Mira came back faster than Lily expected.
Not walking—almost hurrying.
Lily noticed it before anything else.
The way Mira's steps were uneven. The way her bag slipped down her shoulder and she didn't fix it right away.
Something was wrong.
Lily stood up instinctively, her chair scraping softly against the floor.
"Mira…?"
Mira stopped in front of her, breathing a little too fast. Her cheeks were flushed, her blonde hair slightly tangled from running her fingers through it.
"Lily, I'm so sorry," she said quickly.
Lily blinked.
Sorry?
For what?
Her voice shook. "I'm really sorry for what Aiden said."
Lily's brown eyes widened in confusion, and for a moment she forgot how to speak.
How does she know?
And… why is she apologizing?
She reached out without thinking, her fingers brushing Mira's arm—warm, familiar.
"No, Mira, he didn't say anything that needs an apology, don't say sor—"
Mira cut her off, a small, frustrated laugh breaking through.
"No, Lily, this is serious," she said, forcing a smile that didn't quite stay. "Because of something really stupid that happened in the past, suddenly I can't even be friends with anyone."
She shook her head, annoyed, eyes flashing. "Wow. Great, right?"
Lily stayed quiet.
She watched Mira's hands—how they clenched, then loosened. How her breath came unevenly, like she was trying to calm herself down.
"I'm really sorry,Lily…" Mira said again, softer now.
"Aiden…he is a good guy. Really. He's just… worried about me."
She hesitated.
"Jake called me," she added. "He said Aiden's in a bad mood and—"
Mira waved it off. "It doesn't matter now."
But it mattered to Lily.
The moment she heard Aiden is in a bad mood, something twisted inside her chest.
Is it because of me?
Because I became Mira's friend?
Her fingers curled slowly against her jeans .
Am I really that bad?
She felt stupid for caring. And yet—she did.
He was the one she waited months to see again. The one whose presence still made her heart forget how to behave. And now, maybe, he thought she was… something wrong.
Lily looked down at her shoes, scuffed slightly at the toes.
Mira is special to me, she thought quietly.
After so many years… she's the only one who reached out.
Mira inhaled, then spoke again, her voice lower, more careful.
"I don't know exactly what Aiden said to you," she said.
"But I want you to know this, Lily."
She stepped closer.
"After a long time… you're the only girl friend I have."
Lily's breath hitched softly
Mira smiled faintly, eyes soft now. "I know they're my childhood friends. I know they worry. But you're my friend too."
She laughed a little, emotional. "We share stupid things. We tease each other. We sit together and draw art like we don't care about the world."
Her voice trembled.
"So please," Mira said gently, "don't listen to anyone else. I really want to be friends with you."
She paused.
"It's not because of anything else. It's because You… you're what matters, Lily.
Silence settled between them.
Lily didn't answer right away.
She gathered herself, throat tight. She noticed how Mira's green eyes were shining now—not playful, not teasing, but open. Honest. Waiting.
Mira's fingers twisted together slowly.
Lily felt something warm and fragile bloom in her chest.
After all these years…
someone is choosing me.
Her eyes stung, but she smiled—a small, careful smile.
She reached out again, this time holding Mira's hand properly.
"I didn't think anything bad about Aiden," Lily said softly.
"And… I don't want to lose you over misunderstandings."
She looked up, dark hair falling around her face, brown eyes steady despite the fear inside.
"I just want to be your friend too," she admitted quietly.
Mira's shoulders relaxed, relief washing over her face.
"Good," Mira said, squeezing her hand. "Because I'm not letting you go that easily."
Lily laughed softly, a little silly, a little shy.
The tension eased—but something deeper remained.
Unspoken things.
Complicated feelings.
And a quiet understanding that this friendship mattered more than either of them had expected.
A quiet curiosity stirred in Lily about what had happened back then.
Lily almost asked.
The question hovered at the back of her throat, soft but persistent.
What happened back then?
What does Aiden have to do with this?
And Jake… where does he fit?
Her lips parted slightly.
Then she stopped herself.
It felt rude.
Like stepping into a room she hadn't been invited into yet.
Some histories weren't meant to be pulled open just because curiosity wanted answers.
Lily looked down at their joined hands.
Warm. Familiar.
A memory slipped in before she could stop it.something else surfaced—unwanted, familiar.
A memory.
A girl from long ago. Someone who used to sit beside her, laugh with her, call her warm names. Someone who slowly stopped seeing Lily as a person… and started seeing her as something useful. Homework. Favors. Quiet loyalty.
Lily remembered how she'd done everything with a pure heart.
How warmth had turned into expectation.
How asking for nothing still ended with losing everything.
She blinked, grounding herself.
"Lil—"
When Lily looked up again, Mira was speaking.
"Lily…"
Her voice was quieter than before.
"Are you okay," she said quietly.
Lily nodded in answer.
Mira's voice was careful, like she was choosing each word from a fragile place.
"It's because something happened… when we were still in school."
She didn't look directly at Lily.
Her green eyes shifted to the window, then down, lashes lowering as if the memory itself was too bright, too sharp.
Her breathing changed—faster now. Uneven.
Lily noticed.
The way Mira's fingers fidgeted in her lap.
The way her shoulders pulled in slightly, protective.
Those eyes—
Lily had seen that look before.
In mirrors.
In herself.
She took a slow breath and tightened her hold on Mira's hand, grounding both of them.
"Mira," Lily said softly.
Mira flinched—just a little.
"You don't have to tell me," Lily continued gently.
Her voice trembled, only slightly. "I know… how this feels."
She swallowed, then smiled—a small, sincere smile.
Her dimple appeared, faint but honest.
"It's okay…"
Mira looked at her then.
Really looked.
Something in her expression loosened.
She exhaled, slow and shaky, and squeezed Lily's hand back.
"I want to tell you," Mira said quietly. "Because… you matter to me,You're my bestie now. Remember that."
Lily nodded, her smile shy but steady.
"…Yeah."
Silence settled between them.
Mira took a slow breath.Then she began.
---
Back then, school was loud. Busy. Everyone seemed to know everyone — or at least pretended to.
The halls. The fields. The whispers.
Aiden and Jake had always stood out—effortlessly. Like people were drawn to them without trying.
And Young Mira… Mira had been noticed too.
Too much.
Girls stopped her every day.
"Are you close with them?"
"Can you give this to Aiden?"
"Please—just this once."
Letters filled her bag. Notes slipped into her hands. Confessions passed through her like she was only a bridge, never a destination.
She never questioned it.
But one day—
A girl didn't hold out a letter.
"Mira,"
she said, a bright smile on her lips.
She stood in front of Mira, hands empty.
"Oh," Mira had said casually. "You can give it to me. I'll pass it along."
Mira paused, eyes flicking up.
"…Is it for Aiden or Jake?"
The girl smiled.
Bright. Wide.
"I'm Amanda, And I don't want to give letters to anyone. I just want to talk to you."
Mira had frowned, confused.
"To me?"
"Really?"
Amanda glanced around, lifting her hands slightly.
"No one's around, right?"
And somehow—just like that—it started.
They sat together. Walked together. Whispered between classes.
Amanda laughed at everything Mira said. Agreed with everything she thought.
Mira had never had that before.
Never someone who chose her.
Amanda became her world.
Her voice settled into Mira's thoughts like truth. Like certainty.
What Amanda said felt right. Always.
Slowly, the questions came.
"What's Aiden like when he's tired?"
"Does Jake get angry easily?"
"Who do they trust more?"
Mira answered without thinking. Just small things. Everyday things.
But Amanda wanted more.
One afternoon, Amanda leaned in, smiling softly.
She tilted her head, curious, a playful glint in her eyes.
"Have you… ever liked someone, Mira? Really liked someone?"
Mira hesitated, then shrugged, lips curling into a small, almost teasing smile.
"Me? Oh… not really. What about you?"
Amanda looked surprised. Her surprise didn't last long, it slipped away into a look that felt… satisfied.
Mira leaned in, voice soft, nudging gently. "Not even once? Not even a little?"
Amanda's smile lingered, eyes sparkling in a way that seemed innocent but careful.
"Well… there was someone. But it's not like I cared that much… it's just… someone caught my attention."
Mira's heartbeat skipped. "Someone? Who?"
Mira's eyes had widened, heart fluttering with something new.
Curiosity. Excitement.
Amanda's gaze drifted to the side, voice quiet, a little sly. "It's… Aiden."
Mira blinked, trying not to let her surprise show. Her mind spun, but Amanda's tone was so casual, so soft, that Mira almost believed it was harmless.
"And… you're sure?" Mira asked, leaning closer, curiosity edging into excitement.
Amanda nodded, faint smile still teasing. "Yeah. But don't worry. I'm not… serious. Just… someone I noticed."
Mira believed her, and for now, that belief was enough to make her happy.
End of chapter 12