"Not all storms announce themselves with thunder —
some arrive in whispers,
tied up in ribbons and trust."
Dear Diary,
Today tasted like cinnamon and suspicion.
I watched him differently — not because I wanted to,
but because that letter won't stop echoing in my chest.
He met me outside school again,
backpack slung like a secret over his shoulder,
grin soft as ever,
eyes gentle as dusk.
And yet…
somewhere behind that warmth,
I saw it:
a flicker.
A falter.
A flash of something unspoken.
---
We went to the park after school.
Sat beneath our usual tree,
the one with bark like wrinkled poetry
and leaves that fall like quiet confessions.
I told him about Jia's drama with her science partner.
He laughed the way he always does —
from the chest, but with eyes that ask if you're okay too.
Then, I tested the waters.
> "Did you move here for school?" I asked, eyes on the clouds.
"Or was it something else?"
There was a pause.
A soft inhale.
Then:
> "A bit of both," he said.
"I needed… a fresh start."
Fresh start.
What kind of start needs warning letters?
But I didn't push.
I just nodded.
Pretended that was enough.
---
On the way home, he told me about his old town.
Bits and pieces — a teacher he liked, a bakery that made terrible doughnuts, a dog he used to feed.
But every story felt… rehearsed.
Like an actor hitting his lines perfectly,
but the emotion didn't quite match.
And that's when I noticed something I hadn't before:
his phone.
Always off.
Always tucked away.
Always silent.
---
Tonight, I reread the letter again.
"He isn't who you think he is."
Then who is he?
A boy who bakes with me,
walks me home in the rain,
remembers how I take my tea?
Or someone else?
---
The cupcakes from yesterday still sit on the counter.
Untouched.
Cracked on top.
Just like the picture in my head of him —
a little too perfect.
A little too quiet.
And maybe not the whole truth.
Tomorrow, I'll ask Jia.
She's good at finding things people don't want found.
And maybe — just maybe —
the truth is something I'm strong enough to hear.
Goodnight, Diary.
Wish me clarity.
Wunor 🍂📱🌘