I khings would feel different.

  I just hadn’t expected to be this hyper-aware of everything.

  Astrid sat beside me like usual, our backs resting against the brick wall of G Block. It was our routine ing lunch together, quietly existing in the hidden er of the school.

  But today?

  Today, I noticed everything.

  The way her knee brushed against mine when she shifted. The way she leaned in just a little too close whealked. The way her fingers occasionally tapped against my sleeve, like some unscious habit she wasn’t even aware of.

  Was she always this touchy?

  Had I just never noticed before?

  I wasn’t sure.

  What made it worse was that Astrid didn’t ay different at all.

  She ughed, teased me, stole half of my sandwich like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like st night hadn’t happened. Like she hadn’t hugged me and—

  I swallowed, trying very hard not to think about the kiss on my cheek.

  But then she did something that pletely broke my brain.

  She reached out, pletely unbothered, and started pying with my hair.

  Just like that.

  Like it was normal.

  I froze.

  Every sihought in my head vanished as her fingers bed through the strands, twirling them absently while she tialking about something—some drama Jane had been telling her about.

  I didn’t hear a single word she said.

  All I could focus on was the warmth of her hand, the soft pull of her fingers as they brushed against my scalp.

  Astrid must have felt me tense because she suddenly paused.

  I risked a g her.

  She was smirking.

  Slowly, deliberately, she gave o light tug on a strand of my hair before dropping her hand back to her p.

  “You’re so easy to mess with,” she mused.

  I exhaled through my nose. “You’re the worst.”

  She grinned. “A, you still like me.”

  I scoffed, taking a bite of my sandwich. “Debatable.”

  “Liar.”

  I ignored her, pretending that my entire brain hadn’t just short-circuited.

  I was so doomed.

  By the time the lunch bell rang, I had already overheard at least three different versations about us.

  “Are they, like, a thing now?”

  "I swear, Astrid has been hanging around him so much more.”

  "Wasn’t she just dating Jared, like, a sed ago?”

  I did my best to ig.

  Astrid?

  She thrived in it.

  I went to my css alone, since we weren’t in the same year group. I had thought that meant I would get a break from all the attention. I was wrong.

  Halfway through the lesson, one of my cssmates leaned over, whispering, “Hey, are you and Astrid, like… a thing now?”

  My entire body tensed.

  I hadn’t prepared for this.

  No, because we weren’t official. Yes, because—wait, no. Teically, we were something, but we were taking it slht?

  I opened my mouth, panig—

  But Astrid beat me to it.

  She wasn’t even in the room. She robably two floors up in her own css, but she had already phe damage earlier.

  I had no idea what to say.

  “Uh…”

  The guy raised an eyebrow. “Dude?”

  I groaned, rubbing my temples. “I… don’t know?”

  He snorted. “You don’t know?”

  I buried my fa my hands. “I hate my life.”

  The day didn’t get any easier.

  Everywhere I went, people looked at me differently. They whispered, some ht asked questions, and a few guys looked vaguely impressed—probably because they thought I had somehow nded Astrid Bright of all people.

  I wao die.

  By the time I got home, my head was still spinning.

  I sat on my bed, staring at my phorying to process what had just happeoday.

  Astrid pying with my hair.

  Astrid being way too touchy.

  Astrid smirking at people like she kly what she was doing to me.

  And now everyohought we were together.

  I exhaled sharply, unlog my phone.

  I opened my messages and clicked on Alex’s name.

  Me: How do you know if you’re in a retionship?

  A few seds passed.

  Then—

  Alex: Oh my God. Are you stupid?

  I groaned, dropping my phoo my face.

  This was going to be a problem.

  I groaned and tossed my phoo my bed, letting my head fall back against my pillow.

  Alex was zero help, as expected.

  I stared at the ceiling, my mind still looping through the events of the day. Every casual touch, every teasing smirk, every knowing look Astrid had thrown my way.

  She wasn’t ag like someone who had just poured her heart out st night.

  ation. No awkwardness.

  Just Astrid being Astrid.

  And I had no idea what to do with that.

  My phone buzzed.

  I sighed, grabbing it, expeg another sarcastic text from Alex.

  Astrid: What are you doing?

  I stared at the s.

  Then, before I could overthink it, I typed back.

  Me: Lying in bed, regretting my entire existence.

  A few seds ter—

  Astrid: Aw, poor baby. Wao e hold your hand?

  I rolled my eyes but found myself smirking.

  Me: Go away.

  Astrid: You love me.

  I hesitated.

  My fingers hovered over the keyboard for a sed too long.

  I could already hear her voice saying it in that smug, sing-song tone.

  I could picture her—head tilted, grin in pce, eyes sharp with amusement.

  I exhaled, shaking my head.

  Me: Go to sleep, Astrid.

  Astrid: Only if you say goodnight first.

  I sighed dramatically—despite the fact that she couldn’t hear me.

  Me: Goodnight, Astrid.

  Astrid: There’s my good boy.

  I choked.

  Before I could even respond, she sent aext.

  Astrid: Night, Henry ;)

  I stared at the winking emoji for way too long before tossing my phone aside again.

  She was going to kill me.

  And I was definitely going to let her.

  ***

  The day, I braced myself for more of the same.

  More stares. More whispers. More people assuming things.

  And, of course, more of Astrid thriving in all of it.

  I met her at our usual lunch spot, already exhausted from the m. She, oher hand, looked annoyingly well-rested and carefree.

  “M, boyfriend,” she teased, plopping down beside me.

  I sighed. “You have to stop doing that.”

  “Doing what?” she asked ily, taking a bite of my crisps—because, of course, she didn’t bring her own lunch again.

  “Encing the rumors,” I muttered.

  She smirked. “Oh, Henry. You’re ag like I have trol over eople think.”

  I gave her a look.

  She ughed, stretg her legs out in front of her. “Alright, fine. Wao start shutting people down?”

  I hesitated.

  Astrid not openly flirting with me at every opportunity? Would that even be possible?

  Before I could respond, someone called out from across the courtyard.

  “Astrid!”

  We both looked up. Some girl from her year—one of the actually nice popur ones—was heading our way, smiling knowingly.

  Astrid straightened, fshing her a zy grin. “Hey, Elle.”

  Elle gnced between us, her smile widening. “So, I have to ask… are you two dating?”

  I choked on my drink.

  Astrid, however, didn’t even blink.

  Instead, she turo me, an amused glint in her eyes. “What do you think, Henry?”

  I stared at her, beggio be normal for on her life.

  She was not.

  Elle watched us expetly.

  I sighed. “We’re taking it slow.”

  Astrid blinked, clearly surprised that I answered seriously.

  Elle hummed thoughtfully. “Huh. I thought so. You guys are kinda cute together.”

  Astrid smirked. “I knht?”

  I groaned, dropping my head back against the wall.

  Elle giggled. “Well, good luck with that.” And just like that, she walked off, leavio suffer.

  Astrid nudged me with her knee. “See? Even Elle approves.”

  I sighed. “You’re impossible.”

  “A…”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I still like you.”

  Her smirk softened just a little.

  I g her, suddenly aware that the sun had started to set behind the buildings. The temperature had dropped.

  Astrid shivered slightly, rubbing her hands together.

  Without thinking, I grabbed her sleeve and pulled her closer.

  She stiffened.

  For once, she was the one caught off guard.

  I kept my eyes ahead, trying to py it off like it was nothing. “You’re cold,” I muttered.

  Astrid didn’t say anything right away.

  Then, slowly, she leaned iing her head against my shoulder.

  “…You’re warm,” she murmured.

  I swallowed. “Good to know.”

  She let out a small breath, her voice quieter than before.

  “…You won’t just leave one day, right?”

  I turned my head slightly, frowning. “What?”

  She hesitated, like she wasn’t sure she wao say it out loud.

  Then, softer, “Everyone does.”

  My chest tightened.

  Astrid, the Astrid Bright, who spent so much time being bold and untouchable, who always had something sarcastic to say—

  She actually looked vulnerable.

  I didn’t know what to say at first.

  But then I did the only thing that felt right.

  I squeezed her sleeve gently.

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Astrid didn’t respht away.

  But she didn’t move away, either.

  She just sighed, rexing against me.

  Astrid stayed pressed against me, her body warm despite the chill in the air. Her fingers curled slightly into my sleeve, gripping just enough that I could feel it.

  She didn’t say anything else.

  her did I.

  I didn’t o.

  For once, Astrid wasn’t teasing or making some sarcastient. She wasn’t filling the sileh unnecessary words.

  She was just… there.

  And I let her be.

  The courtyard was nearly empty now, most students having already headed ihe breeze picked up slightly, rustling through the trees, sending stray leaves across the pavement.

  I shifted slightly, just enough to pull her closer.

  She noticed.

  Her grip on my sleeve tightened.

  “…You mean that, right?” she murmured.

  I frowned. “Mean what?”

  “That you’re not going anywhere.”

  I exhaled.

  This wasn’t like before. This wasn’t just her trying to get a rise out of me or pying whatever game she’d been pying when we first met.

  This was real.

  And I didn’t want to lie to her.

  “Yeah,” I said, my voice quieter than usual. “I mean it.”

  Astrid let out a breath, her forehead resting against my shoulder for just a sed.

  “…Good.”

  She didn’t eborate, and I didn’t ask her to.

  Instead, I just let my ha against hers where it gripped my sleeve, my fingers lightly curling over hers.

  Astrid tensed.

  Then, slowly, carefully, she let her fingers shift beh mine, like she was testing the waters.

  I didn’t move away.

  her did she.

  A moment passed. Then another.

  Then, just when I thought the moment might actually turn into something—

  She suddenly sat up, clearihroat dramatically.

  “Whew, okay,” she said, shaking out her arms like she was literally shaking off emotions. “Enough deep, meaningful moments for one day.”

  I scoffed. “You’re so bad at this.”

  She smirked. “What, beiionally avaible? Yeah. It’s disgusting.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  But despite the teasing, I noticed something different.

  She was still looking at me.

  Her expression was lighter now, like something heavy had finally been lifted.

  I nudged her kh mine. “You good?”

  She tilted her head, sidering.

  Then, finally, she smiled.

  “Yeah,” she murmured. “I think I am.”

  ***

  Astrid was still watg me, her blue eyes flickering with something unreadable.

  I raised an eyebrow. “What?”

  She hummed, tilting her head slightly. “Nothing.”

  “That’s a lie.”

  She smirked, leaning in a little. “Maybe.”

  I sighed. “Astrid—”

  She cut me off by reag up aing her hand against my cheek.

  I froze.

  My brain short-circuited instantly.

  She wasn’t just teasing this time. There was something different in the way she looked at me, something quieter, more serious.

  My mouth opened—maybe to say something, maybe just to breathe—but before I could process it, she was already leaning closer.

  Closer.

  Holy shit.

  She was going to—

  “Astrid, wait,” I blurted, pulling back slightly.

  She actually froze.

  Her brows furrowed, lips parting slightly. “…Wait?”

  I swallowed. “Are you… are you sure you wanna do this now?”

  Her eyes narrowed.

  I should have shut up.

  I should have just goh it.

  But no.

  I had to keep talking.

  “I mean, this feels like it’s happening really fast,” I said quickly, brain catg up to my own words way too te. “And statistically speaking, rushing into things usually leads to—”

  Astrid groahrowing her head back. “Oh my God, Henry, shut up.”

  I blinked. “I was just saying—”

  “No,” she cut me off, suddenly gripping my colr. “You think too much. And it’s annoying. And now I’m annoyed.”

  I frowned. “That seems unnecessary—”

  And then she kissed me.

  Aggressively.

  There was ation, no build-up—just pure, pent-up frustration as she grabbed me like she roving a point.

  I tensed, eyes widening in plete shock, hands h awkwardly in the air like I had zero idea what to do with them.

  Astrid growled against my lips, gripping me even tighter.

  It was messy. Slightly uncoordinated. Like she was trying to punish me for overthinking.

  And maybe she was.

  When she finally pulled away, she gred at me.

  “There.” She huffed, breath slightly uneven. “Now shut up.”

  I bli her, still rec.

  “…Wow,” I said dumbly. “That was… a lot.”

  Astrid groaned, shoving me. “You are the worst.”

  I smirked. “A…”

  She rolled her eyes, fighting a smile. “Yeah, yeah. I still like you.”

  I nodded. “Noted.”

  Astrid sighed dramatically, leaning back against the wall. “God, that was exhausting.”

  “You literally started it.”

  “Because you wouldn’t shut up.”

  I smirked, watg her for a sed before nudging her foot lightly.

  “…So does that mean you like me, or were you just trying to get me to shut up?”

  Astrid turned her head slowly, eyes narrowing.

  I barely had time to react before she grabbed my cain.

  I panicked. “Wait—Astrid—!”

  She kissed me again.

  And this time, I actually kissed her back.