Arista's POV
The applause didn't stop when the curtains fell.
It followed us.
Into the hallway.
Into the classrooms.
Into every corner of the school where whispers traveled faster than truth.
By the time I reached my locker, my phone buzzed nonstop.
Did you see them?
Arista and Kaelor???
That wasn't acting.
Lichi era unlocked.
I shut my locker harder than necessary.
Mira leaned against the next one, pretending to be casual.
"So… should I start planning the wedding or wait till the college arc?"
"Please don't," I muttered.
Zoe grinned. "Too late. The fandom has decided."
Sana crossed her arms, eyes sharp. "Derek didn't clap."
That made me pause.
I hadn't noticed.
And that scared me more than I wanted to admit.
The next day felt heavier.
Not loud.
Just… dense.
Teachers praised us.
Students stared.
And somewhere between second and third period, I felt that familiar sensation—
Being watched.
I turned.
Derek stood near the staircase, arms folded, expression unreadable.
He didn't smile this time.
He didn't look amused.
He looked… irritated.
When our eyes met, he nodded once.
Not an apology.
Not a greeting.
A warning.
My stomach tightened.
Lunch break was worse.
Kaelor sat across from me, quiet as usual, but today there was something different—alert, like he was listening to everything at once.
"You okay?" he asked, low.
I shrugged. "Define okay."
He didn't push.
That was his thing.
He never forced his way into my thoughts.
Across the table, Sana whispered, "You two are trending."
"Please stop talking," I begged.
Kaelor's lips twitched.
That tiny smile made my chest feel lighter.
And that annoyed me.
After school, the corridors thinned.
I was stuffing books into my bag when someone blocked my path.
Derek.
"Can we talk?" he asked.
I blinked. "About what?"
"Yesterday."
I stayed neutral. "It was a performance."
He scoffed. "You don't look at people like that in performances."
Before I could respond, Kaelor's voice cut in—calm, firm.
"She doesn't owe you explanations."
Derek's eyes flicked to him.
Then back to me.
"Just be careful, Arista," Derek said quietly.
"Not everyone who stands beside you is safe."
I laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was ridiculous.
"Take your own advice," I said, stepping past him.
My hands were shaking.
Kaelor noticed.
He always did.
We didn't plan to walk home together.
It just… happened.
The sky was overcast, gray threatening rain.
"I didn't like that," Kaelor said after a while.
"Which part?" I asked.
"All of it."
I smiled faintly. "Me neither."
We stopped near the old basketball court, the one no one used anymore.
"I don't regret yesterday," I said suddenly.
He looked at me.
"Not the performance," I clarified. "Not trusting you when I panicked."
He exhaled. "Good. Because I don't regret being there."
Silence settled.
Not awkward.
Comfortable.
"I felt safe," I admitted, staring at the cracked concrete. "That scares me."
He didn't answer right away.
Then, softly: "It shouldn't."
The first drops of rain fell.
Light. Unexpected.
Neither of us moved.
Rain soaked my hair, my shoulders, my thoughts.
Kaelor stepped closer—not touching.
"Breathe," he said gently.
I did.
Rain mixed with everything I couldn't say out loud.
----
Kaelor's POV
People talk too much.
They see moments and think they understand them.
They don't see the panic before the lights.
They don't hear the breath she can't catch.
They don't know how heavy her silence gets.
Derek does something else entirely.
He pokes.
He provokes.
And I don't trust him.
When the rain fell, I wanted to pull her away from it.
But I didn't.
Because Arista Rivera doesn't need saving.
She needs space to choose.
And if she chooses distance someday—
I'll survive.
Barely.
---
Arista's POV
By the time I reached home, soaked and exhausted, Sarvin looked up from his puzzle.
"You look happy," he said.
"I'm confused," I replied.
He nodded seriously. "That comes before happy."
I smiled.
Maybe he was right.
Because somewhere between applause, rain, and quiet understanding—
Something had shifted.
Not love.
Not yet.
But echoes don't fade easily.
---