Tension hung in the air, thick and unspoken. It had been too quiet for too long, the kind of silence that makes your chest tighten. We’d talk here and there, filling the space with meaningless chatter, but I could tell she was holding something back. My throat felt dry, and I cursed myself for leaving my water bottle in my locker. We kept walking, the sun dipping below the horizon, giving way to the moon. Maybe I was overthinking things. Maybe she wouldn’t—

“Sara?”

“Yeah?” I replied, keeping my voice as calm as I could manage.

“Do you like Julie?”

Those four words hit me hard, freezing me in place. My eyes widened, but I quickly tried to pull myself together.

‘Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Don’t panic,’ I repeated in my mind like a mantra.

“What a silly question Summer. Of course I do! I like Julie, you, Hannah, and—”

“No,” Summer interrupted, shaking her head. “I mean, do you like Julie?” The emphasis on the word “like” was sharp, like a punch I didn’t see coming.

“What?! What are you—”

“You know what I mean, Sara. I think I already know the answer, but I want to hear it from you.”

“Summer, this isn’t funny,” I tried laughing, but my voice wavered a bit.

“I’m not joking.” She stepped closer, wrapping her arms around me tightly, her voice softening to a whisper. “It’s okay.”

Those two simple words were all it took. The tears I’d been holding back finally broke free, and I buried my face in her shoulder, letting it all out.

Things were changing and it was something I didn’t want to happen