Chapa POV:
I woke up feeling surprisingly rested and comfortable. After a quick breakfast of cornflakes, I headed to the academy. Ms. Ambrose greeted us with instructions, "You can work on the preparations for the art exhibition, and if you've finished that, continue with your next paintings."
I nodded and set to work, knowing I had a few more tasks to complete before I could call my preparations done. About an hour later, there was a knock on the door. Two men stepped inside, followed by Bose. My heart did a little flip, and I couldn't help but smile. He smiled back, which only made my heart flutter more.
Ms. Ambrose addressed the class, "Since Elena Benson quit, we'll announce the two new paintings that will be displayed at the art exhibition on Wednesday. I know there's still a lot of work to do, but we'll help you finish it before then. Thankfully, Mr. O'Brien made time to come here and announce the paintings personally."
I couldn't help but wonder why he would waste his time on this. He isn't even that invested in art and had enough professionals to handle such announcements. But as soon as Bose walked in, the room buzzed with excitement. Everyone started chatting and looking at him with admiration. I rolled my eyes, thinking how in love they all seemed to be with him.
After the announcement of the two paintingsâone from Hannah, the annoying girl always getting on my nerves with Lisa, and another from David, a sweet guy in my classâBose smiled at me again as he was about to leave. I waved back, but he didn't notice. Suddenly, Hannah and Lisa approached me.
"Why did you just wave at The Bose O'Brien?" Hannah demanded.
I shrugged. "We're friends."
They looked at each other before bursting into laughter. "You? Friends with him? No way, that's bullshit," Hannah scoffed.
"Are you jealous?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Jealous? Everyone wants to be friends or at least something more with him. And he's known for not letting too many people into his personal life. So now you're telling me you're his friend? Give me a break," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Your ego sure got a lot bigger after one of your paintings got a backup place at the art exhibition," I shot back.
She went silent, muttering "Whatever," before walking away. I laughed to myself. I actually wanted to rip their tongues out of their mouths, but I needed to stay calm. I didn't want to cause a scene and risk losing my place at the exhibition. Bose might have covered for me for a while, but I still needed money and recognition to become a more famous and well-paid artist.
During our break, I went to the cafe for some coffee. As I was sitting there, a man approached my table. "Excuse me, I recognize you! Is your name maybe... Chapa? You're close with Bose, right?" he asked.
"Uh, yeah. Who are you?" I replied, confused.
"May I sit down?" he asked.
"Sure," I said.
"Hi, I'm Andrew. I visited Bose's place on Saturday evening and saw you sleeping in his bed. I thought you were his secret girlfriend or something since he never, ever opens up about his love interests. But then he told me you're his childhood friend named Chapa," he said, extending a hand.
I shook his hand, feeling a bit awkward. "Nice to meet you, Andrew. And no, I'm not his girlfriend. We're just really good friends."
Andrew looked skeptical. "Well, that's weird. He never lets women into his penthouse unless they're in a relationship with him. And sometimes Bridget, but he hates it when she comes into his house. So, not only letting you in but also letting you sleep in his bed is a big deal. You might want to reconsider his intentions."
I didn't know what to do with this information. "Uhhh, okay."
At that moment, Bose walked up to our table. "What's going on here?" he asked, eyeing Andrew.
Andrew stood up quickly. "Oh, I was just talking to Chapa. I recognized her from Saturday night when I saw her sleeping in your bed."
Bose made a shushing gesture. "Andrew, keep it down. There'll be rumors. And you know I hate rumors."
Andrew smirked. "Will it still be considered a rumor if it's obvious and actually true?"
"It's not true!" I stepped in, my voice rising slightly. They both were shocked at my defensive words.
Andrew raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Sorry, my bad. I'll leave you two alone," he said, walking away with a smile.
Bose and I looked at each other awkwardly. "Sorry about that," he said.
"It's okay," I replied, trying to shake off the weirdness.
"You were really defensive about it though." Bose said with a laugh to hide away my defensive words that might've affected him a bit.
"Yeah well, like you said, there'll be rumors and I'm not in the mood for more drama, besides it's not even true so yeah I was defensive about it." I said while my voice was rising further.
I walked out of the cafe, to avoid the awkwardness and get back to my art.
â
I asked Ms. Ambrose if I could leave a bit early since I'd already finished most of my work. She agreed and let me go, so I decided to visit Mika. She deserved to see me too after such a long time. I texted her, asking if I could come over, and she replied that she'd be happy to see me and sent me her address. I noticed she lives close to the Man's Nest.
When I rang her doorbell, she opened it with a huge smile and a warm embrace. "Chapa! It's been too long! How are you?" she exclaimed, pulling me inside.
"I'm good, Mika. How about you?" I replied, smiling back at her enthusiasm.
She led me into her cozy, stylishly decorated living room, which smelled faintly of lavender and vanilla. "I'm so thankful for what you did, defeating ShadowWoman's daughter. She's now in a coma, and her memories are erased. You saved us all," she said, her gratitude evident in her eyes.
She offered me a drink, and I asked for some cola. As she went to get it, I looked around her house, admiring her taste. The place was immaculate, filled with modern yet cozy furnishings, and her garden was visible through a large window, bursting with colorful flowers and charming decorations.
Returning with my drink, Mika settled into a plush armchair across from me. "So, what have you been up to these days?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"I work at a secret agency now, but I can't say much about it. Sometimes, I help Miles fight crime if it's really necessary," she explained. Her place indicated she must be earning well.
"How have things been with you and Bose?" she suddenly asked.
I felt attacked. "What do you mean with Bose? There's nothing going on with Bose!" I snapped.
"Calm down, Chapa. I didn't mean it like that," she said, trying to soothe me.
I muttered to myself, "Why is everyone saying this lately?"
Mika overheard and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
I sighed and told her about Andrew. "Yeah, today some dude who's friends with Bose came up to me and asked if I'm his girlfriend. He kept pushing because he was so curious. I thought he was being annoying."
Mika leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Lemme guess, his name is Andrew? Light brown skin, dark long curly gel-styled hair that looks like it belongs in a shampoo commercial, dark green doe eyes that seem to pierce right through you, lips so perfectly plumped you'd think he walked off a runway, full straight eyebrows that frame his face with an almost too-perfect precision, and a jawline sharp enough to cut glass? He's always impeccably dressed, every stitch and seam perfectly in place, never a wrinkle or a speck of dirt on his outfit?"
I stared at her in astonishment. "Just his name was enough, Mika," I replied, still processing her detailed description. "How do you know him so well?"
"Bose came over to the Man's Nest a few days ago, and Andrew called him while he was away. I picked up the phone, and he acted like an asshole. Later, I saw him at Bose's place when you were there, remember? He just left when we arrived. He did apologize, but he still annoys me," she explained.
"Sounds like you're really invested in him," I teased with a smile.
"No, absolutely not. I'm just annoyed by his presence," she insisted. I laughed. "What were you guys talking about on the phone that made you mad?" I asked.
"He didn't believe me when I said Bose wasn't available. He thought I was a kidnapper or something since Bose never mentioned me before. Then he turned it into a contest to see how many things we knew about Bose," she said.
"And did you lose? Is that why you're mad?" I asked, still giggling.
"No, of course not. I always win, but I'm still very annoyed with him," she said.
"What did you ask him that made you win the contest?" I curiously asked. Not only to show interest, but also to find out more things about Bose I might've forgotten or never heard.
"I asked him about Bose's first love interest in high school. He said Bose never talks about his love interests and didn't know that one."
Her words stopped me in my tracks. "First love interest? Bose never had a first love, at least not when I was still close with him. If he had he would've told me. Who was it?" I asked, curiosity piqued.
Mika hesitated. "I probably shouldn't have said anything."
"Please, Mika? Or I'll tell Andrew how annoyingly obsessed you are with him," I threatened playfully.
She sighed, "It... it was you."
"You're kidding me, right? Who was it for real?" I asked, not believing her.
"You. Chapa, it was you. Now you understand why he didn't tell you. It was you since day one, at least that's what he told me," she revealed.
I was shocked and didn't know what to say. "And it's kinda obvious he still has feelings for you, isn't it? I mean, even Andrew asked you about it today."
I thought about the kids at the arcade yesterday and Sage a couple of days ago who knew we liked liked each other. I finally came to the realization. Did he really like me? Is that why he came into my classroom today, why he drew me like that in his notebook? Have I been this blind all this time? I didn't know what to think anymore.
What was even more strange, did I just have a feeling that I might feel the same? I told Mika I should probably go and that it was fun to catch up with her. I took the bus back to Rivalton, my mind racing with all these revelations.
Bose POV:
It was now 5 p.m., and I was finally done with work. I headed straight home, still mulling over how Chapa had defensively insisted that we weren't anything romantically related. It wasn't true, but her reaction still stung. I hoped she wasn't going to start ignoring me again, like she had done so many times before.
When I got home, I immediately shrugged off my suit's jacket and threw it on the couch. I was too exhausted to bother hanging it up properly. I flopped down next to it and turned on the TV, trying to drown out my thoughts about Chapa. After a few hours of binge-watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine and eating dinner, I decided to call it a night. I went to my bedroom and took a shower, washing my hair and body. I put on my sweatpants and a T-shirt with a funny picture of a dog on it. It looked ridiculous, but also kind of cute. I would rather wear this to work than my suit; it showed off my personality more. I slipped into my bunny slippers and walked back into the living room. The clock read 8:43 p.m.
Then I heard a knock on my door. I assumed it was Andrew or, less likely, Bridget. I had told Bridget I didn't want her at my house after 8, so it was probably Andrew. He was not only my right-hand man but also my friend, though it was unusual for him to come by this late unless it was for paperwork. I stopped speculating and opened the door. To my surprise, it wasn't Bridget or Andrew. It was Chapa.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, confusion evident in my voice.
She seemed annoyed, stopping herself before speaking. "Just shut up," she said abruptly. Before I could react, she stood on her tiptoes, put one hand on my cheek, and kissed me. I was so shocked that I pulled away slightly.
I looked at her, and she looked back with a questioning expression, probably thinking I didn't like it. I couldn't think straight for a moment, but I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to kiss her back, kiss her again and again. I slowly leaned in and kissed her back without saying a word. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and she ran her hands through my still-wet hair. I hadn't touched her with my hands yet, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. I tried to speak between kisses.
"I'm sorry for my wet hair," I said.
"Don't apologize. You look great with wet hair," she replied.
I smiled while she was still kissing me. She noticed and backed away slightly. "What?" she asked.
"The rumors were absolutely not true, right?" I teased and laughed.
She rolled her eyes and playfully punched me. "Shut up!" she said, then noticed my T-shirt and laughed.
"Nice shirt," she said, giggling. "I didn't know you still had your goofy side."
"Yeah, well, it's not something I show at work," I replied, smiling. "But it's comfy, and it makes me happy."
She grinned. "It's cute. You should wear it more often."
We stood there for a moment, just looking at each other. I could see the nervousness in her eyes, mirroring my own.
"Do you want to come in?" I finally asked, stepping aside to let her in.
"Sure," she said, walking past me and into the living room. She looked around, taking in the space.
"Can I get you something to drink? Water, coffee, tea?"
"Water is fine," she replied, sitting down on the couch.
I grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen and handed it to her before sitting down beside her. There was a moment of silence between us, the air thick with unspoken words.
"Bose, I didn't mean to be so defensive about it today," Chapa finally said, breaking the silence. "It's just... I've had a lot on my mind."
"I get it," I said softly. "But you don't have to push me away, Chapa."
She looked at me, her eyes softening. "I know. And I appreciate it. I just... didn't want to complicate things."
"Complicate things? How?" I asked, genuinely curious.
She took a deep breath. "By getting too close. By letting my feelings for you get in the way."
My heart skipped a beat. "Feelings?"
"Yes, feelings," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've always had them I think, but I was too scared to admit it. Too scared to risk our friendship, so I always denied them, even to myself. I never realized I liked you like that until now."
"Chapa, you don't have to be scared. I've had feelings for you too. For a long time."
She looked up at me, her eyes filled with hope. "Really?"
"Really," I confirmed. "And I don't want to hide it anymore."
She smiled, a genuine, happy smile that made my heart soar. "Neither do I."
We sat there for a while, enjoying the moment. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. For the first time in a long time, everything felt right.