The Confession

Kiara had never been good at hiding her emotions. As soon as she walked away from Kelly, she felt the weight of everything hit her all at once. Her chest was tight, her stomach twisted in knots, and the sting of her words kept replaying in her mind.

She didn't know what she was expecting when she confronted him. She hadn't planned on it, and it hadn't even been a calculated move. It was just the overflow of everything she'd been bottling up for the past few weeks.

She spent the rest of the afternoon with her brother Kaden, not wanting to think about Kelly and certainly not wanting to talk about him. She kept herself busy with homework, but every so often, her mind would wander back to the hallway conversation. Had she gone too far? Was she wrong to tell him how she felt?

Later that evening, as she was on her way to bed, her phone buzzed. She stared at the screen for a moment, knowing exactly who it was.

It was a message from Kelly.

*Kelly:* *"Kiara, I'm sorry. I didn't know you felt that way. Can we talk tomorrow?"*

Kiara's heart skipped a beat. She didn't know what to think or how to respond. The pain from the last few weeks rushed back, but so did the feelings of longing for the friendship they used to have.

She sat on her bed, fingers hovering over her phone, unsure of how to reply. Finally, after a long pause, she typed out a response.

*Kiara:* *"We can talk tomorrow. But I don't know if anything will change."*

She stared at her message for a moment before hitting send. Her stomach flipped, but there was a sense of relief. She wasn't holding back anymore. She had said her piece, and now it was up to Kelly to decide what came next.

---

The next day, Kiara met Kelly by the lockers after school, just as they used to. She could see him standing there, shifting his weight nervously, clearly unsure of what to say. The space between them felt heavy, but for some reason, Kiara felt like she could breathe for the first time in weeks.

"Hey," Kelly said, his voice soft, almost hesitant. He looked at her, his expression serious. "Kiara, I'm sorry. I didn't know I was pushing you away. I thought that I was just doing what was best for me… for us."

Kiara crossed her arms, looking at him intently. "Kelly, it's not just about you. It's about us. You've been so focused on Cherry that you've forgotten what we had. I've been here for you through everything, and now I'm not even sure you even know who I am anymore."

Kelly looked down, clearly ashamed. "I know," he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I just got so wrapped up in everything with Cherry that I didn't notice… you. I didn't see that you were hurting."

Kiara's heart clenched at his words. "It's not just about me, Kelly. It's about our friendship. We've been best friends for so long, and it feels like… like you don't care anymore."

Kelly took a step closer, his voice shaking. "I do care, Kiara. I've always cared. I just… I didn't know how to balance everything. And then you got so quiet, and I didn't know what to do."

Kiara looked away for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. "You have to understand, Kelly… It's not just about me wanting you to pay attention to me. It's that I don't want to lose you. You're my best friend. But right now, it feels like I've lost you."

Kelly was silent for a moment, his eyes searching hers. Then he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "Kiara, I don't know what's going on with me. I've been so caught up in everything else that I didn't realize how much I was pushing you away. I don't want to lose you either. But… but I think I've been avoiding something. Something I've been feeling for a long time."

Kiara's heart raced. She had no idea where this conversation was going, but she felt like she was finally starting to understand him again.

"What do you mean?" Kiara asked, her voice shaky.

Kelly swallowed hard, looking her directly in the eye. "Kiara, I've been in love with you for a long time. And I think I've been too scared to admit it. I didn't want to mess things up. But the more I pushed you away, the more I realized that I can't live without you in my life. I don't want to lose you, Kiara."

Kiara froze, her breath catching in her throat. Her mind was racing, trying to process what he had just said. She had never, not once, thought that Kelly felt the same way. She had been so wrapped up in her own feelings that she hadn't considered his.

"I don't know what to say," she whispered, feeling like everything was shifting beneath her. "I… I never thought you felt that way."

Kelly stepped forward, his hand gently resting on her arm. "Kiara, I've always been here for you. And I know I messed up. But I don't want to keep pretending like I don't feel this way anymore. I don't want to keep pushing you away."

Kiara blinked back tears, her heart racing. This was it—the moment she had been waiting for, but it was also the moment she had feared the most. Could they go back to the way things were? Could their friendship survive this new dynamic?

"I don't know what happens next," Kiara said, her voice soft but determined. "But I think we need to take things one step at a time. I don't want to lose you, Kelly. But I need time to process everything."

Kelly nodded, his eyes full of understanding. "I get it, Kiara. Take all the time you need. I just want you to know that I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here, no matter what."

And for the first time in a long while, Kiara felt like there was hope. They didn't know what the future held, but maybe, just maybe, they could find their way back to each other.

End of Chapter 9