By the time I got home, my brain was fried.
Mom wouldn't stop asking if I was okay. Dad gave me one of those protective-father speeches about "not letting people walk all over you," and honestly, all I wanted was a nap. Or maybe to disappear into my hoodie forever.
After dinner, I went straight to my room. The house was quiet except for the low hum of the ceiling fan and the occasional car passing outside. I tossed my bag aside and flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling like it had all the answers.
The day had been… a lot.
The whispers, the looks, the principal's office, Adrian—
Ugh. Especially Adrian.
Every time I thought about the way he'd looked at me in the hallway—soft and kind, not pitying—my stomach did that annoying flip thing again. And then there was the ride yesterday, the way his voice had sounded when he asked if I was okay today… yeah. Totally normal reaction to someone I've been crushing on my entire life.
(Okay, maybe this is dumb.)
I grabbed my phone and scrolled through my notifications—mostly group chats and memes from Avery and Charlotte. Then, at the top of my messages, I saw it:
Adrian Hardin.
My heart actually skipped a beat.
I stared at the screen for a full ten seconds before opening it.
Adrian : Hey. You still awake?
I sat up, brushing my hair back like he could somehow see me through the phone.
Me: yeah
barely though
today was exhausting
The typing bubbles popped up almost immediately.
Adrian: bet. piper looked like she wanted to set the school on fire when she walked out of the office
Adrian: worth it though
I snorted quietly.
Me: yeah, she kinda deserved that detention
Me: karma showed up in a principal's pants today
He replied with a laughing emoji.
Adrian: i still can't believe you didn't yell at her
most people would've lost it right there in the parking lot
I hesitated before typing.
Me: I wanted to
but if I did, she'd win
plus, Avery might've gone to jail for attempted murder
A few seconds later, his next message came in.
Adrian: lol true
she looked like she was ready to swing yesterday
also… i respect that though
staying calm. and damn, you have very good friends
For some reason, that made me smile.
It wasn't even what he said—it was how he said it. Simple, but honest. No pretending. No drama.
Me: thanks
guess I've had practice lol
and my friends are the best ones in the world
Adrian: that bad?
Me: let's just say this semester was meant for fun, but last year + mean girl + mean girl crush = nightmare starter pack
Adrian: sounds rough
but you handled it
You kinda have this calm energy
like "i don't need to prove anything" vibes
My face literally warmed. Calm energy?
Me? The girl who spent ten minutes earlier yelling at her charger for not plugging in?
Me: wow ,thanks
totally calm right now
definitely not panicking over homework i haven't started
Adrian: same lol
i'm supposed to finish the essay on "atomic bonding"
but i'm bonding with my bed instead
I laughed, covering my mouth even though I was alone.
Me: priorities
bed first, education later
Adrian: exactly. see, you get it
There was a pause. The kind that wasn't awkward—just quiet.
I found myself smiling at my screen for no reason, rereading our chat like a total loser.
Then another message popped up.
Adrian: hey
random question
you doing okay? like… really okay?
I froze for a second.
It wasn't the words—it was the tone. The way he typed it.
Me: yeah, I think so
today sucked
but I'm okay now
thanks for asking
Adrian: good
cuz i know stuff like that sticks with people
people can be trash sometimes
Me: yeah
but not everyone
some people are decent
Adrian: decent, huh
that's like a solid 7/10 compliment
i'll take it
Me: don't let it get to your head
i'm saving the 10/10 for later
I didn't even realize I'd typed that until it sent.
Adrian: oh really
guess i'll have to earn it
I could practically hear the smirk in that text.
My cheeks burned, and I quickly tossed my phone face-down on the bed like that would erase what I'd done.
But then, the vibration buzzed again.
Adrian: anyway
you did good today, Tess
proud of you
I stared at the words for a long moment.
No one had said that to me in a while—not like that, not so simply.
Me: thanks, Adrian
that actually means a lot
Adrian: anytime
now sleep before you start overthinking
goodnight, Tess
Me: good night
don't dream about your atomic bonds
Adrian: no promises
I laughed again, this quiet little laugh that only happens when you're smiling at your phone like an idiot.
I set it down and sank back onto my pillow, still grinning like an absolute fool.
Somewhere outside, crickets hummed, and the night felt softer, quieter.
Maybe tomorrow would be better.
Maybe I'd stop thinking about that stupid spark every time he looked at me.
Maybe.
But probably not.
The rest of the school week went by in a blur. No Doras to stress my life—just me, my friends, and Adrian. Turns out we actually have a lot in common, and we've been bonding way more than I expected. And honestly? I kinda love it. He's always checking up on me, talking to me, even doing assignments with me.
But somehow… we still haven't started talking about our biology project.