It was Friday afternoon, and Ere'ana could barely keep her eyes open as she trudged through the last few hours of school. Her mind wasn't on the lecture, her homework, or even the class project due next week. No, her thoughts were elsewhere. On him.
Jack.
She didn't know how it happened, but over the last few days, spending time with him had started to feel natural. Comfortable, even. He made her laugh, listened when she needed to vent, and somehow always knew how to make her bad days a little less bad.
So when the final bell rang, she didn't hesitate to text him.
"Meet me outside by the big oak tree?"
"On my way."
Ere'ana found him waiting for her, leaning against the massive tree with his hands stuffed in his pockets. The sunlight filtered through the branches, highlighting his sharp features and the slight smirk that tugged at his lips.
"Hey," he said when she approached, his voice warm.
"Hey," she replied, her own smile spreading.
They didn't say much at first, just stood there in the quiet, enjoying the rare moment of peace after a long week. But then Jack turned to her, his expression softening.
"You've been okay?" he asked, his tone serious.
Ere'ana hesitated, caught off guard by the question. "Yeah, why?"
"You've seemed… I don't know, distracted," he said. "Like something's been bothering you."
She looked away, her fingers tugging at the strings of her hoodie. "It's just… school stuff. Nothing big."
"Ere," he said, stepping closer. "You can tell me if something's wrong."
The sincerity in his voice made her chest tighten, and for a moment, she considered spilling everything—the bullying, the self-doubt, the anxiety that sometimes felt overwhelming. But instead, she just smiled.
"I'm fine, really," she said. "Thanks, though."
Jack didn't look convinced, but he didn't push. Instead, he reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You're stronger than you think, you know that?"
Before she could respond, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
Ere'ana froze, her heart hammering in her chest as she stared up at him, wide-eyed.
"Jack…" she began, but he cut her off with a small, sheepish smile.
"Sorry. I just… felt like you needed it," he said, scratching the back of his neck.
She didn't know what to say, so she just nodded, her cheeks burning as she looked away.
Unbeknownst to them, Avarina and Ira were watching from a distance, hiding behind a nearby bench.
"Well, well," Avarina whispered, her arms crossed as she smirked. "Would you look at that."
"They're spending way too much time together," Ira said, his tone more annoyed than amused.
"Hmmm," Avarina said, rolling her eyes. "Maybe we should remind them that they have friends who exist."
"Right? It's like we don't even matter anymore," Ira grumbled.
Avarina stifled a laugh. "Jealous, are we?"
"Of course not," Ira snapped, though his tone suggested otherwise.
"Sure, sure," Avarina teased. "But seriously, we should crash one of their little hangouts. Shake things up a bit."
Ira nodded, already scheming.
Later that day, Ere'ana found herself wandering the hallways, searching for a bathroom. After the emotional rollercoaster with Jack, she desperately needed a moment to herself to clear her head—and, well, to actually use the restroom for its intended purpose this time.
She pushed open the door to the nearest bathroom, relieved to find it empty. Or so she thought.
As she stepped into a stall and locked the door, the faint, distinct scent of flavored vape smoke hit her nose. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, realizing someone was in the next stall over.
The soft hiss of the vape pen confirmed it.
Ere'ana groaned inwardly. All she wanted was a quiet moment, but apparently, that was too much to ask.
She sat down on the closed toilet seat, debating whether she should say something. Her mind raced. What would she even say? "Hey, could you not? Some of us are trying to breathe clean air over here."
Instead, she stayed quiet, hoping whoever it was would finish quickly and leave. But the vaping continued, the sweet, cloying scent of artificial berries growing stronger by the second.
Finally, Ere'ana couldn't take it anymore. She cleared her throat loudly, making her presence known.
The vaping stopped abruptly, and for a moment, there was silence. Then a voice, low and slightly defensive, called out from the other stall.
"Uh… sorry?"
"Yeah, you should be," Ere'ana said, her tone sharper than she intended. "You know that stuff's not good for you, right?"
The person on the other side didn't respond at first, but then they muttered, "Whatever."
Ere'ana sighed, shaking her head. "Look, I'm not trying to be a buzzkill or whatever, but… seriously, don't do that to yourself. It's not worth it."
The silence stretched on, and Ere'ana wondered if she'd crossed a line. But then the person spoke again, their voice softer this time.
"Yeah… I know."
Ere'ana blinked, caught off guard by the admission. "Then why do it?"
A pause. "Because… I don't know. It helps, I guess. When I'm stressed."
Ere'ana's heart clenched. She didn't know who this person was, but their words hit a little too close to home.
"Hey," she said gently. "Whatever's stressing you out… I promise, vaping's not the answer. There's always someone who can help. You don't have to deal with it alone."
The person didn't respond, but Ere'ana hoped her words got through. She stood up, flushed the toilet for good measure, and stepped out of the stall.
As she washed her hands, she caught a glimpse of movement in the mirror. A girl—probably a sophomore—slipped out of the stall, her head down as she hurried past Ere'ana and out the door.
Ere'ana sighed, watching her go. She didn't know if she'd made a difference, but at least she'd tried.
As she headed back to her dorm, Ere'ana couldn't help but think about the girl in the bathroom. About the way she'd sounded so defeated, so unsure of herself.
It reminded Ere'ana of her own struggles, the moments when she felt like she was barely holding it together. But she wasn't alone. She had Jack, Avarina, Ira… people who cared about her, even when she didn't always feel like she deserved it.
Maybe she couldn't save everyone, but she could at least try to be there for the people who needed it—just like her friends were there for her.
And that thought, at least, brought her a little bit of comfort.