A Little Too Close

Tara wandered the hallways aimlessly, her footsteps echoing softly against the polished floors. She walked back and forth, pacing the same route at least five times. Each turn felt as though she was trying to walk away from the earlier chaos of the day, but no matter how much she moved, the memories lingered. Falling into Roman's lap, bumping into Adrian... It was like a bad scene from a cheesy high school drama. And very childish but she didn't really care about that it. She walking to kill some time before her sister is done.

After a while, she grew tired of her endless pacing and decided to return to the library. It was quiet and peaceful there the perfect escape. As she entered, the familiar scent of old books wrapped around her like a comforting blanket. She smiled faintly and headed toward the comics section, determined to distract herself.

Tara scanned the shelves carefully, her fingers brushing across the spines of several well-worn comic books. After a brief search, she selected a few lighthearted ones with colorful covers. Superheroes, space explorers, and hilarious misadventures exactly what she needed.

Settling into one of the comfy reading chairs, she opened the first comic and let herself be pulled into its world. For the next several minutes, she forgot about her embarrassment, losing herself in stories filled with action and humor. She even chuckled a few times, earning a curious glance from the librarian, who quickly returned to her work.

Time passed faster than she expected. After finishing half of one comic, Tara checked her phone. Her eyes widened. "Finally! Only two more minutes left!" she whispered excitedly, relieved that her free periods were almost over.

She carefully returned the comics to their shelves and slung her bag over her shoulder. As she made her way back to class, she spotted a familiar figure approaching from the opposite direction.

"Kara!" she called out, feeling a wave of relief.

Kara beamed and hurried over to her twin. "Hey, T!" she greeted warmly, using her nickname for Tara. "Heading back to class?"

Tara nodded as they walked side by side toward the classroom. Being with Kara always made her feel grounded like she could breathe again.

"So…" Kara began, casting her a curious glance. "What's up? You seem... distracted."

Tara hesitated but eventually sighed. "I... had a couple of embarrassing moments today."

Kara's brows shot up in interest. "Oh? Spill!"

With a resigned expression, Tara recounted her morning disasters falling onto Roman's lap and then awkwardly bumping into Adrian in the library. She left out how intense Adrian's gaze had been and how Roman's unexpected smile had left her stunned.

When she finished, Kara stared at her in stunned silence for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Wait... you fell on Roman and bumped into Adrian — both on the same day?! Are you serious?!"

Tara groaned. "It's not funny!"

"Oh, it definitely is!" Kara wheezed, wiping a tear from her eye. "I didn't know you were that clumsy!"

"I'm not clumsy," Tara huffed indignantly. "It just... happened!"

Kara smirked. "Well, don't worry. They'll probably forget about it by tomorrow. Besides, tomorrow's Friday — almost the weekend. You just have to survive one more day."

Tara nodded slowly. "Yeah… maybe."

But deep down, she knew she was lying. There was no way she was going to face them again willingly. Avoiding them sounded like a much better plan.

Kara seemed to sense her unease and playfully bumped Tara's shoulder. "Just... don't run away next time, okay?"

They finally reached their classroom and took their seats. With one more free period left, they decided to pass the time by chatting about random things. Their conversation flowed effortlessly, filled with shared jokes and funny stories from their childhood. For a while, the rest of the world faded away, leaving only their familiar, comforting bond.

But not everyone in the room was as relaxed.

Across the class, Roman sat slouched at his desk, his eyes half-closed. He'd been staring into space until the sound of soft laughter caught his attention. His gaze drifted toward the source, landing on Tara and Kara, their faces glowing with joy.

Tara's genuine smile lit up her face in a way that Roman hadn't seen before. It was so different from the flustered, panicked expression she'd worn earlier when she'd stumbled into him. He felt something stir in his chest, a strange warmth he couldn't quite explain.

Realizing where his thoughts were going, he frowned and turned away, resting his head on his folded arms. He was not going down that road. He'd worked too hard to keep his distance from people getting attached only led to trouble.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Lucas couldn't take his eyes off Kara. She was laughing at something Tara had said, her eyes sparkling with amusement. There was something captivating about her the way she carried herself with effortless confidence, the way her laughter filled the room like music.

Caught up in the moment, Lucas didn't realize he was staring until Kara's gaze suddenly met his. She raised an eyebrow, her expression curious but not unfriendly.

Flustered, Lucas managed an awkward smile and scratched the back of his neck. Kara tilted her head, considering him for a moment, before offering a small, casual smile in return. Then she turned back to Tara, leaving Lucas staring after her, his heart pounding a little faster than before.

As the classroom buzzed with quiet chatter, the air seemed charged with possibilities. Unspoken words lingered on the edges of conversations, and hidden glances carried emotions that had yet to be fully understood.

Tara, unaware of the silent attention she had drawn, leaned back in her chair and let out a contented sigh. Maybe just maybe school wouldn't be so bad after all... though something told her that her life was about to get a whole lot more complicated.

The next two hours was fun until the next period teacher entered and it was studying time but it was not boring