Mornings were supposed to be simpleâroutine even. Get up, brush your teeth, throw on something that made you look semi-alive, and head to school. But today? Today felt different, and I hated it.
I stood in the kitchen, my hand hovering over the box of Picarones on the counter. The golden pastries were neatly packed, but my mind wasn't on them. Instead, it was stuck on last night.
The almost-kiss.
I groaned and pressed my forehead against the cool surface of the fridge. What the hell was I thinking? Scratch thatâwhat the hell were we thinking?
My phone buzzed, the sound jolting me out of my spiral. I grabbed it and glanced at the screen.
Dev: Don't forget the Picarones.
Me: I won't. See you in class.
Simple. Neutral. No overthinking.
I tucked my phone into my pocket, grabbed the Picarones, and headed out the door.
---
The bus ride was uneventful, but my mind was anything but calm. I kept replaying the moment in the car when Dev had said he didn't regret anything. The memory of his voice, low and steady, sent shivers down my spine.
When I walked into Spanish class, Dev was already there, sitting at our usual desk. He looked up as I approached, his eyes locking on mine for a split second before he offered me his usual grin.
"Morning," he said, his voice casual, like nothing had happened.
"Morning," I replied, trying to match his tone but failing miserably. My voice wavered, and I knew he noticed.
He tilted his head slightly. "You okay?"
"Yeah, totally fine," I said, sitting down and pulling out my notebook like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.
Before he could press further, Mr. Fernandez clapped his hands at the front of the room. "Alright, class, presentations start today! Who's ready to impress me?"
The room erupted in groans, and I couldn't help but smile. At least the presentation would give me something to focus on other than the boy sitting next to me.
"Let's go, Team Peru," Dev whispered, nudging my arm.
I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Let's just get this over with."
---
Our presentation went off without a hitch. Dev and I had rehearsed it so many times the day before that we practically had it memorized. We covered Peru's geography, culture, and history with ease, and the class even seemed genuinely interestedâprobably because they knew they were getting snacks afterward.
When it was time to hand out the Picarones, Dev took the lead, walking around the classroom with the box while I explained what they were.
"They're kind of like doughnuts," I said. "Made from squash and sweet potato, fried until golden, and served with a syrup called chancaca."
By the time we sat back down, the tension from the morning had eased. We shared a quick high-five, our hands lingering a moment longer than necessary.
"That went better than I expected," Dev said, brushing sugar off his fingers.
"Yeah," I agreed, though my mind wasn't on the presentation anymore. It was on the way his arm had brushed against mine earlier, the way his laugh seemed to linger in the air longer than it should have.
As the class wrapped up, Mr. Fernandez called us over to his desk.
"I have to say, this was one of the best presentations I've seen," he said, handing back our grading sheet with a bright red A at the top.
Dev grinned. "Grades well-earned."
We left the classroom together, the buzz of success still lingering. But as we stepped into the hallway, Dev grabbed my arm gently.
"Hey," he said, his voice quieter now. "Can we talk?"
I blinked, caught off guard. "Uh... sure. What's up?"
"Not here," he said, nodding toward the side hallway. "Just for a minute."
---
The side hallway was quiet, a stark contrast to the bustling main corridors. Dev leaned against the wall, his hands shoved into his pockets.
"About last night," he began, his eyes fixed on the floor.
My stomach twisted. "What about it?"
He hesitated, his jaw working like he was trying to find the right words. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. If I crossed a line, I'm sorry."
"You didn't," I said quickly, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.
He looked up, surprised. "I didn't?"
I shook my head, my cheeks heating up. "No. I mean... it caught me off guard, but... it wasn't bad."
His lips twitched, the beginnings of a smile. "Not bad, huh?"
"Don't push it," I said, rolling my eyes, but I couldn't help the small smile that crept onto my face.
We stood there for a moment, the silence stretching between us.
"So, what now?" I asked finally.
Dev shrugged, but there was a seriousness in his eyes. "I guess we figure it out. Together."
My heart skipped, but before I could say anything, the bell rang, signaling the start of the next period.
"I'll see you later," he said, his smile soft.
"Yeah. See you," I replied, watching as he walked away, my heart still racing.
---
The rest of the day felt like an eternity. No matter how hard I tried to focus in class, my mind kept drifting back to Devâhis hand brushing my cheek, the way his voice softened when he said my name, and the look in his eyes when we almost kissed.
It wasn't just nerves making my heart race. I liked him. I had for a while now, though I'd never dared to admit it to myself. And now, with everything that happened yesterday, it was like the truth was staring me in the face, refusing to be ignored.
When the final bell rang, I gathered my things and took a detour to the far hallway, trying to avoid the crowded main corridors. I wasn't sure what I wantedâspace to think or maybe just to avoid any chance of running into Dev.
Fate, apparently, had other plans.
"Hey, Bri."
I froze at the sound of his voice, my breath catching in my throat. Turning, I found him standing a few steps away, his bag slung over one shoulder and a nervous smile on his face.
"Hey," I said, my voice quieter than I intended.
He rubbed the back of his neck, his usual confidence replaced by an endearing awkwardness. "Uh, I thought... maybe I could walk you to the bus stop?"
"Really?" I raised an eyebrow, trying to mask the flutter of excitement in my chest.
"Yeah," he said, his ears turning pink. "I mean, it's on my way, so..."
I bit back a smile. Dev, the guy who always had a quick joke or a smug comment, was suddenly stumbling over his words like he wasn't sure what to say. It was... cute.
"Sure," I said finally. "Let's go."
---
We walked in silence at first, the air between us charged with unspoken words. I kept sneaking glances at him, wondering if he was as nervous as I was.
"So," he said eventually, breaking the quiet. "Did you... have fun yesterday? With the Picarones and all?"
"Yeah, I did," I replied, my voice soft. "It was nice."
"Good," he said, his gaze fixed on the ground.
I swallowed hard, debating whether to address the obvious. Finally, I took a deep breath. "Dev?"
"Yeah?" he said, glancing at me.
"About last night..." I hesitated, my cheeks heating up. "IâuhâI didn't mean to make things awkward."
His head shot up, his eyes wide. "You didn't."
"I didn't?"
He shook his head, his hand going back to rub his neck. "No. If anything, I'm the one who made it awkward. I just..." He sighed, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. "I don't know what I was thinking."
I blinked at him, my heart pounding. "What do you mean?"
He stopped walking and turned to face me, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "I guess... I just couldn't stop myself," he admitted, his eyes meeting mine. "I like you, Bri. I've liked you for a while now."
The world seemed to tilt beneath me. I stared at him, stunned into silence.
"I get it if that's not how you feel," he said quickly, misreading my silence. "I just... I didn't want to keep pretending I didn't feel this way."
"Dev," I said, cutting him off. My voice came out softer than I expected. "I like you too."
His eyes widened, the pink in his cheeks deepening. "You do?"
I nodded, my own face burning. "Yeah. I have for a while now."
For a moment, we just stood there, the weight of our mutual confession hanging in the air. And then, slowly, his lips curved into a smileâthe kind that lit up his whole face.
"Well," he said, his voice teasing but still tinged with shyness. "That's... good to know."
I laughed, the sound breaking the tension. "Yeah. It is."
We reached the bus stop a few minutes later, and I sat down on the bench while Dev leaned against the lamppost, his hands back in his pockets. The air between us felt lighter now, though there was still a nervous energy lingering.
"I guess this is me," I said when the bus finally pulled up.
"Yeah," he said, glancing at the bus before looking back at me. "I'll, uh, see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah," I said, standing up and slinging my bag over my shoulder.
As I turned to board the bus, he called my name.
"Bri?"
I turned back, my heart skipping a beat.
"Thanks for... you know, saying that," he said, his voice quiet but sincere.
I smiled, warmth blooming in my chest. "See you tomorrow, Dev."
As the bus pulled away, I watched him standing there, his hands in his pockets, and I couldn't help but think that maybeâjust maybeâthis was the start of something good.