As Mr. Dan strode in, calling the class to order, Blue straightened her back, smiling faintly to herself. The day had begun, but the laughter—quiet and personal—stayed with her, a small anchor before the lessons, the whispers, and the chaos of school life took over.
*************
The weekend arrived with its familiar ease. The house felt quieter than usual, the soft hum of the fan mingling with the faint rustle of leaves outside the window. Blue curled up on the couch, her phone resting against her knee, fingers tapping at the screen as she texted Roger.
"Did you finish your homework?" she typed, the casual tone hiding the flutter in her chest.
"Almost. You?" came his reply almost instantly.
She smiled, dropping the phone beside her for a moment, letting herself sink into the storyline she had been following for weeks. The characters, their struggles, and their small triumphs carried her into another world. It was comforting—predictable yet engaging—and for a while, it let her forget the quiet tension of school corridors and whispering students.
Her phone buzzed again. Elise and Asha were already active online.
Elise: You're still on episode 12? I finished it last night!
Blue: Yeah… slow start. But it's getting good now.
Asha: Don't spoil it! You have to suffer like the rest of us.
Blue laughed quietly, replying quickly before getting absorbed again in the drama. Between episodes, she would scroll through messages with Roger, playful exchanges punctuated by emojis and teasing remarks. Each small conversation grounded her, reminding her that even in secrecy, there could be joy.
Her mother came by, holding a small tray of snacks.
"Blue, don't spend all your time on that phone," she said with a gentle smile, placing the plate beside her.
Blue glanced up, smiling back. "I'm multitasking—I'm watching and… well, texting a little."
Her mother shook her head, chuckling softly before returning to the kitchen. Blue picked up a cookie, savoring the quiet normalcy of home life. The soft interactions, the mundane tasks, the casual laughter—it all felt like an anchor.
"Cheesy is good sometimes. Makes life less stressful."
They exchanged a string of messages, back and forth, comfortable and easy. Roger asked about her day, what she had eaten, even what she thought about the latest drama plot twist. Blue found herself smiling more than usual, realizing she hadn't laughed like this in a long time.
"So… you really like the main character?" he teased after she sent a long paragraph about the protagonist's struggles.
"Obviously. Don't judge me. You'd be the first to say he's too perfect."
"Maybe I'd say he's inspiring. Like you, sometimes."
Blue paused, staring at the message. She felt a warmth in her chest, but didn't respond immediately. Instead, she returned to her drama, thinking over what he had said. It was subtle, almost effortless, and yet it carried meaning.
They moved on to small confessions—favorite foods, annoying habits, the way they handled stress. Roger revealed he hated tomatoes and was secretly terrified of heights. Blue shared how she often stayed up late just to organize her thoughts and how she sometimes loved the quiet of being alone more than being with people.
"You really value your space, huh?" Roger wrote.
"I do. But I also like sharing it with the right people. You seem… easy to share with."
*"Only me?" he teased.
"For now," Blue replied with a faint smile, tapping send. "Depends if you keep being worth it."
They laughed over emojis, playful teasing, and imagined scenarios. Roger asked what her dream vacation would be, and she admitted she liked quiet beaches where the only sound was the waves. He told her he had always wanted to climb a mountain, even if it terrified him, just to see the sunrise from the top.
Hours passed this way. Blue got up occasionally to help her grandmother with small chores—folding clothes, checking the Wi-Fi, fixing a loose cable—but always returned to the conversation. She felt herself relaxing in a way she hadn't in weeks.
"I think I'd like to see that sunrise too," she typed finally, "but maybe with someone who's patient enough to wait with me."
"I can wait," Roger replied quickly. "And I can bring coffee."
Blue laughed quietly to herself. The playful back-and-forth, the sharing of small secrets and little dreams, felt like an unspoken trust forming between them. She realized that even with all the caution she had learned from past experiences, it was possible to be close without being reckless.
By the evening, her phone buzzed with a series of goodnight messages, soft and thoughtful.
"Sleep well, Blue. Don't let the week stress you out too much."
"You too. Thanks for today," she replied, setting her phone aside.
***************
Blue sat in class, laughing and teasing with her friends, Elise and Asha, while Mavin, Diana, and a few other guys joined in on the conversation. The topic had spiraled into a playful argument—debating which sports team was better, which movie franchise had the best storyline, and which snack could never be topped.
"It's not like that, believe it," Elise said, shaking her head with an amused frown.
The group erupted in laughter again, voices overlapping as each person tried to make their point. Blue leaned back, enjoying the easy banter, when movement at the doorway caught her attention.
Two figures approached, their presence noticeable enough to shift the energy in the room. Blue's stomach fluttered for just a moment, and then she reminded herself to remain calm.
Roger walked in, slipping smoothly into the circle of conversation. Blue greeted him casually with a simple hi, her voice steady, eyes neutral. The group responded in unison, cheerfully but without lingering attention.
Roger didn't pause with her. Instead, he reached over and held Diana's hand, talking to her with the familiarity of long-term friends. His tone was relaxed, teasing, warm—effortless, as though the two had known each other for years.
Blue watched, her chest tightening slightly. She had expected nothing else, yet somehow the casual ease of the gesture and the way he interacted with others surprised her. His brother, Fred, gravitated toward the back seats, chatting and laughing with the rest of the guys.
Blue blinked, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Confusion swirled quietly inside her. Why did it feel so strange to see him act so easily with everyone else? Why did her heart give a small, unexpected tug when he barely acknowledged her beyond a greeting?