me.
I did grab her hand too hard earlier… maybe I should treat her to something as an apology.
I remembered her profile picture on social media it had a cat in it. So I bought a cat-shaped biscuit from the counter and made my way to her.
When I approached, she looked startled. She even flinched a little, as if she thought something bad was happening.
"Is something wrong, Calliope?"
I asked.
She laughed nervously.
"Ah no, I just thought a ghost touched my back. Anyway, did you need something?"
I quickly said,
"Ah, yes. Here, take this."
I gently handed her the biscuit.
She blinked in surprise.
"A biscuit? Why are you giving me this?"
"I just thought it could make up for what I did earlier,"
I said.
"I noticed your hand was a bit red when I grabbed it. I'm really sorry…"
She looked like she was about to respond, but I didn't give her the chance. I turned around and walked away quickly.
I always panicked when conversations dragged on too long—unless I was talking to Lucas. It was like my brain froze after a certain point. I never knew what to say.
She tried to catch up, but there were too many people in the hallway, and I disappeared into the crowd.
School ended not long after. I was exhausted not because of class, but because of the awkward moment and my sudden dash. It was the fastest I had run in years. As I got home and dropped onto my bed, I felt my body sinking into the sheets.
Just as I was about to fall asleep, a notification popped up on my phone.
It was from Calliope.
I stared at the screen, not sure what to say.
So I placed the phone on the side of my bed, closed my eyes, and whispered to myself.
"Tomorrow me can deal with it…"