Monday Morning
Andrea barely slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, she replayed it again.
The rain.
The lake.
Samuel kissing her like she wasn't something temporary.
Her stomach twisted every single time she thought about it.
Not in a bad way.
That was the scary part.
Andrea stared at herself in the bathroom mirror.
"You need to calm down," she muttered to herself.
But the small smile on her face betrayed her instantly.
The second Andrea walked into school—
She felt it.
Something had changed.
Not because people knew.
Not yet.
But because she knew.
And apparently Samuel did too.
Andrea reached her locker and immediately heard footsteps approach.
She already knew who it was.
Samuel leaned beside the locker casually.
"You look tired."
Andrea rolled her eyes automatically.
"You look annoying."
Samuel smirked.
"There she is."
Andrea tried not to smile.
Failed.
Samuel noticed instantly.
"You're smiling again."
Andrea groaned softly.
"Stop pointing it out."
"Can't."
Andrea shut her locker harder than necessary.
"This is your fault."
Samuel raised an eyebrow.
"What is?"
Andrea gestured vaguely at herself.
"This."
Samuel looked way too amused.
"You being happy?"
Andrea's face heated immediately.
"I never said that."
Samuel leaned slightly closer.
"You didn't have to."
Andrea looked away quickly.
God.
This was dangerous now.
Andrea sat down at lunch trying to act normal.
Huge mistake.
Teresa looked at her once and nearly screamed.
"Oh my GOD."
Several people turned.
Andrea panicked instantly.
"Can you not?!"
Diana stared at Andrea dramatically.
"You kissed him."
Andrea choked on her drink.
"How do you even KNOW?!"
Teresa pointed aggressively.
"Your face!"
Andrea buried her face in her hands immediately.
"I hate both of you."
Diana grabbed Andrea's arm excitedly.
"No wait—tell us EVERYTHING."
Andrea shook her head repeatedly.
"No."
Teresa gasped.
"You're blushing."
Andrea wanted the earth to swallow her whole.
"I'm literally going home."
"You can't," Diana laughed. "Class started."
Andrea groaned louder.
"This is humiliating."
Teresa leaned forward with the biggest grin imaginable.
"So how was it?"
Andrea froze slightly.
The memory hit instantly.
Samuel's hand against her face.
The rain.
The way he kissed her slowly like she mattered.
Andrea's expression softened without realizing.
Teresa slapped the table dramatically.
"OH MY GOD IT WAS GOOD."
Andrea snapped out of it immediately.
"SHUT UP."
The girls burst into laughter.
Andrea covered her burning face again.
This was a nightmare.
Across the cafeteria—
Matthew watched the entire thing.
Andrea laughing.
Blushing.
Actually glowing.
And every few seconds—
Looking toward Samuel.
Matthew's stomach dropped slowly.
Vanessa sat beside him quietly.
Then finally sighed.
"You're hurting yourself."
Matthew looked away immediately.
"What?"
"You keep watching her."
Matthew clenched his jaw slightly.
"I'm not."
Vanessa gave him a look.
"Matthew."
Silence.
Vanessa looked toward Andrea too.
Then toward Samuel.
And suddenly—
She understood.
"Oh," she whispered quietly.
Matthew frowned slightly.
"What?"
Vanessa looked back at him sadly.
"You lost her."
The words hit harder than anything else could have.
Because for the first time—
Matthew believed it too.
Last class ended slowly.
Andrea headed toward the stairwell alone, headphones around her neck again.
The building felt quieter now.
She liked that.
But then—
A hand grabbed the railing beside her suddenly.
Samuel.
Andrea jumped slightly.
"What is WRONG with you?"
Samuel smirked.
"You scare easy."
"You appear out of nowhere like a serial killer."
Samuel laughed quietly.
Andrea stared at him for a second.
Then froze.
God.
She liked his laugh.
This was getting bad.
Samuel noticed her staring.
"What?"
Andrea looked away immediately.
"Nothing."
"Liar."
Andrea crossed her arms.
"You're annoying today."
Samuel tilted his head slightly.
"Only today?"
Andrea rolled her eyes.
Samuel stepped one stair lower until they stood almost face to face now.
Andrea's heartbeat immediately betrayed her.
Samuel noticed.
Again.
His expression softened slightly.
"You still nervous around me?"
Andrea laughed weakly.
"You kissed me at a lake in the rain and now you're asking that?"
Samuel smiled faintly.
"Fair point."
Andrea looked at him carefully.
Then quieter—
"Are you nervous?"
Samuel paused.
Then nodded once.
Andrea blinked.
"You are?"
Samuel looked almost amused by her surprise.
"You think you're the only one losing their mind?"
Andrea stared at him.
Something about hearing that made her chest ache softly.
In a good way.
Samuel leaned lightly against the railing.
"I just hide it better."
Andrea smiled before she could stop herself.
Samuel immediately noticed.
"There it is again."
Andrea groaned dramatically.
"I'm actually going to push you down these stairs."
Samuel laughed quietly again.
And Andrea realized something terrifying.
She was starting to associate him with peace.
The stairwell fell quiet after that.
No teasing.
No jokes.
Just the two of them standing too close again.
Samuel looked at her carefully.
Like he was still figuring her out.
Andrea's voice came out softer this time.
"So… what now?"
Samuel tilted his head slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Andrea shrugged awkwardly.
"This."
Samuel stepped a little closer.
"We figure it out."
Andrea looked down nervously.
"I'm bad at this."
Samuel's voice lowered.
"I know."
Andrea looked up again.
"But I'm still here."
There it was again.
That sentence.
That terrifying sentence.
Andrea's chest tightened softly.
Samuel lifted his hand slowly toward her face again.
Giving her time to stop him.
She didn't.
His fingers brushed against her cheek gently.
Andrea's breath caught instantly.
Samuel looked at her lips briefly.
Then back to her eyes.
Andrea noticed.
And suddenly the air felt too thin.
Samuel moved slightly closer.
Andrea's heart started racing again.
Then—
The stairwell door slammed open loudly.
Both of them jumped apart immediately.
Teresa walked in—
Then froze.
Her eyes widened slowly.
"Oh."
Andrea wanted to die instantly.
Teresa looked between them dramatically.
"…OH."