Caesar stared at the ceiling,the weight of last night's confession still lingering in his chest.It wasn't a dream-Blythe said yes.He should be happy,yet his mind wouldn't stop racing. "What now?"
He tried to act normal but the flashbacks keep going through his head."Should I just skip School today?"He asks himself.
Caesar walked into class only to freeze when he saw Blythe already sitting there.Their eyes met,and for the first time,she didn't just smile—she winked.His heart nearly exploded.
Zach noticed the awkward tension between the two,and he knows for sure something is going on without his knowing." 'they up to something?"
As the class ends Zach confronted the two."Wait up you two,why do you both look awkward—especially you,Caesar." He asks in confusion.
"W-What?"Caesar questions,in a defensive tone.
Zach's eyebrows raised in suspicion towards Caesar.He really is up to something. "Come on tell me,did you two fought,hiding a secret,is it something you don't want to tell me?Are you both dating?"
"Wai-w-what?No!?"Both exclaimed.
"Huh?"Zach,confused by their unexpected denial—finally realized it. "Oh my freaking god!" "You are!?"
Both Caesar and Blythe looked at each other with no choice but to tell him.
At a cafe,they sort things out one by one.So Caesar had been developing feelings for Blythe all this time,and Blythe had been admiring Caesar for a long time? "Since when?"Zach.
Blythe stirred her drink, cheeks slightly flushed. "For a while now," she admitted, avoiding Zach's eager gaze.
Caesar shifted in his seat, crossing his arms. "It just… happened, okay?"
Zach leaned forward, eyes practically glowing with excitement. "So, what now? Are you guys, like, official-official? Or still figuring things out?"
Caesar glanced at Blythe, feeling the weight of the question. They hadn't even talked about labels yet. "I… don't know," he admitted.
Blythe smiled softly. "We'll take it one step at a time."
Zach groaned. "Ugh, that's so vague! But fine, I'll allow it—on one condition." He smirked.
Caesar narrowed his eyes. "What condition?"
"You two owe me updates. No secret-relationship nonsense—I wanna know all the drama!"
Blythe laughed. "No promises."
Caesar rolled his eyes, but deep down, he was relieved. Somehow, things felt more real now.
And maybe—just maybe—this was the start of something new.
---
Caesar exhaled, leaning back against the cushioned seat. His heart was still adjusting to this new reality—Blythe liked him back. But now that Zach knew, there was no going back.
Blythe tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and turned to Zach. "You're taking this way too seriously."
"Duh," Zach shot back. "You guys have been dancing around each other for ages. I thought I was gonna die from secondhand frustration." He leaned in, resting his elbows on the table. "So, when did you realize?"
Caesar hesitated. "I don't know… It just kinda crept up on me."
Blythe, however, had an answer. "It was the festival."
Caesar's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"
She laughed softly. "You were running around, making sure everyone was having fun—even when you were exhausted. I realized then that I really admired you."
Zach whistled. "Damn. That's some romance novel stuff."
Caesar rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't even know you noticed…"
"Of course, I did." Blythe's voice was softer now, more sincere. "You always act like you're just going with the flow, but you care more than you let on."
Zach fake-swooned. "Oh my god, this is too much! I need to write this down."
"Shut up," Caesar groaned, tossing a sugar packet at him.
Zach dodged it effortlessly. "Okay, but for real—what's next? Are you guys gonna start going on actual dates?"
The word dates made Caesar tense. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but everything still felt unreal. "We, uh… we'll figure it out."
Blythe nodded. "Yeah. No rush."
Zach groaned again. "Ugh. You two are killing me."
---
After finishing their drinks, the three of them left the cafe. The sun had begun to set, casting a golden glow over the quiet streets.
Zach stretched his arms above his head. "Welp, this has been fun, but I gotta bounce. I expect daily updates, though."
Blythe rolled her eyes. "We're not giving you a relationship diary."
Zach smirked. "We'll see." With that, he gave them a salute and walked off.
Now alone, Caesar and Blythe fell into a comfortable silence as they strolled down the street. The air between them felt different—charged, yet familiar.
Blythe nudged him. "You've been quiet."
Caesar sighed. "I guess… I just don't know what to do next. I never really thought this far ahead."
She smiled. "Me neither."
A moment passed before she added, "But I think that's okay. We don't have to have everything figured out right away."
Caesar glanced at her, watching as the setting sun painted warm hues over her features. His heart did that annoying, fluttery thing again.
"…Yeah," he said, softer this time. "I think so too."
---
Caesar thought sleeping on it would help, but he still woke up with the same mix of excitement and nervous energy.
He barely made it to class before the bell rang, slipping into his seat. Zach, who was sitting behind him, poked his shoulder.
"So?"
Caesar frowned. "So what?"
Zach wiggled his eyebrows. "Did you kiss yet?"
Caesar choked on air. "What?!"
Blythe, who had just sat down, overheard and turned bright red. "Zach!"
"What?" Zach grinned. "You guys are dating. It's a valid question."
Blythe groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Oh my god."
Caesar shot Zach a glare. "No, we didn't."
Zach clicked his tongue. "Lame. I had money on you guys cracking within the first 24 hours."
"You bet on us?"
"Oh, yeah. Half the class did."
Blythe's eyes widened in horror. "What?!"
Zach shrugged. "You two have been giving 'will-they-won't-they' vibes for months. People had to entertain themselves somehow."
Caesar groaned. "I hate this school."
---
Caesar and Blythe sat together under their usual tree in the courtyard.
"So, half the school knows," Blythe muttered, stabbing her salad with unnecessary force.
"Yeah," Caesar sighed. "That didn't take long."
She looked up at him, concerned. "Is that… okay?"
Caesar hesitated.
It wasn't that he didn't want people to know. It was just weird having all this attention on them. But then again, Blythe was looking at him with those worried eyes, and he hated seeing her doubt.
So, he shrugged. "I mean… we can't do much about it, right?"
Blythe studied his face for a moment before smiling. "I guess not."
They ate in silence for a bit before she spoke again. "Oh, by the way…" She hesitated, then glanced up at him. "Would you wanna go out this weekend?"
Caesar blinked. "Like… a date?"
Blythe gave a shy nod. "Yeah. If you want to."
His brain short-circuited for a second.
A date. With Blythe.
He fought the stupid grin threatening to appear. "Yeah. I'd like that."
She smiled, looking pleased. "Okay. It's a date then."
---
Caesar stood outside Blythe's house, heart pounding. He had never been this nervous in his life.
When the door opened, his breath hitched.
Blythe stepped out, wearing a simple yet elegant dress. "Hey."
Caesar swallowed. "Hey."
She laughed. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
He shook his head, forcing himself to relax. "Nah. Just… you look nice."
Her cheeks tinted pink. "Thanks."
As they walked toward the bus stop, Caesar realized something.
Maybe this was terrifying. Maybe he had no idea what he was doing.
But when Blythe slipped her fingers through his, just for a moment, he decided—
This was a good kind of terrifying.
To be continued.....