Arista's POV
By now, I should've been used to this feeling.
The quiet awareness. The way Kaelor existed in the same space as me without demanding attention—and still somehow pulling it.
But I wasn't.
The school corridor buzzed with fest prep chaos. Posters, paint buckets, people arguing over colors like it was life or death.
I walked with Meera and Sana, carrying chart papers.
"You're distracted again," Sana said.
"I'm literally holding posters," I replied.
"That's physical presence. Mentally you're somewhere else."
Meera didn't say anything. She just looked at me the way best friends do—like they know, but they're waiting for you to admit it first.
I hated that look.
---
Kaelor's POV
She walked past me without noticing this time.
That stung more than it should've.
I was with Devin near the notice board, helping him fix a banner.
"She's busy," Devin said casually, following my gaze.
"I wasn't—" I stopped myself. "Yeah. I know."
Devin smirked.
"You only pretend to be unbothered."
I shot him a look. "You're too observant for your age."
He shrugged. "Occupational hazard of being her brother."
That shut me up.
---
Arista's POV
Later, during practice slots, the auditorium felt too big.
Empty chairs. Echoes of footsteps.
Kaelor stood near the mic stand, testing sound.
When he sang—just one line, casually—the room shifted.
It wasn't dramatic. It wasn't showy.
It was warm.
My chest tightened before my brain could catch up.
Stop. Get a grip.
"Your turn," he said, handing me the mic.
I hesitated. Not because I couldn't sing.
Because singing with him felt… exposed.
I sang anyway.
Our voices didn't clash. They didn't compete.
They fit.
And that scared me more than anything else.
---
Kaelor's POV
She always did that.
Act brave. Step forward. Hide the tremble in her hands.
I noticed it today.
When she finished, the room went quiet.
"That was good," I said.
She nodded. "You too."
Two sentences. So much left unsaid.
---
Arista's POV
On the way out, Derek stood near the exit.
Not blocking. Not approaching.
Just… there.
Our eyes met for half a second.
His smile was polite. Controlled.
I looked away first.
Why does he always feel like unfinished business?
---
Kaelor's POV
I saw Derek.
And I saw the way Arista's shoulders stiffened.
That was enough.
I stepped closer to her—not touching, not dramatic. Just present.
Derek noticed.
His smile faltered.
Good.
---
Arista's POV
At home, I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling.
Nothing happened today.
No big scene. No confession. No argument.
And yet—
Something was building.
Like we were circling the same truth from different directions, both pretending we didn't see it yet.
I wasn't ready.
And somehow, I knew—
Neither was he.
---
Author's note
Some connections don't arrive like storms.
They arrive like gravity.
Quiet.
Constant.
Impossible to ignore forever.