It had been nearly a week since I asked Leah out, and today felt like one of those days where everything seemed to collide at once. Too many things happening, too little time. I had to skip today's class and catch the morning bus home because my cousin Lisa was getting engaged tomorrow. The whole family was arriving today, and I needed to be there. But before all that, I had a plan—to surprise Leah after her class.
The bus ride home was chaotic, packed with students, office workers, and everyone else trying to get somewhere on a busy weekday morning. The air was thick—voices overlapping, occasional bursts of laughter, conversations bleeding into one another. I barely had space to move, let alone think. But as we moved further from the city center, the bus began to empty out.
Finally.
I leaned back, resting my head against the seat. A moment of quiet. I had the whole day ahead of me, yet everything felt rushed. Lisa's engagement. The family gathering. Leah.
When I got home, Mom was already getting ready to go out. Right. Shopping.
I barely had time to change before we were heading to the mall. Devin, freshly woken from his nap, was coming along too—his tiny hands clinging to me the moment he saw me. He was always like this. Full of energy. Full of trust.
At the mall, Mom went off to do her shopping while I took Devin to get ice cream. The easiest way to keep him entertained. The second I handed him the cone, his whole body practically vibrated with excitement. He wasted no time, taking a massive bite.
Too much. His tiny face scrunched up in shock.
"Brain freeze?" I muttered, watching as he blinked rapidly before stubbornly continuing. Yeah, that's my brother.
The mess started almost immediately—sticky hands, ice cream smeared across his cheek, his shirt catching whatever dripped down.
"You're a disaster," I said, wiping at his face with a napkin. He just grinned, completely unbothered.
After wandering around for a bit, my phone buzzed.
"We're done here," Mom said. "Meet me at the entrance."
"Alright, come on, Devin." I adjusted him in my arms, feeling his head rest against my shoulder.
Springdale High
After freshening up, I grabbed my jacket and headed out. Springdale High wasn't far. I could picture the layout perfectly—the gates, the hallways, the places Leah usually hung out after class.
It had been a while since I walked this route. Familiar, but distant.
Then I saw them.
A group of third-years loitering near the entrance. At first, I didn't think much of it—just students killing time. But then one of them turned.
The second our eyes met, everything clicked.
A shift in the air. A change in posture. Recognition.
My feet stopped before I even realized it.
He smirked, nudging one of his friends before stepping forward.
I knew that face. I knew exactly who he was.
Memories surfaced. The fight that forced me to transfer.
He wasn't just some guy from my past.
He was the reason I left.
And now, he was waiting for me.
"Hey, look who it is," the guy sneered as he spotted me. His friends shifted around him, their movements deliberate, closing the space between us. A tight circle. No exits. "Remember me?"
I did.
"Yeah, I remember." My voice was even. No reaction—that was the key. They weren't here for a conversation. They wanted payback, a display. Something they could brag about later.
I could already tell where this was going. A few hits, some taunts. A chance to rewrite the past where they weren't the ones crawling away.
The first punch landed in my stomach, sharp enough to force the air out of me. I barely moved. Another strike—this time, across my face. A slap meant to humiliate rather than hurt.
I stood there, taking it.
The worst part wasn't the pain. It was the waiting. Knowing there were more coming.
I could hear their laughter, the sound of a phone camera clicking on. They wanted this to last. Each hit, each shove, was fueled by their need to prove something—to themselves, to their friends, to the people watching later.
A punch to the ribs. A knee to my side.
Still, I stayed on my feet.
They wouldn't get what they wanted from me. No reaction. No anger. No fight.
Minutes stretched. My jaw ached, my stomach felt like it was folding in on itself, but I didn't flinch. Eventually, they got bored. The moment the fun ran out, they threw a few last insults and walked away, laughing.
I exhaled slowly, watching them disappear down the street. My hands found my pockets. My fingers brushed my phone.
Right. I still had somewhere to be.
I ran a hand through my hair, fixing whatever mess they'd made, dusted off my clothes, and checked my reflection in my phone screen. The swelling would go down soon enough.
Then, without another thought, I turned and kept walking.
I dialed Leah's number, shifting the phone to my good ear. My jaw still ached, but my voice came out steady.
"Hey, where are you?"
"Just getting out of class," she replied.
For a second, just hearing her voice eased something in me. Maybe it was the normalcy of it. The way she didn't know—didn't have to know—what had just happened.
"I dropped today's class to come and see you," I said, keeping my tone light, joking, like nothing was out of place.
"You dropped class today… to see me?" There was surprise in her voice, but I could hear the smile, too.
"Yeah," I chuckled. "Wanted to surprise you."
Lies came easy when they didn't hurt anyone.
As I approached the entrance, I spotted her standing there, her bright smile making the whole moment feel unreal. Like I hadn't just walked away from a beating minutes ago. Like my ribs weren't burning beneath my shirt.
She didn't know. And I liked it that way.
"Actually, it's my cousin's engagement tomorrow, and I had to come today," I said as we started walking.
Leah chuckled, giving me a knowing look—like she had already guessed there was another reason I left class.
I smirked. "Hey, want to come with me to the mall? I still need to buy a dress shirt for the engagement party."
She tilted her head slightly, pretending to think about it, but I already knew her answer.
"Sure, sounds like fun," she said, her lips curling into a small smile.
It wasn't about the mall. It wasn't even about the dress. It was just… being here. A small pocket of time where I wasn't thinking about anything else.
As we stepped into the mall, the cool air hit me first—a sharp contrast to the warm evening outside. The hum of conversations, the occasional bursts of laughter, the overhead music blending into the background—it was a different world. One where nothing had happened.
I let myself breathe.
For now, that was enough.
Leah walked beside me, her eyes scanning the stores with a quiet excitement. She really enjoyed this, huh? Shopping wasn't exactly my idea of fun, but seeing her this animated made it... bearable.
"So, what kind of outfit are you thinking about for the engagement?" she asked, glancing up at me with an eager smile.
I shrugged, a small grin playing at my lips. "Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. I just need to look decent."
She giggled, nudging me lightly. "Well, lucky for you, I'm here to help. I have a pretty good eye for these things."
I smirked. "Yeah, I'm counting on you."
I wasn't lying. If left to my own devices, I'd probably just grab something passable and call it a day. But Leah actually cared about the details—about picking the right colors, the right textures. It was one of those things I never put much thought into, but she made it seem easy.
Inside the store, the atmosphere shifted—sleek displays, muted tones, and that faint scent of new fabric. Leah dove right in, sifting through racks like she was on a mission. I stood back, letting her work, my gaze flickering between her and the neatly arranged shelves.
"How about this one?" She held up a dark green full-sleeve shirt with a subtle check pattern—simple but refined. "This would look great on you!"
I ran my fingers over the fabric, nodding. It actually wasn't bad. "Looks sophisticated. I like it."
"Try it on! I want to see how it looks."
There was no room for negotiation in her voice, so I took the shirt and stepped into the changing room. The mirror reflected a version of me I wasn't used to—clean-cut, almost put-together. When I stepped back out, Leah's face lit up.
"Wow, Daniel, that looks amazing on you! It fits perfectly!"
I adjusted the collar, eyeing my reflection. Yeah, not bad. A small, reluctant smile crept onto my face. "Yeah, it feels comfortable. I think I'll go with it."
"Great choice! Now we just need to find some trousers and shoes to match."
I let her take the lead. It was easier that way.
As we browsed, Leah's phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, and I caught the slight shift in her expression.
"Oh, it will get late," she muttered, biting her lip. "I should tell my mom I got caught up shopping with a friend."
I raised an eyebrow, smirking. "A friend, huh? Is that the excuse you're going with?"
She laughed, rolling her eyes. "What can I say? I'm a master at making excuses. But seriously, she'll understand. She's just a bit overprotective."
I nodded. "I get that. Just don't let her worry too much."
"Don't worry, I'll smooth it over," she said with a wink. "Now, let's find those trousers!"
With Leah leading the charge, it didn't take long to find a pair of tailored dark trousers and sleek leather shoes. The whole outfit actually felt... right.
As we headed toward the checkout, a sense of ease settled over me. The day had started out one way, but somehow, it had flipped into something lighter.
"Now that we've accomplished our mission, how about we celebrate with some ice cream?" Leah suggested, her eyes practically sparkling.
I grinned, shaking my head. "Sounds perfect. Your treat, right?"
"Of course! Just this once," she teased, linking her arm with mine as we made our way to the food court.
The scent of fresh waffle cones filled the air as we reached the ice cream stand. After some playful back-and-forth—because apparently, picking ice cream required deep debate—Leah went for strawberry with sprinkles, while I stuck with classic chocolate and caramel drizzle.
We found a cozy table by the window, the soft glow of the mall's lights making everything feel a little more distant, a little more peaceful.
I leaned back slightly, spooning some ice cream into my mouth, and for the first time today, I wasn't thinking about anything else. Just this. Just now.