Aching

I spent the rest of the school day thinking about how to talk to Ty.Alone.Between classes, in the bathroom, while pretending to take notes my mind kept circling the same thought: What do I say?And finally, before the last period, I decided to just wing it.Classic Nova style: no script, just vibes.I didn’t know exactly what was wrong, but I knew I cared enough to find out.My "research" mostly involved cornering Aiden and asking where Ty usually went when he needed space. Aiden, after a few raised brows and a dramatic sigh, spilled. Not like he had a choice he was worried too.After checking a few of the spots Aiden mentioned ...seriously, this school wasn’t that big. I found Ty leaning against the railing behind the library. The bell had just rung for final period, but there was no way I was letting him disappear without talking.He looked up as I approached, surprise flickering across his face. “Aren’t you supposed to be in class?”“Says the guy hiding behind the book dungeon,”

Last Updated : 2025-07-13

Out

Ty’s POV The rooftop was quiet.Not the eerie kind of quiet. Not the kind that makes you feel alone or forgotten. This quiet felt earned. Like the world had finally decided to pause for a second and let me catch my breath. Just long enough to stop pretending everything was fine.I wasn’t used to this kind of honesty. Not even with myself.Nova had told me Eli would probably be up here. Of course he was. The roof was his version of a diary open air, sunlight, and just enough altitude to feel above the nonsense. He stood near the edge, arms crossed, his sunglasses pushed up in his hair. The last slivers of light caught on the faint glitter dusting his shirt, but it didn’t shine like it normally did.He looked… dimmer. Like the storm cloud version of Eli. Still beautiful, still composed, but quieter. Less sparkle.I almost didn’t go to him. I almost turned back, feet shifting like I could just melt into the concrete if I stood still long enough.But then Nova’s voice echoed in my head:

Last Updated : 2025-07-13

Good kind

I knew something was up the moment Eli stepped into my room that evening.No dramatic entrance. No glittery one-liners. No commentary about my choice of pajamas or the tragic state of my desk. He just walked in quietly and sat down on the edge of the bed, head bowed like something heavy was weighing him down.And that scared me more than I’d admit.He face-planted into my pillow with a sigh so loud it probably registered on a global existential crisis scale.“That sigh was at least an eight,” I said, shutting the door behind him. “Should I get ice cream, or are we jumping straight into emotional dumping?”“Talking now. Ice cream later,” he mumbled from the pillow.I sat beside him, folding my legs underneath me. “Okay then. What happened? I thought the rooftop talk was supposed to be romantic.”That earned a soft laugh from him small victory unlocked. “It was. Kind of. In that soul crushing, I want to cry and also hug him way.”“So… not a disaster?”He shook his head, finally rolling

Last Updated : 2025-07-14

Unlikely concern

School flew by in a blur of classes, half-focused thoughts, and me stealing way too many glances at Aiden whenever he appeared. Eli cracked a few jokes here and there definitely less sparkly than usual, but I wasn’t going to push. Him showing up, still being Eli in his quiet way? That was more than enough.By lunch, the cafeteria was its usual circus of teenage hormones and noise pollution. Honestly, do these people ever run out of energy?I balanced my tray on one hand and nudged Eli with the other as he squinted at the fry options like he was selecting a wedding venue.“Eli,” I said, exasperated. “You’re wearing mismatched socks. I think fries are the least of your worries right now.”He gasped. “How dare you insult my artistic expression. These socks are avant-garde, thank you very much.”Ty chuckled softly beside him still a little quiet, but lighter than yesterday. Like some invisible weight had finally loosened its grip.Surprisingly, we found an empty table near the windows. No

Last Updated : 2025-07-14

Too Much Emotion

ARNOLD'S POV:Nova was late.Not suspiciously late, just... later than usual. And for someone who always burst through the front door with a dramatic complaint and a handful of chaos, the quiet was immediately noticeable.No complaints. No sarcastic one-liners. Just the soft thud of the front door closing and the familiar thump of her bag being dropped by the stairs.Weird.I didn’t look up right away. I was halfway through my second bowl of cereal, watching a rerun of some random show, and doing my best not to overthink it. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t poke around in her business after our little cafeteria standoff earlier. That was my one big brother moment for the day.But that promise didn’t even last ten seconds.“You’re home late,” I said, keeping it casual.“I stayed back at the library,” she replied as she flopped onto the couch beside me and pulled a blanket over her like a burrito of avoidance.I snorted. “You haven’t voluntarily stepped inside that place since, what? Thir

Last Updated : 2025-07-16

Balance

NOVA'S POV: After dinner which mostly consisted of Arnold and I arguing over the most random things I dragged myself upstairs, trailing my blanket like a dramatic ghost. That conversation earlier with Arnold wasn’t something I expected. It had been… serious. Weirdly supportive. And I didn’t even realize how much I’d needed it until after. Of course, the teasing that followed balanced it out. It grounded me made me feel a bit more like myself again. I plopped onto my bed, cocooned myself in the blanket like some seasonal burrito, and sighed. When did it even get this cold? Ugh, I hated the cold. But I hated the heat more, so really, there was no winning. Whoever made “what’s your favorite season?” a personality test should be questioned. I’m not picking. None of them have it all figured out either. I reached for my phone, planning to text Eli. But before I could type a single word, his name flashed across my screen. “Is this what the common folks call telepathy?” I muttered as I