Chapter 13:
As Alex walked home alone, the soft rustling of trees lining the street stirred something quiet in him. His hand still held the cold drink bottle from earlier, but his thoughts had drifted far past the convenience store.
Pamela.
He let out a breath.
It had been years, but he could still remember the first time he met her. He must have been… what, seven? His parents had taken him to a small countryside inn for the summer to escape the noise of the city. Pamela had just lost her parents. The grown-ups whispered about it when they thought he wasn't listening.
She hadn't spoken much that summer. Not to anyone. She would sit under the persimmon tree behind the inn, alone, knees drawn to her chest.
But when he found her there and started building a tiny stick fortress in the dirt, she looked up at him with wary eyes.
"You wanna help me defend it from bandits?" he'd asked.
She didn't answer, but she picked up a stick and joined him.
From that day on, he made it a point to find her every morning. They built things. They invented stories. They raced across the field chasing butterflies and daring the sun to catch them.
One day, while playing, she curled into herself and whispered, "I'm alone now. I don't have anyone."
He'd said it without thinking.
"You have me, fair princess. I'm gonna marry you, No more loneliness, then we'll always be together."
She had looked at him then—really looked—and for the first time, she smiled like she meant it. Not because she wasn't hurting, but because someone had reached out and held onto her.
And now, all these years later, she'd kept that promise in her heart.
Alex shook his head softly, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"She never changed," he muttered. "Still hiding everything behind that smile."
Millie House,
Millie stepped through the front door, dropping her bag by the entrance.
"I'm home."
"Hey," her dad called from the living room, eyes still on the news. "How was school? Not too tiring, I hope."
"Nope. All good," she replied, slipping off her shoes.
He glanced back. "Rachel didn't come with you?"
"She's probably at the library. Didn't want to bother her again. She didn't study much while I was in the hospital."
Her dad turned the volume down, giving her his full attention. "Honey, it's not a bother when someone does something out of love."
"I can take care of myself just fine," she said gently. "I ate, drank, and even took my meds on time today."
"I know you're strong," he said, standing and moving to her. "But why do you still look down? Do you have a fever?"
He reached out to check, but she caught his wrist, offering a small smile. "No fever. Promise."
Before he could argue, the front door burst open.
"Millie!" Rachel called, breathless. "Why didn't you call me when you were done? I lost track of time, and when I checked, you were gone!"
"Sorry, sorry," Millie said, hands up in surrender. "I didn't want to bother you. I came home fine."
"Come with me." Rachel grabbed her hand and pulled her into the kitchen. "Lunch box?"
Millie handed it over—empty.
"Medicine box?"
Rachel checked each slot—taken. She let out a deep breath. "Fine. Go shower. Then dinner."
"But I'm not hungry—"
"You want me to get mad?"
Millie smiled, defeated. "Yes, ma'am."
Under her dad's amused gaze, Rachel tied her hair back and began preparing dinner. The three of them ate together, laughter mixing with clinking cutlery. It almost felt like a normal day.
Rachel's Room – Later That Night
Fresh from the shower, Rachel sank onto her bed with a sigh. "Finally," she murmured, grabbing her textbook. But before she could open it, her phone buzzed.
A message.
Ted.
"Hey. Whenever you're ready… can we talk?"
She stared at it.
She hadn't looked him in the eye since that day. Since that kiss. Her first.
Why was she acting like he meant to hurt her?
She placed a hand over her mouth, remembering the awkward, unexpected softness of it all. Her cheeks burned.
No. Focus. Focus now.
She tossed her phone face down, flipped open her book, and whispered, "Because of this, I didn't even notice when Millie needed me."
She pressed her pen to the page. No more distractions.
Millie's Room – Same Time
Lying on her bed, Millie stared at the ceiling. Her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her blanket.
She rolled over and buried her face in her pillow.
"Agh, I didn't know school life would be this complicated," she mumbled into the fabric.
Her phone buzzed beside her. She turned it over.
Notification: You've been added to a group chat.
Group name: City & Countryside 💗
Her stomach sank.
Pamela: We can put any ideas here without interruption now! Let's work well together 🥰
Alex: Did you really need to make a group chat for this? We see each other at school.
Pamela: OMG, you actually replied 😭 I was so sad when you let go of my hand today. I need to talk to you more, my Al 💋
Alex: Stop. Let's keep this for the project only. Don't bother Millie.
I sent you a message.
Pamela: Okiiii 😇 Sorry to bother you, girl! Good night and see you tomorrow 💞
Alex: Right. Night.
Millie stared at the chat. Her name sat quietly in the group. No messages from her. Just their voices filling the thread.
She sighed.
How am I supposed to survive this?
She already had his number. She made everything look easy.
So annoying.
High school life, she thought, turning off her screen, is the absolute worst.