I was sure I hadn't wanted to break up with Chad. He was important to me, but there were still so many doubts. I cried so much I eventually cried myself to sleep. The next day at school, he didn't show up. Adam went to the library to check and found out Chad had quit the internship. He called him, and Chad explained that his mother was against our relationship and had told him to stay away from me.
I felt so much anger toward the person who had sent that note, and I couldn't stop wondering who it had been. After all, only the psychologist knew about it, besides me, Adam, Emma, and Will. Nothing seemed to make sense.
All through the school day, I felt awful—like I didn't even want to be there. Jhenna, who sat to my left, noticed my sadness. At one point, she placed her hand on my arm and asked,
"Are you okay, Mia?"
I shook my head.
"Let's go to Station tonight. You'll get your mind off things," she said.
I tried to force a smile. When the bell rang, Emma discreetly called me to the bathroom.
"What is it?" I asked.
"She gave me her phone. Chad wants to talk to you."
I called him.
"Chad… it was my dad," I began.
"Mia, I know. My mom made me quit the internship. I've never seen her so determined. She felt sick yesterday while confronting me. She thinks that we…"
"I know," I said, crying.
"Mia, don't cry. We're going to figure out what's going on," he said. "Let's take a break. I don't want to disobey my mom. She's not well with all of this."
I stayed silent. He added,
"Take care, okay? I'll fix this, I promise. Bye."
I heard a woman's voice—probably his mother—calling him, and then he hung up. I cried. Emma hugged me, washed my face, and helped me pull myself together.
"We're going to have so much fun on this trip," she said, trying to shift the mood.
I smiled.
When I left school, I got in the car. Adam was already inside. I rested my head on his shoulder and fell asleep. I woke up as we were arriving home. My dad was waiting with Abigail and Ruth. Abigail said she had made a snack for us to eat before the trip. My dad moved in to hug me, but I pulled away.
"I'll drive you to the airport," he said.
I looked at him and answered, "You don't need to."
"That wasn't a question, son. It was a statement," he replied.
To break the tension, Abigail said,
"Mia, I packed some clothes for you. I know you already have some there."
I thanked her. She brushed her hand through my hair.
"Beautiful… I don't like seeing you like this. If you want, I can go with you."
My eyes widened.
"No!" I said. Her expression darkened.
"Wow… Mia, you don't like my company?"
"No, and that's it," I replied. She smiled, understanding.
We ate, I showered, and I said goodbye to Ruth and Abigail. My dad drove us to the airport. Adam was happy to be able to spend more time with Emma.
At the airport, my dad walked us to the boarding gate. He hugged Adam and then looked at me. He knew I wouldn't hug him. He stepped closer, kissed my forehead, and said,
"See you Sunday."
"Bye," I said, turning away.
Adam commented, "Wow… I felt bad for your dad."
"Oh, Adam, spare me," I replied. We went into the boarding area.
Just then, I felt someone behind me. Hands covered my eyes. I turned around—it was Brandon. I gave a small smile.
"That's not fair, Mia Holis. You were supposed to guess," he said.
Emma hugged Adam tightly. I hugged Jhenna, excited for the trip. I sat next to her on the plane; I had the window seat, and Brandon was across the aisle next to Jhenna.
During the flight, we hit turbulence. I got scared, but Jhenna seemed calm.
"Weren't you scared?" I asked.
"Scared of what?" she replied.
"I don't know… of the plane crashing."
"No. Death is inevitable," she said coldly.
Brandon, listening from across the aisle, asked,
"Mia, are there any hotels near your grandparents' house?"
I laughed.
"In the middle of the woods? It's twenty minutes from town by car."
"So we're gonna be far away, then," he said.
"Yes. You guys will see us tomorrow."
Brandon smiled.
Jhenna said something about not staying in at night, insisting we should do something fun, but I barely heard her. Brandon and I were too busy looking at each other.
She stuck her head in front of me.
"Am I interrupting something?"
"No, of course not," I answered quickly.
Eventually, Jhenna fell asleep. Even though the flight was short, it felt endless. Sometimes I turned toward Brandon; he was looking at me too.
Loving someone and, at the same time, feeling drawn to someone else is like walking a tightrope over a canyon of emotions. My heart had already chosen Chad—every beat, every thought was tied to him. But then there was Brandon… and something about him awakened something different, a curiosity, a tension I couldn't explain.
It was confusing. My heart said one thing, my mind another, and my body reacted to feelings I didn't want to admit. It was as if two vivid colors were fighting to paint my world at the same time: the quiet, safe love I had for Chad, and the sudden, unexpected spark I felt with Brandon. It wasn't betrayal; it wasn't wanting to give up what I had. It was just… adolescence showing me that the heart isn't rational, that it can expand to hold multiple emotions even when we think we already understand ourselves.
Looking at Brandon and noticing the attention he gave me, his mischievous smile—it made my chest tighten in a way I didn't know how to handle. It was exciting, dangerous, but also sweet. And I understood that this was part of growing up, of figuring out who I am and what I truly want. Love is intense, but being a teenager means experiencing intensity in its rawest form—no filters, no clear rules, just pure emotions that come and go like storms.
I was caught in that whirlwind, torn between what was right and what was tempting, trying to understand my heart and the overwhelming force of feeling more than one kind of passion at the same time. And deep down, I knew none of it was wrong; it was human. It was me, trying to find myself through it all.