Chapter 35: Yes, but Not Quite

The morning after felt distant.

Like it had come from a different life.

Hale walked into school with hands in his pockets, headphones in, but no music playing. The world around him was muffled. The rustling of backpacks, snippets of conversation, even Barney's voice somewhere down the hall—it all sounded like it was playing behind a thin wall of glass.

And then—

He saw her.

Not in art class.

Not by the vending machine.

In the hallway.

By the back stairwell. A place he didn't even realize students used anymore.

Ivy was standing near the railing, flipping through a small sketchbook, lost in her own world.

He hesitated, unsure if approaching her was the right move. Yesterday—or whatever that was—still lingered in his brain like fog. But his feet moved anyway.

"Hey."

She looked up, surprised—but smiled. "Hey, Hale."

Her tone wasn't cold. Wasn't overly warm either. Just normal. Whatever that meant anymore.

"What's that?" he asked, gesturing toward the sketchbook.

She closed it gently. "Just something for myself. Not class."

He nodded. "You always draw alone?"

"Mostly. It's quieter when it's just me and the page."

He smiled slightly. "I get that."

A pause.

Then, as if the words slipped past his filter before he could stop them—

"You wanna go out sometime?"

Her head tilted.

A beat of silence.

Then, Ivy blinked slowly… and said, "Yeah. Maybe."

Hale caught that word.

Not yes. Not no.

Just "maybe." But her smile didn't fade.

"Cool," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I mean—we could grab something. Coffee. Or… terrible overpriced bubble tea."

She actually chuckled at that. "I've never had bubble tea."

"That feels like a crime," he said, more relaxed now.

"I'll put it on my to-do list."

Then the bell rang.

And without another word, she turned and walked down the hall—just a second before he did.

They didn't set a time.

Didn't lock it in.

But it didn't feel like a no.

Hale leaned back against the wall for a second, eyes on the ceiling.

He didn't know what the hell was going on.

But somehow, this version of Ivy was different.

Still her.

But not quite.