(Arista's POV)
If Episode 5 was chaos, then today felt like the quiet after a storm—
the kind where the sky still looks confused, like it hasn't decided whether to rain or shine.
I woke up feeling… lighter.
Not happy, not excited—just lighter.
Like someone had loosened that invisible knot in my chest by one small, tiny centimeter.
Maybe it was because yesterday finally made sense.
Maybe it was because I let myself breathe.
Or maybe it was because I didn't have to see Adi in the corridor today.
Whatever the reason, I felt… different.
And apparently, everyone could see it.
---
When I reached school, Advi was already standing near the gate, adjusting her ponytail like she was about to walk a runway.
"You're glowing for no reason," she said.
"Where?" I asked.
"In your aura," she replied dramatically.
"What aura?"
"Your I-slept-for-seven-hours aura."
I rolled my eyes and we walked in together.
The morning hallway was buzzing with gossip, backpacks slamming, and teachers yelling "Walk, don't run!" while everyone still ran.
I slipped into my classroom, and suddenly the noise dipped.
Not because of me—
but because he walked in right behind me.
Kaylor.
With his messy hair and that half-tucked shirt he never learned to fix.
He didn't even look at me.
He went straight to his group, tossed his bag like it owed him money, and started talking loudly about cricket.
And still—
my stomach did that weird twist.
Why do bodies do this?
Why can't they behave?
I forced myself to focus on Mira, who was telling us about her ongoing problem with Arvin texting her "good morning" at exactly 7:02 AM every day like it was a sacred ritual.
"He's sweet," Zoe said.
"He's scary," Mira corrected.
"He's consistent," I added.
"Exactly! And consistency is scary!" Mira concluded.
We all laughed.
For a moment, everything was normal.
---
Second period was English.
Our teacher walked in with her usual "I love literature, hate noise" expression.
We settled down, but I could feel someone staring at my back.
I didn't dare check.
But every time I shifted in my seat, there it was—
that soft, tiny feeling of being watched.
Not in a creepy way.
Just in a why-is-he-even-looking-here way.
I finally glanced sideways.
Kaylor quickly looked away.
I pretended I didn't notice.
But the stupid bloom in my chest disagreed.
---
By recess, something inside me had stretched enough that I could breathe without thinking.
Maybe that's why I didn't panic when Derek accidentally walked past our table.
He didn't look at me.
He never looks at me.
Good.
I don't want him to.
But the silence felt weirdly heavy.
I shook it off and ate my sandwich.
---
After school, instead of rushing to the gate, I waited for Sarvin outside the special help room.
He came out smiling, holding two puzzle pieces in his hands like they were treasures.
"Look!" he said. "Blue matches blue!"
"Yes," I said, hugging him lightly. "You're doing so well."
He beamed.
And just like that—
my entire world softened.
He is the one place in my life that never confuses me.
Never hurts me.
Never shifts under my feet.
Maybe that's why being with him feels like blooming quietly, safely.
---
We walked toward the gate, and that's when I saw him—
Kaylor standing near the bus line, laughing loudly at something one of his friends said.
He looked kind of free.
Kind of wild.
Kind of… untouchable.
And yet—
when his eyes met mine from across the crowd, the noise around us faded for just a second.
He didn't smile.
I didn't either.
But something in the air stretched again—
like the day had opened a tiny door I wasn't ready for.
I looked away first.
Because this… whatever it was…
was not meant to bloom yet.
Not now.
Not here.
But maybe someday.
Maybe.