"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, the date went well, really well."

"You don't sound positive."

"There was this brief, I don't know what it was."

"Pause?"

"He's either hiding something or-"

"He's having doubts. Because of me?"

"Well some guys get nervous when it comes to dating."

"Others think their partners are better off and resent them for feeling like they can't measure up." "Think he might be feeling that?"

"I mean he's admitted he can get insecure, but he tries not to let it get to him."

"Or he's overthinking."

"Well, he's the annoying dreamer for a reason. Maybe he has his own nightmare."

"You're going to talk to him but-"

"I need your help to approach it."

"Approach him, you mean. Sigh, I'm no expert on dating. Just be comfortable, open, and honest. You don't always have to go to me with these things, ask your mom, once in a while."

"Like she knows what to do."

The door burst open.

"Okay, chic chick, during the date, how far did he touch you?"

Her husband and daughter looked at her confused.

"Uhh, hand?"

"Did you two kiss?"

"Mom!"

"Well"

She pouted. "Yes."

"He's into you but has doubts. Just not from you."

"Then, who?"

She shrugged. "Who knows? Ex-girlfriend, torn before he made a decision? Or something went bad with his last girlfriend."

"Last...but he's been single since....which one?"

"Oh like I don't know what to do, remember? Your job, find out."

Camila sucked her teeth.

"There's a reason I ended up with your father."

"Well, more than one. Figure it out, and you may end up like us one day."

"Moody and kind?"

"Funny, the roles used to be reversed."

"Alright," seeing them start to embrace, "do this in your own bedroom."

She slept, floating through the world of memories from the past two months, to the confession, to when they first met, waking up between two options she was certain was the answer. Heading to school, she caught him in a good mood one second.

"I had a lot of fun, even if it was lowkey. We're gonna go out again?"

She noticed his eyes shifting up and down, waiting for her response.

"Oh," disappointed. "Did I," shaking his head. "I'm so sorry, I'll do better next time. Unless...there's no next time?"

She snapped out of it.

"No, I-I-I-I was daydreaming, I had fun," picking his head up. "Really. I had more fun on that date than I have in a while."

"But you look so sad."

""I was worried. Every now and then, you looked like you weren't happy at all. I know you were nervous, but were you thinking of something else," lowering her arm on his shoulder.

"Someone else?"

His head jerked up, answering her without saying a word.

"Was it the friend you fake dated?"

"No, it's complicated," hearing the bell ring and picking up his belongings in a frantic matter. "Can we talk about it now?"

Science

"Now?"

Ms. T looked at her. "You want the test right now?"

"Absolutely not," getting praise from the rest of her class.

Phys Ed

"Now?"

He had accelerated so much, attempting to keep up left her almost breathless the moment she caught up. Being placed on opposite teams didn't help, but she noticed he was less passionate, but more aggressive, cracking a nail to hit the ball over the volleyball net.

ELA

"Now?"

Ms. F walked there. "On Camila, sure, you can read page fifty-eight for us."

Con Law

"Not now, Mr. S."

"Camila, you didn't ask me anything."

Lunch

The other found her completely tired and drained.

"Camila, you good?"

She explained without disclosing their relationship until recalling her first week.

"What about Gayle? Did you know what went down with them?"

Tilly turned away, but Mane was willing to talk about it, bringing her to a private part of the lunchroom to talk.

"Gayle made Silas feel a lot of things. And she helped him out, but she struggled a bit with commitment."

"They dated?"

"It's complicated. She had a way of dating that doesn't always work on certain people. Long story short, he got hurt and she didn't handle it in the best way. It's not like she didn't care for him."

"But it has something to do with why she left."

"She working on her priorities issues, but I don't blame him for feeling the way he does."

Tech

This time she didn't ask, but during their work she noticed underneath the work on his screen, he typed up a paragraph with Gayle's name on it.

During advisory and the the end of the day, he stayed super alert until it was time to leave, but he asked Ms. T to close for her. All his papers were scattered around the desk.

"Fine, I gotta run for a personal meeting, close the door behind you. It's already locked. close the door behind you. It's already locked. Just hurry and clean that up."

"Thanks," cleaning up while silently mouthing to himself until he was ready to face her.

"Time to come clean," tearing up.

"Gayle-"

"Abused, assaulted?"

"Whoa, no, not that!"

"But she hurt you."

He sighed. "She would tell me she was in love with me and never acted on it. She dated Keegan."

"Even though she stopped him from bullying you?"

"And she stood me up on every date. Then someone found her hooking up with another guy from a different school. She'd say she was breaking up with him, and cut school for him."

"But she hooked up with other guys but would make you feel like you were the only person in your heart. We both know what that's like, so why are you worried?"

"I'm just scared. You could do the same. And I don't want to treat you like she did, or Aiden."

"It's okay, I won't let that happen."

They embraced but their emotions overwrote their capability to stay wakeful.