A new Start

The days following their conversation were surreal for Kiara. Everything felt the same yet completely different. Kelly was still her best friend, the person she'd grown up with, the one who had always known her better than anyone else. But now, there was something more. Something unspoken but undeniable hanging between them.

They hadn't labeled it yet. They hadn't defined what they were. But when Kiara met Kelly in the school courtyard the next day, there was an air of quiet understanding between them that hadn't been there before.

Kelly approached her, looking both nervous and excited, a slight smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Hey."

"Hey," Kiara replied, her voice soft, but her heart was racing in a way it never had before. They stood there for a moment, neither knowing what to say. It was awkward, yet comforting, like standing on the edge of something they both wanted but didn't fully understand.

"Do you want to walk to class together?" Kelly asked, taking a small step toward her. His usual confident demeanor seemed a little off, like he was still trying to figure out how to act around her.

Kiara nodded, her chest swelling with an emotion she couldn't quite name. "Yeah, I'd like that."

They began walking, side by side, and for the first time in weeks, Kiara felt like everything might just work out. The tension that had built up over the past few months was still there, but now it was a different kind of tension. They were no longer avoiding their feelings for each other. They were trying to figure out how to live with them.

As they walked through the halls, the usual chatter from their classmates seemed to fade into the background. Kelly, the most popular guy in school, was walking with Kiara, and no one could understand what had shifted. They were no longer just the best friends everyone adored. They were something more, and it was becoming clear to anyone who looked at them.

"What now?" Kiara asked after a while, her voice barely above a whisper. The question had been sitting in her mind since the moment they had agreed to take a chance on this new version of their relationship. She wasn't sure if she meant it in a literal sense—what they were going to do in the next few hours—or in a bigger sense, like what their future held.

Kelly glanced at her, his expression thoughtful. "I don't know. I guess we just keep being us. But… this time, we don't pretend anymore. No more pretending to be just friends. Let's see where this goes, Kiara."

Kiara's heart skipped a beat at his words. She had spent so long pretending, so long hiding her feelings for him, that the thought of finally being open with him, of not having to hide anymore, made her feel vulnerable but also free. It was a strange, wonderful feeling.

"Yeah," she said, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Let's see where it goes."

---

Later that afternoon, Kiara sat on her bed, her phone in hand. She had just finished texting Kelly about meeting up later that evening to hang out and talk more about everything. She felt giddy, excited, but also anxious. This was new territory for them both.