Arista's POV
The first thing I noticed that morning was the seat.
Kaelor's seat.
Empty.
I paused at the classroom door longer than necessary, my bag strap digging into my shoulder as students brushed past me. I scanned the room once. Then again. As if he might suddenly appear if I looked hard enough.
But he didn't.
"Maybe he's late," Advi said casually, sliding into her seat beside mine.
"Yeah," I replied too quickly.
I sat down, placing my bag where it always went, my eyes drifting back to the empty chair in front of me. Kaelor was never late. If anything, he arrived early just to annoy people or steal chalk from the teacher's desk and act innocent.
The bell rang.
Still no Kaelor.
Classes went on as usual — math formulas on the board, whispered complaints, pens tapping — but my focus slipped in and out like bad reception.
I kept thinking of the way he'd walked away after the trip. The way his smile hadn't stayed long enough.
By second period, I felt uneasy.
By third, it was impossible to ignore.
---
During break, Sana leaned over my desk.
"You okay? You've been staring at air for ten minutes."
"Did Kaelor text you?" I asked instead.
She frowned. "No… why would he text me?"
I shook my head. "Nothing."
But it wasn't nothing.
By lunchtime, his seat still remained empty.
---
Kaelor's POV
I stood outside the school gate.
Again.
Watching students enter like nothing in the world had shifted. Like routines weren't fragile things that could break overnight.
I checked the time.
Too late to go in now.
The truth was simple and complicated at the same time — I didn't know how to face her today. After disappearing. After avoiding her messages without actually avoiding them.
My phone buzzed.
A text from Devin.
📩
Devin:
"Bro, where are you? Everyone's asking."
I typed. Deleted. Typed again.
📩
Kaelor:
"Not coming today."
Three words.
They felt heavier than they should have.
I slipped my phone into my pocket and walked away from the gate.
---
Arista's POV
When the class teacher walked in during fourth period and Kaelor still wasn't there, I finally accepted it.
He wasn't coming.
Something twisted inside my chest — not panic exactly, but a quiet ache. Like missing a step you didn't realize you relied on.
"Arista," the teacher called. "You're the class leader for today. Take attendance."
I stood, clipboard in hand, calling names automatically.
When I reached his —
"Kaelor."
Silence.
I hesitated before marking him absent.
The pen hovered.
Then I ticked the box.
Absent.
The word looked too final.
---
After school, Devin stopped me near the corridor.
"You okay?" he asked carefully.
"Why is everyone asking me that?" I snapped before softening. "Sorry. I'm just… confused."
He hesitated, scratching the back of his neck. "He didn't tell you, did he?"
"Tell me what?"
Devin looked uncomfortable now. "Nothing serious. Just… he's dealing with stuff."
"What kind of stuff?" I pressed.
"I don't know details," he said quickly. "He didn't say much. Just that he might not come regularly."
Might not come regularly.
The words echoed long after Devin walked away.
---
Kaelor's POV
I spent the day anywhere except where I was supposed to be.
I sat in a café for hours, notebook untouched, coffee going cold. Every time I imagined walking into class, I pictured her looking up — surprised, relieved, questioning.
I wasn't ready for that look.
I wasn't ready to lie.
I wasn't ready to explain the truth.
So I stayed away.
Cowardly again.
---
Arista's POV
The next day, Kaelor came to school.
Late.
He walked in halfway through the second period, hair slightly messy, eyes tired. The room buzzed quietly as everyone noticed.
My heart lifted before I could stop it.
He didn't look at me.
Not once.
He sat down, pulled out his notebook, and acted like everything was normal.
Except it wasn't.
During lunch, I cornered him near the staircase.
"Where were you yesterday?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
He smiled — that same half-smile I'd seen on the bus.
"Busy."
"With what?"
"Stuff."
"That's not an answer."
He sighed softly. "Arista… don't do this here."
"Then where?" I shot back. "Because you keep disappearing."
His eyes softened for a moment.
"I'm not disappearing," he said quietly. "I'm just… figuring things out."
"That doesn't explain why your seat keeps going empty."
He froze at that.
Just for a second.
Then he nodded. "I know."
And walked away.
---
Kaelor's POV
I hated myself for that.
For leaving her standing there with unanswered questions.
But every time I thought of telling her the truth, fear wrapped tighter around my chest.
Some truths don't just change one person.
They break an entire phase of life.
---
Arista's POV
Over the next few weeks, it became a pattern.
Some days Kaelor was there — laughing, joking, pretending nothing was wrong.
Some days, his seat stayed empty.
And every empty day chipped away at something inside me.
Exams approached. Teachers rushed lessons. Time moved faster.
But I felt stuck.
Watching a boy slowly fade from a place he once filled completely.
One afternoon, as I packed my bag, I looked at his seat one last time.
Empty again.
For the first time, the thought crossed my mind:
What if this isn't temporary?