The things we almost were

We got to school late. Again.

 And honestly? I'm blaming Kaelin for at least seventy percent of it.

 He took forever in the shower-like, I swear he was auditioning for a shampoo commercial and then we wasted another twenty minutes arguing about what he should wear. 

 I was trying to get him out of his "all-black or nothing" phase. The guy dresses like he's attending a funeral every day of his life, and while it's kind of his thing, it also makes people avoid him like he's cursed.

 "Just try something different for once," I told him as he stood there, towel wrapped around his waist, dripping water on the carpet.

 He gave me that unimpressed stare, the one that says 'you're wasting your breath.'

 "Color's not my thing, Elian," he said flatly.

 "Yeah, well, grief doesn't have to be your aesthetic forever," I muttered, tossing him a soft blue hoodie.

 To my surprise, he actually put it on. He still wore his black jeans, of course-baby steps-but seeing him in something brighter felt... different. 

 It softened him somehow. For the first time in a while, he didn't look like he was carrying the whole world on his shoulders.

 "You look human," I teased.

 "Shut up," he said, but the corner of his mouth twitched like he was trying not to smile.

 As for me, I ended up throwing on his oversized hoodie from last night. It smelled faintly of smoke and his cologne. but it was warm, so I didn't care.

 By the time we got to school, the halls were chaos-backpacks thudding, people shouting, teachers trying (and failing) to restore order. We pushed through the noise together, side by side.

 I nudged him lightly. "Hey, how's the baby?"

 He blinked, brows furrowing. "What baby?"

 I grinned. "The one you were having in the shower. You've been in there for ages."

 For a second, he just stared at me, confused-then he burst out laughing. Like, real laughter. Loud, carefree, head-thrown-back kind of laughter.

 Heads turned instantly. Everyone looked at him like they'd just seen a wild animal smile. It was so rare that even I froze for a second, not sure if I should join in or just enjoy the moment. 

 But then, as fast as it came, he caught himself. The laughter faded. His shoulders straightened, expression sliding back to his usual blank slate.

 "Guess that's over," I muttered under my breath, but I was smiling anyway.

 A few steps ahead, I noticed the new girl chatting with some guy I recognized from class. She was laughing too, that easy kind of laugh that made people want to keep talking just to hear it again. 

 There was something about her-she looked... warm. And without realizing it, I was staring.

 When she caught me looking, her eyes met mine for a split second before I quickly looked away, pretending to focus on literally anything else. My face burned.

 "Hey," Kaelin said, voice low but teasing. "You got a thing for the new girl?"

 I shrugged, trying to sound casual. "She's pretty, that's all. You don't think so?"

 He shook his head without hesitation. "I honestly don't see it that way."

 That made me laugh. "Right. Should've known better than to ask you for a normal opinion."

 He just smirked, like he was enjoying watching me fluster.

 Later, we found ourselves alone in the auditorium since we both had a free period. He suggested we hang out there, probably because it was quiet and out of sight. 

 The big, empty space smelled faintly of dust and stage curtains.

 He sat beside me on one of the chairs, stretching his legs out like he owned the place. I leaned back, scrolling through my phone, when I saw him fishing something out of his pocket.

 "Don't you dare take that out," I warned, catching sight of the cigarette between his fingers.

 "My bad," he said quickly, sliding it back into his pocket with an exaggerated sigh. "You're no fun, you know that?"

 "You're welcome," I said dryly.

 He chuckled and started fiddling with the hem of my hoodie instead, tugging at the fabric like a kid fidgeting with a toy. 

 The little things he did always threw me off-he could go from smug to oddly gentle without warning.

 "How's it going with your dad?" I asked quietly, breaking the silence. "You still planning on staying away from him forever?"

 He gave me a long look from the corner of his eye. Didn't say a word. Just that silence again-the kind that said don't push me.

 I sighed and looked away, trying to ease the tension.

 But then, I felt him shift closer. My body tensed immediately. "Kae," I said cautiously, leaning back a little. "What are you doing?"

 He didn't answer. He leaned in slowly, brushing a bit of dust out of my hair with his fingertips. His touch lingered for half a second too long.

 "Oh." My voice came out smaller than I wanted it to. "Thanks... but you didn't have to make it look like it was something else, you know?"

 He smirked-the kind of smirk that made it impossible to tell if he was joking or testing me. "Maybe it was," he murmured teasingly and I smirked.

*******

Olivia's POV 

The chapter will be written from Olivia's point of view, but similar to the previous chapter.

 I wasn't expecting to see Ronald waiting by the gate when I got to school. For a second, I thought maybe he was just standing there, but then he smiled and waved like he'd been waiting for me.

 "Hey," I said, trying not to sound too surprised. "You're waiting for me?"

 "Obviously," he grinned, pulling me into one of those warm hugs that makes you forget how early it is. He smelled like that clean, fresh cologne he always wears - the one that lingers longer than it should.

 We fell into easy conversation, laughing about random stuff that happened yesterday. Then, right in the middle of our chatter, Kaelin walked past - and I swear, I almost didn't recognize him.

 "Wow," I said before I could stop myself. "Kaelin is killing it today."

 Ronald followed my gaze and laughed. "You mean because he's not wearing his usual 'I'm-in-mourning' outfit?"

 Exactly. Kaelin had on a soft blue hoodie and these loose navy pants that made him look... lighter. Softer, almost. I'd never seen him look so approachable - or honestly, so good. 

 The way the morning light hit him didn't help either.

 Then my eyes drifted - not to him, but to Elian, who was walking beside him in something similar. And for the briefest second, our eyes met. 

 Elian looked away almost instantly, but I caught that flash of something in his expression before he did.

 Was he... looking at Ronald?

 I blinked, a little thrown off. I guess it was funny in a way - me watching Kaelin, him watching Ronald. Like a weird triangle that didn't make sense but kind of did.

 Trying to shake it off, I nudged Ronald. "Do they always wear matching clothes like that?"

 He frowned, thinking about it. "Now that you mention it... yeah. Guess I never noticed before."

 Then he laughed, shaking his head. "They've got something going on, I'm telling you. Friends don't just show up in matching fits."

 I rolled my eyes, pretending not to care, even though my brain was already overanalyzing everything he'd just said.

 When he checked his watch and said he had to get to class, I tried to act casual. "Yeah, sure. See you later," I said, even though I already knew my next class was going to feel way too long without him there.

 As I wandered toward my locker, I turned a corner - and that's when I saw Kaelin again. He had Elian by the wrist, tugging him gently toward the auditorium. 

 The movement was quick, but I caught something small falling from his pocket - a silver lighter.

 It clinked against the floor before rolling under the lockers.

 I hesitated for a second, then picked it up. It looked expensive. sleek, polished, with a faint engraving on the side. I almost called out to him, but they were already halfway into the auditorium.

 I sighed and walked over, thinking I'd just hand it to him real quick. But when I reached the door, everything was... weirdly quiet. Too quiet.

 I knocked softly. No response.

 I was about to turn away when I heard a familiar voice through the door - Elian's.

 "Don't you dare take that out," he said, his tone half-serious, half-playful.

 My curiosity got the better of me. I peeked through the small glass window.

 They were sitting close - really close - on the stage steps, just talking. Kaelin looked relaxed, like all his usual walls had slipped away. Elian was smiling in that subtle, cautious way he does when he's trying not to give something away. 

 I saw Kaelin leaning over towards Elian.

 And I... froze.

 Something about the air between them didn't feel like just friendship.

 I backed away before either of them could notice, clutching the lighter in my hand. My chest felt weirdly tight - not jealousy exactly, just... confusion.

 I decided right then that I'd return the lighter later. No way was I interrupting whatever that was.

 As I turned down the hall, I spotted Ronald coming out of his class, looking a bit tired with an armful of textbooks.

 "Hey," he said, spotting me. "Weren't you supposed to be in class by now?"

 I held up the lighter like it explained everything. "Found this. Kaelin dropped it."

 He raised an eyebrow. "So, you're running a lost and found now?"

 I grinned. "Only for people who wear blue hoodies for the first time in history."

 Ronald laughed, shaking his head. "Let's just give it back to him now, yeah?"

 I hesitated immediately. "Uh, maybe not right now. He's... busy."

 That got a knowing smirk out of him. "Busy, huh?"

 "Not like that!" I blurted, then instantly regretted sounding defensive. "Just-let's do it later. After class."

 He chuckled, clearly amused. "Fine, fine. You're the boss."

 We ended up walking to Mr. Bates' class together, arms brushing every now and then. People looked, of course - they always do. But honestly? I didn't care.

 For once, I felt like I was exactly where I wanted to be.

 Even if I couldn't stop wondering what was really going on behind those auditorium doors.