The following Monday after thst weekend i tried as much as possible to avoid Justin.
I thought I succeeded as i sat down in maths class sighing in relief till Justin walks in .
Mrs. Smith, my maths teacher turns to the class and says.
"Class, as you all know we have a teachers meeting today so in order for you guys not to be jobless i asked Justin to take the class today. He's my best student so he'll tutor you guys well"
She turns to Justin. "You can start the class." She walks out.
The minute she walked out Justin's eyes landed on me with a glare then he quickly turned his attention to the rest of the class.
I sank a little lower in my seat, hoping he'd just pretend I didn't exist. My heart pounded as I fiddled with the edge of my notebook. Everyone else seemed excited, probably thinking Justin was about to drop some secret math wisdom like he was Einstein reborn. But me? I just wanted to disappear.
"Alright," Justin began, his voice steady but cool. "Let's not waste time. Open your books to page 142. We're doing quadratic equations."
His tone was all business, but I could feel the tension radiating from him like a silent storm. He paced the front of the room, explaining the method, drawing neat graphs on the board. He was good—too good. The class was actually paying attention.
As I glanced up from my book, I caught him stealing a glance at me. Not the glare from earlier—this one was different. Softer. Confused, maybe. But just as fast, he looked away again.
"Hey," he called out, eyes scanning the room. "Can someone solve question five?"
A few hands went up, but then he pointed directly at me. "You. You haven't answered anything. Go ahead."
I froze. My mouth opened, but no words came out. The entire class turned to look at me.
Justin raised a brow. "Cat got your tongue, or do you need help?"
Something about his tone lit a fire in me. I sat up straighter, grabbed my pen, and walked to the board. If he wanted to test me, fine—I'd show him I wasn't some fragile girl to be pitied.
I worked through the equation slowly but correctly, under his gaze the entire time. When I turned around, he just nodded once.
"Correct," he said. No smile. No praise. Just that.
I walked back to my seat, my heart still hammering but my head held high.
The rest of the class went by in a blur. Justin didn't call on me again, but I could feel his eyes on me every now and then, like he was trying to figure something out. When the bell finally rang, everyone began packing up. I took my time, hoping to slip out unnoticed.
No such luck.
"Hey," his voice stopped me just as I reached the door.
I turned slowly, clutching my books a little too tightly. "What?"
Justin walked over, his face unreadable. "You did well… with the equation."
I blinked. "Thanks?"
There was an awkward silence, heavy with all the things we weren't saying. I waited for him to turn and walk away. But he didn't.
Instead, he ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. "Look, about the weekend…" he began, but his voice trailed off.
My chest tightened. "What about it?"
He sighed. "I didn't mean to come off the way I did. I just— I don't know. Things got complicated."
I laughed, a short, bitter sound. "Yeah. Complicated is one word for it."
He looked at me, almost pained. "I didn't want to hurt you."
"You didn't have to say anything to hurt me, Justin. You just had to walk away."
That shut him up. His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might say something else. But then he just nodded slowly, stepping back.
"Right," he said quietly. "I'll see you around."
And just like that, he turned and left, blending into the crowd of students pouring into the hallway. I stood there for a second, trying to catch my breath, wondering why it felt like I'd just run a marathon.
Maybe I had. Emotionally, at least.
I thought maybe he took back his word on asking me about my answer, but boy! Was i wrong.
He walked up to me at lunch break gave my classmates a look and they all stood up mumbling a dozen excuses.
He smirked as he sat down. "I'm sure you've thought it all over by now and I'm very sure that your answer is yes"
Istared at him like he'd just grown a second head.
Was he serious right now?
"My answer is what, exactly?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.
He leaned back, totally unfazed by my attitude. "Don't play dumb. You know what I'm talking about."
I narrowed my eyes. "You mean the thing you walked away from without letting me answer in the first place?"
He chuckled under his breath, like I'd just said something cute. That only annoyed me more.
"You looked like you needed time," he said smoothly. "I figured I'd give you some space."
"Right," I said, my tone flat. "Because nothing says 'space' like staring daggers at me in math class."
His smirk faltered a little. "Okay, maybe I didn't handle that well. But come on, you can't deny there's something here." His voice was lower now, almost careful. "We both felt it."
I hated how my heart jumped a little at that.
I looked away, trying to collect my thoughts. The cafeteria buzzed around us, but it felt like we were in our own little bubble. One I wasn't sure I wanted to be in.
"You don't get to act like nothing happened," I said quietly. "You don't get to disappear when things get 'complicated' and then show up with this smug look expecting me to just… say yes."
Justin leaned forward, elbows on the table, eyes locked on mine. "I didn't come here to play games. I'm here because I want you to give me a real chance."
I blinked. That… I wasn't expecting.
I looked at him—really looked at him—and for the first time, he didn't look so sure of himself. Under the confidence, there was vulnerability, like he was holding his breath waiting for my answer.
I exhaled and murmured "Fine"
His eyes widened, just for a second. "Wait… Fine?" he echoed, as if unsure he heard me right.
I nodded, slow and cautious. "Fine. One chance, Justin. That's it. Don't mess it up."
A grin spread across his face—bright, genuine, and way too charming for his own good. "I won't," he said confidently, but his voice had softened. "I swear, I won't."
I rolled my eyes, trying not to smile. "You better not."
He leaned back in his seat like he'd just won a game he didn't think he'd even get to play. "So, uh… does this mean I can finally sit with you at lunch without your friends threatening to stab me with plastic forks?"
I smirked. "No promises."
He laughed—really laughed—and for a moment, it didn't feel like we were two people trying to untangle whatever mess had formed between us. It just felt… easy. Like maybe, just maybe, things could be okay.
The bell rang, breaking the moment. I stood, gathering my tray and slinging my bag over my shoulder.
"Don't get cocky," I warned him as I turned to leave.
He tilted his head, flashing that stupid, irresistible grin. "Too late."
I shook my head and turned to walk to class.
He grabbed my hand, dragging me back and says with a flirtatious smile. "We'll talk later"
Then he walked back to his friends.
I watched him walk away, my heart still racing from how easily he threw me off balance. Justin had always had that effect on me—like a storm that came out of nowhere and left everything a little shaken.
I turned and headed to my next class, trying to keep a straight face, but inside, I was chaos. I told him "Fine"—one chance. One. But I already knew it wouldn't be that simple.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. I couldn't focus, couldn't concentrate. My friends tried to chat with me between classes, but I kept zoning out. All I could think about was him—his voice, that stupid smirk, the way he looked at me like I was the only person in the room.
By the time the final bell rang, I was already exhausted. Emotionally drained.
I walked out of the building, grateful for the cool breeze on my face. I just wanted to get home, crawl into bed, and scream into a pillow. But of course, the universe had other plans.
Because there he was.
Leaning against the school gate like something out of a teen drama, arms crossed, backpack slung over one shoulder, eyes locked on me the moment I stepped outside.
"Seriously?" I muttered to myself.
He smiled—just a hint this time. "Walk you home?"
I stared at him. "Why?"
He shrugged, pushing off the gate. "Because I can. And because I want to."
We started walking in silence, our footsteps syncing on the pavement. It was quiet, but not awkward. Just… full. Full of everything we weren't saying yet.
After a minute, he glanced sideways at me. "You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?"
I smirked. "Not even a little."
He laughed under his breath. "Good. I deserve that."
Another pause. Then, softer: "I meant what I said, you know. I want to do this right. No more confusion. No more disappearing."
I looked at him, really looked this time. And for the first time, I didn't see the confident guy who always had the perfect answer. I saw the boy behind the smile. The one who was trying.
The next day it seemed like the barrier between us the past few weeks was finally lifted.
Justin and i went back to our usual routine before he asked me out.
I had my best friend back but with chemistry this time.
Ironic isn't it?.
Just proved to be a great boyfriend and a friend.
Although he was kind and friendly to me, he was also very flirty and touchy.
At first, it made me nervous. Every time his hand brushed against mine or he leaned in close just to whisper something dumb like "You missed me, didn't you?"—I felt like my heart was trying to leap out of my chest.
But the thing is… I didn't hate it.
I pretended to roll my eyes or scoff, but deep down? I loved the attention. I loved how he made me feel like I was the only girl in the world when he looked at me.
He'd carry my bag sometimes, sneak snacks into my locker with silly notes, or sit a little too close during lunch, his thigh pressed lightly against mine. It was all innocent… mostly. But it made it impossible to ignore the fact that our relationship was shifting, fast.
One afternoon, we were walking home again. It had become a little routine for us—something I secretly looked forward to more than I'd ever admit. We didn't always talk. Sometimes we just listened to each other's music through shared earbuds or kicked pebbles along the sidewalk.
That day, though, Justin seemed different. Quieter. His smile was still there, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"You okay?" I asked, nudging his shoulder with mine.
He hesitated. "Yeah… just thinking."
"About?"
He looked at me, like he was trying to decide whether to lie or tell me the truth. Finally, he sighed. "You ever feel like something good is happening, and you're just waiting for the part where it all goes wrong?"
I frowned. "Are you saying we're the 'good thing'?"
He laughed, but it was soft. "Aren't we?"
I didn't answer right away. We'd only just started, and already the thought of losing him made my chest ache. So instead, I reached for his hand and squeezed.
"You don't have to wait for it to go wrong," I said. "You can just let it be right."
That earned me a real smile. The kind I hadn't seen in days.
We kept walking, and I thought maybe that was it. Just a rough patch of overthinking.
But then things started shifting in tiny, almost unnoticeable ways.
He started replying to texts slower.
He stopped waiting for me after classes sometimes, claiming his coach needed him early or he had to catch a teacher before they left.
And the biggest red flag?
He stopped flirting as much.
At first, I thought maybe I imagined it. But it was there—the way his gaze lingered less, how he suddenly seemed distracted even when we were together. I caught him staring at his phone more often, looking at messages he wouldn't let me see.
One afternoon, as we sat under our usual tree near the field, I couldn't take it anymore.
"Are we okay?" I asked, voice low.
He looked up, startled. "What?"
"Us. You've been… off lately."
His expression tightened. "It's nothing. Just stuff going on."
"Then tell me," I said, my voice firmer now. "Let me in, Justin. Don't shut me out."
He hesitated again, running a hand through his hair. "It's not you, okay? I just— I'm trying to figure some things out."
And that scared me more than anything. Because people only say "it's not you" when they're halfway out the door.
I nodded slowly, trying to hold it together. "Okay. Just… don't disappear again."
He looked at me, eyes full of something I couldn't quite read. "I won't," he promised.