The clouds had been threatening all morning.
By the time Eliana stepped out, umbrella-less and clutching her notebook to her chest, the sky cracked open and poured like it had a personal vendetta. She squealed, running for cover beneath the rusted zinc shed outside the school's abandoned security post. Rain soaked through her jeans and made her curls stick to her cheeks.
She was cold, wet, and late for her Business Administration lecture.
In a moment of hesitation, she pulled out her phone and opened WhatsApp.
Eliana:
Hey… Are you around school?
It's raining like crazy and I'm stuck.
She hesitated before hitting send. The message went straight to Mae.
Minutes later, the typing dots popped up.
Mae:
Nah, I'm home today. Want me to book you a ride? You can wait it out at my place.
Her heart fluttered at the offer, then dropped just as quickly.
Eliana:
Thank you, but I don't really go to guys' houses… especially alone.
He didn't reply.
Eliana stood there, drenched and unsure why her chest suddenly felt so heavy. It wasn't just the rain—it was Mae's silence after her response. Was he disappointed? Offended?
A few hours later, back home and freshly showered, Eliana's day took a brighter turn.
Derrick messaged.
"You've had a rough one, huh? Let's fix that. I'm outside."
True to his word, he stood at her gate, holding an umbrella and a confident smile. He took her to a cozy little food spot she'd never been to—chic lighting, warm music, and their own quiet booth.
Over fruit smoothies and plantain platters, Derrick handed her a small black box. Inside was a pair of gold-dipped pen earrings, shaped like tiny quills.
"For the future author and business mogul," he teased.
Eliana smiled so hard she thought her cheeks would crack. The thoughtfulness caught her off guard, and her eyes stung with emotion.
She took out her phone, snapped a picture of the box on her lap with the soft lighting glowing behind it, and added a simple caption for her Snapchat streak partner:
"I hope he doesn't change."
She hit send… then froze.
She hadn't sent it to her streak partner.
She had sent it to Mae.
Panic set in instantly. She clicked into the chat, her stomach flipping.
Message read.
Typing…
Mae:
Wow. So I offer to help and you brush me off, then go on a date the same day?
This is how fast you switch sides?
Eliana:
Mae, no—it's not like that. I didn't even mean to send that to you. It was an accident.
Mae:
Accident or not, message received. Loud and clear.
Then silence.
Mae went offline.
Eliana stared at the screen for what felt like forever, typing and deleting several apologies before settling on:
Eliana:
Please don't do this. I didn't mean to hurt you.
Message delivered. Not read.
She tried again the next day. And the day after that.
Still no reply.
Her stomach sank lower with each attempt. She felt like she was watching something precious slip through her fingers without knowing how to stop it.
Mae, once so flirty and bold, was now a ghost behind a screen.
Derrick, ever sweet and attentive, kept calling, texting, inviting.
But Mae's silence echoed louder than Derrick's gifts.
And Eliana was stuck somewhere in the middle—heart cracked open and confused all over again.