In the school cafeteria, Griffin is sitting with Quade and Kaiser, laughing at something. Zephyr's smile lights up as she spots Griffin . She walks over to their table, excited to join them.
"Hey, Hayes," Zephyr greets, sliding into the seat beside Griffin.
"Hi" Griffin replies, returning the smile.
"Can't separate you two now, huh?" Quade teases with a raised eyebrow.
Griffin turns red, but Zephyr just smiles and ignores the comment.
While they chat about their day, Soren comes over to their table, looking curious.
"Hey, Zeph" Soren begins, looking between Zephyr and Griffin. "Mind if I have a quick chat with you?"
Zephyr nods, getting up from the table and following Soren to a more peaceful corner of the cafeteria.
Griffin watches them leave. She exchanges a puzzled look with Quade and Kaiser, who both raise their shoulders in confusion.
A few minutes later, Zephyr comes back to the table, looking surprised and puzzled.
"What was that about?" Griffin asks, sounding curious.
Zephyr takes a deep breath, looking into Griffin's eyes.
"Soren... she told me something unexpected," Zephyr starts slowly, picking her words carefully. "She admitted she like you, Hayes."
Griffin' shock, the table falls silent, she looks down at her tray, feeling self-conscious.
Zephyr continues, her voice soft but steady. "I didn't know how to respond, Hayes. I mean, she's my friend, and I never imagined she felt that way about you."
Quade and Kaiser clearly unsure how to handle the sudden tension. Zephyr reaches out, placing a reassuring hand on Griffin's arm.
Zephyr comforts gently. "But we don't have to figure everything out right now."
Griffin inhales deeply, her mind still spinning. "I just... I never thought Soren felt that way"
Zephyr nods, understanding in her eyes. "I know, and it's a lot to process, we'll figure it out together, okay?"
Griffin gives a small grateful smile.
Kaiser leans forward with a grin, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, at least your life isn't boring, Griffin."
They laugh, and the tension relaxes slightly. Griffin feels a bit more at ease.
Just then, the bell rings, end of lunch. They gather their things, Griffin's mind is still spinning with Soren's confession. She glances at Zephyr, who gives her a smile.
"Let's talk more after school," Zephyr suggests.
Griffin nods "Sure."
Then Griffin and Zephyr go to their separate classes.
In the classroom, Zephyr felt uneasy about what Soren had told her during lunch. She looked around, taking a deep breath. Zephyr approached her friend Soren, who was sitting at a nearby desk, flipping through a textbook. "Hey, Soren, do you have a moment to talk?"
Soren looked up, a curious expression on her face. "Sure, Ze. What’s up?"
Zephyr hesitated, unsure how to start. "Um, it's about what you said earlier... about having a liked someone."
Soren surprise. "Oh, you mean Griffin, right? Yeah, I guess I mentioned that at lunch."
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Zephyr nodded, feeling a knot in her stomach. "Yeah, that's what I wanted to talk about. I didn't know you liked her."
Soren nodded, a shy smile on her lips. "Yeah, it's kind of unexpected, I know. But there's just something about Griffin I can't ignore."
Zephyr's heart dropped at Soren's words, realizing they both liked the same person. "I see... There's something I need to tell you too."
Soren looked curious at Zephyr. "What is it?"
Zephyr took a deep breath, gathering her courage before speaking. "I... I have feelings for Griffin too."
Soren's eyes widened in surprise, her mouth forming a silent 'O' of understanding. "Oh... Well, I don't know how to respond to that. I think whoever Griffin chooses, it's okay. We're still friends, no matter what happens."
Zephyr felt a wave of relief wash over her. "Thank you, Soren. That means a lot to me, no matter what happens, our friendship is strong."
Zephyr and Soren walked out of their classroom for some fresh air. They strolled along the corridor, enjoying each other's company. Despite both liking the same girl, their friendship stayed strong.
Then the bell rang. Zephyr and Soren walked to their next class. In the hallway, they bumped into Griffin. Zephyr's heart raced and Soren exchanged a nervous glance. They greeted Griffin with friendly smiles.
Griffin smiled back at Soren and Zephyr. "Hey, you two," Griffin greeted.
Zephyr smiled. "Hi, Hayes! We were just going to our next class," she said.
"Me too. I've got to go. See you around?"
"Sure," Zephyr replied, her smile warm and genuine.
As Griffin walked away, Zephyr and Soren continued to their classroom.
On the way, Soren glanced at Zephyr and said, "Griffin is really beautiful, isn't she? And that smile of hers..."
Zephyr nodded, her heart still racing. "Yeah, she is. I always feel nervous around her."
Soren laughed softly. "I know what you mean. I can’t even look directly at her because I'm so shy."
Zephyr smiled, feeling a bit relieved that she wasn't the only one. "It’s nice to know I’m not alone in this."
Zephyr and Soren entered their classroom and sat near at the window. Zephyr took out her notebook, trying to review about their lesson, but she kept thinking about Griffin.
Soren leaned over and whispered, "Did you see how Griffin smiled at us? It was so warm and friendly."
Zephyr nodded "Yeah, it was. I keep thinking about it."
Then teacher came in and asked everyone to be quiet. As the lesson started, Zephyr tried to focus, but sometimes she noticed Soren looking at her with a smile..
During a quiet moment, Soren leaned over again and murmured, "I think she might like you too, you know."
Zephyr's eyes widened in surprise, but then she nodded, a small smile forming on her lips. "Actually, she does. When we talked at the seawall, I confessed my feelings to her, and she confessed too."
Soren's eyes widened, and for a moment, she looked surprised and hurt. "Oh," she said softly. "I... I didn't know that."
Zephyr's smile faded, noticing Soren's reaction. "I'm sorry, Soren. I know you like her too."
Soren forced a small smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "It's okay, Zeph. I just need some time to process it. I'm happy for you, really."
Zephyr felt a little guilty but nodded. "Thanks, Soren. I'm grateful."
Soren smiled to reassure her, but there was a hint of sadness in it. "Just be yourself, and everything will work out."
Feeling a mix of emotions, Zephyr turned her attention back to the lesson, her heart heavy with the knowledge that her happiness had hurt her friend.
The class finished, and Zephyr and Soren packed up their stuff to leave. Zephyr looked at Soren and saw a bit of sadness in her eyes.
"Are you okay, Soren?" Zephyr asked, her voice full of concern.
Soren forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just need some time to process everything."
Zephyr nodded, showing she understood. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here," she said kindly.
"Thanks, Ze" Soren replied, her smile genuinely.
Together, they walked out of the classroom. Zephyr and Soren walked towards the gate, they spotted Griffin, Quade, and Kaiser waiting for them.
"Hey" Griffin called out, waving them over.
Zephyr felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of Griffin, but she managed to smile and wave back.
"Looks like they're waiting for us." Soren said
"Yeah" Zephyr replied
As they reached the gate, Soren, Quade, Zephyr, and Kaiser were all headed in the same direction towards their homes.
"We can walk together for a while," Soren suggested
Zephyr looked at Griffin, feeling excited and nervous about getting to spend more time with her.
"Soren, why don't you and the others head on ahead?" Zephyr suggested. "I'll walk Hayes home."
Soren's smile dropped for a moment, but she nodded. "Sure, that's fine."
As they started walking, Zephyr felt guilty for hurting Soren with her decision. She tried to talk to Griffin to distract herself and ease the tension.
"I told her about our confession at the seawall," Zephyr said softly, breaking the silence.
Griffin looked surprised for a moment as they walked quietly. Then, she coughed softly, searching for the right words.
"I... didn't know you already talked to Soren about us," Griffin said, her voice uncertain. "But I'm glad you felt okay to tell her."
Zephyr nodded, relieved that Griffin understood. They kept walking, and the atmosphere between them became lighter as they shared stories and laughed together.
...
While Soren, Quade, and Kaiser walked together, Soren hesitated before finally opening up about her feelings.
"I... I have something to tell" Soren started, her voice uncertain. "I really like Griffin."
Quade and Kaiser exchanged a look, recalling Zephyr's words to Griffin.
""We overheard Zephyr talking to Griffin," Quade said gently. "We figured something was bothering you."
Soren felt her cheeks turn red, but she was grateful for their understanding.
""Yeah," she said softly. "It's tough, but I'm glad Zeph found happiness. She deserves it."
Kaiser nodded. "Absolutely, but your feelings are important, Soren.It's okay to feel that way."
With their support, Soren felt a weight lift off her shoulders as they continued walking. She was grateful for who understood her heartache.