The sky had been overcast for days, the sun hidden behind layers of thick, rolling clouds. A cold wind blew through the streets, bringing with it the scent of impending snow. The transition from fall to winter felt more abrupt than it had in years. The leaves, which had once painted the town in fiery oranges and reds, had mostly fallen now, leaving skeletal branches against a backdrop of gray skies. The ground was slick with frost, and the trees stood silent, stripped bare.
At the corner of a local soccer field, a group of guys were huddled together, laughing and joking, though their breath formed little clouds in the cold air. Isaac jogged to the sideline, wiping sweat from his brow despite the chill. His breath was heavy, his sneakers squeaking against the frost-coated grass. Etien and Charlie were still playing, the ball bouncing back and forth between them, while Isaac stayed out, watching with a kind of detached amusement.
It had been weeks since things had shifted. He could feel the absence of certain people like a weight on his chest. Clara. Raya. Those familiar faces that used to be such a constant in his life. But everything had changed since that night at the party, and since then, they had all gone their separate ways. Clara had been quiet, distant, and Isaac had reluctantly followed her lead, retreating into his own life, focusing on soccer, his friends, and the things that distracted him from the gnawing feeling in his chest.
"Yo, Isaac!" Charlie called, pulling him out of his thoughts. "What's up with you, man? You've been quiet."
Isaac shrugged, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jacket. "Just tired."
"Tired? You didn't even do anything," Charlie teased, kicking the ball towards him. Isaac kicked it back with a quick jab of his foot.
Etien joined them, wiping the back of his neck with his sleeve. He gave Isaac a quick glance before his eyes darted toward Charlie. The tension was there, an invisible thread pulling between them. Etien, ever observant, followed Isaacs gaze, and after a beat, he raised an eyebrow.
"So... What's up?" he asked, looking between them.
Isaac shifted uncomfortably. He scratched the back of his head, and for a second, Isaac seemed like he had something to say, something incredibly important. "It's nothing," he says with a conscious laugh "didn't mean to make my fans worry" Isaac crosses his arms and tilts his head in a smug manner.
Etien seemed to sense the hesitation but was more pressed about being called a fan. "Me? A fan? Maybe Charlie but why would I be a fan of you?" Etien says in a pretentious tone.
"Hey Come on now" Charlie says, catching strays in the crossfire. Isaac's heart skipped a beat. He didn't want to think about things. Not now, not when everything seemed so peaceful for a second. He kicked the ball one more time, sending it careening across the field, hoping to redirect Charlie's attention. But it didn't work.
"You're so getting that" Charlie said, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Unless… you guys are finally gonna tell me what happened with Clara and Raya. You've been keeping tabs on them right?" Charlie crosses his arms demandingly.
Isaac's stomach tightened. Etien went still beside him, his eyes narrowing slightly, and Isaac swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.
Charlie, not missing a beat, went on. "I mean, those two have been off the radar for a while. You know, with the whole play and all that. Are they still... y'know, in the loop? Or have they just completely ghosted?" Charlie, still being somewhat new, gave him a sort of insight to see what was real and what was just false lies everyone told themselves to convince themselves that they were fine.
Etien let out a long, slow breath and raised his eyes to the sky. Isaac could see the familiar tension in his shoulders, the kind of tension he always carried when he was around Clara. It was subtle, but it was there. Isaac tried to ignore the prickling sensation at the back of his neck. He hadn't spoken to Clara in weeks, hadn't seen her outside of the school corridors, and whenever he did, she was always with Raya, her expressions unreadable. But when he thought of Clara, it wasn't just the coldness that came to mind—it was the unanswered questions that still haunted him. What had happened between them? Why had things unraveled so quickly?
Isaac spoke up, trying to mask the sharpness in his voice. "They've been busy, I guess. Both got parts in the play. Maybe they've just got their own stuff going on."
Etien gave him a sidelong glance, but said nothing.
Charlie tilted his head, unconvinced. "And you haven't talked to her at all?" He turned to Etien. "Are you still keeping in touch with Clara?"
Isaac's heart skipped. He knew Etien had a thing for Clara since the both of them met, in fact, Isaac was convinced that it was the only reason Etien stayed with him for so long. Isaac was bothered by the fact his closest friend was still eyeballing his ex after everything that happened. Then again, he did say that should they break up he could totally go for it. Maybe it's time he starts rooting for his bro.
Etien shifted again, his lips pressing into a tight line. "I text her sometimes."
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Text her? That's it?"
Isaac could feel the weight of Charlie's words press down on him, but before he could say anything, Etien cut in.
"Alright, enough of this. We should go hang out with them," he said abruptly. "I'll call Raya. Let's go down to the docks later."
The docks. Isaac felt a strange knot form in his stomach. He hadn't been to the docks in what felt like forever. The place had been special to him once, a spot where he and Clara had shared long walks, where they'd laughed and talked about their futures, their plans, And ultimately the place where Charlie helped him understand what to do about their relationship.
Charlie, ever the curious one, noticed the shift in Isaac's mood but didn't comment. He simply nodded. "Alright, cool. But I'm gonna be honest—this is weird. All of us, hanging out again after so long. Don't you think?"
Etien didn't respond. Instead, he took out his phone and quickly dialed Raya's number, stepping off to the side as he waited for her to pick up. Isaac could hear the faint ringing, then a pause, and then Etiens voice. "Hey, it's Etien. Wanna hang out later? Maybe grab some coffee or something at the docks?"
There was a brief silence, and then Etiens face lit up. He looked... relieved? Isaac couldn't tell. But before he could analyze it too much, Etien was hanging up and walking back toward them.
"They said yes," he muttered, a slight tension in his voice. "We'll meet them down by the docks in about an hour."
---
An hour later, the wind had grown colder, and the sky was thick with dark clouds, signaling the first real snow of the season. The five of them—Charlie, Etien, Isaac, and now Clara and Raya—stood together in the quiet expanse of the docks. The wooden planks creaked beneath their feet as they walked, the air thick with the smell of saltwater and damp wood.
Charlie and Raya were pretty good friends by now. Because they don't text each other they seem to always have something to talk about. Gossip, rumors, the news, it flung off their lips like germs. "Charlie did you see the video of someone pranking Mr. Boucher?" Raya exclaimed, ecstatic to talk about the drama with Charlie.
Charlie immediately peels his fixations off of Clara and Isaac responds to Raya "No, show me" a massive smile appears on his face. The others watch as the two have their own side conversation.
Isaac hadn't expected Clara to show up at all, let alone smile at him the way she did when they finally crossed paths. It wasn't the same smile he used to see. It wasn't warm, it wasn't inviting. It was more like a practiced gesture, one that didn't reach her eyes. And as much as he wanted to break the silence, he couldn't. There was something cold between them now.
"Hey," Clara said quietly, her voice softer than usual.
Isaac nodded, unsure of how to respond. His gaze lingered on her for a moment, and he caught the faintest flicker of emotion in her eyes. But just as quickly, it was gone.
"Hey," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. The air between them seemed to crackle with the unspoken tension that neither of them knew how to address.
A long, heavy silence passed between them before Etien cleared his throat. "So, uh...Coffee? Snacks?"
Charlie grinned from a ways away, as if the discomfort of the moment didn't exist for him. "Coffee sounds good. I don't know about you guys, but I'm freezing my ass off."
Raya laughed lightly, her breath forming little clouds in the cold. "Yeah, same."
Isaac found himself glancing toward Etien, who was looking at Clara with an unreadable expression. The air between them felt charged, like something unsaid was hanging just beneath the surface. What had happened between them?
But before he could ask, Clara's phone buzzed in her pocket. She excused herself, stepping off to the side to check it. Isaac turned to Charlie, who was looking at him with narrowed eyes, a question on his lips.
"What's going on with you and Clara?" Charlie asked bluntly, his voice low enough for only Isaac to hear. "You guys okay?"
Isaac hesitated. He didn't want to talk about it. Didn't want to explain how their relationship is officially dead.
"I don't know," Isaac muttered. "I really don't."
But before the conversation could go any further, Clara reappeared, and the group headed toward the local pastry shop just down the road.
—
Entering the pastry shop Charlie could see Isaacs face relax, Charlie remembered the first time he and Isaac met and Isaac told him about his dreams of making treats.
Inside the cozy little shop, the warmth was a welcome contrast to the biting cold outside. Steam rose from mugs of hot coffee, and the rich scent of fresh pastries filled the air. The group ordered their drinks and pastries, and for a few moments, it was as if everything was normal again—like they were a group
of friends who hadn't spent weeks drifting apart.
But Isaac couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted permanently. His thoughts drifted back to that day, a few days after the party when Clara had sent him the text.
---
**Flashback**:
It was a quiet evening when Clara had sent the text. *We need to talk.*
Isaac had already known, deep down, that something was wrong. He'd been waiting for this moment for days, bracing himself for it. "I know" he responded. When he met Clara at the local playground, the words felt heavier than ever. She looked at him with those wide, brown eyes, and for the first time, Isaac could see the distance between them.
"Why don't I feel like you're being honest with me," Isaac said, his voice tight.
Clara sighed, looking away for a moment. "It's because I'm not. But it's... bigger than just some secret Isaac."
Isaac frowned. "What do you mean?"
Clara hesitated, biting her lip. "I think we should break up."
Isaac stared at her, confused. "Why?"
Clara kicked the ground "You know what we have isn't real anymore. We keep lighting candles that barely have any paper left."
Isaac walked closer to Clara, his glistening from the tears he was holding back "Clara I know that's not it."
Clara, finding it hard to say it at this moment, lets out her next words with a tear running down her face "You're right. It's not. But for now let's not tell your parents okay? You can tell Etien if you want."
And that had been the end of it.
---
Back in the present, the group continued their quiet chatter, sipping coffee and nibbling on pastries. Isaac stared into his cup, his mind swirling with questions. What had happened? Why had everything changed? It was as if a part of him had shut down when he'd walked away from Clara, and now, sitting here, the distance between them seemed insurmountable.
As they finished their treats and headed out into the fading light of the evening, Isaac offered to give Charlie a ride home. Charlie agreed without hesitation. But as they drove through the quiet streets, Isaac's mind was elsewhere, turning over the conversation he'd had with Clara weeks ago. There was something she wasn't telling him and now he knows that for sure. The fact that Isaac was right was more than he wanted to admit to himself.
Then, as he turned a corner, it suddenly clicked.
The reason his feelings for Clara had dissipated—it wasn't just because of the breakup. It was because he had already known, deep down, that she was keeping something from him. And that uncertainty, that quiet betrayal, had been enough to snuff out whatever feelings he had left.
By the time Isaac dropped Charlie off and made his way back home, the snow had begun to fall. And with it, he felt something else settling in his chest—a feeling he couldn't quite name. As he made it to his room, changed and made it to his bed, he couldn't stop his heart from beating. With every glimpse of the pictures of the ocean and the sea that were hanging on his wall his heart started to beat faster and faster. In the corner of his mind he had a clue what this feeling was but in classic Isaac fashion, he didn't want to admit it to himself.