sara didn't sleep well that night. every time she closed her eyes, she saw leo under the mango tree, sitting a little too close, looking a little too serious, saying things he normally wouldn't say. she woke up once at 2 a.m. and immediately felt that stupid flutter in her chest she wished she could uninstall like an app that crashed her whole life. she buried her face in her pillow, mentally screaming at herself to stop thinking about him. but her brain, as usual, was on annual leave.
the next morning she went to school early just so she wouldn't accidentally run into him in the hallway. she kept telling herself it wasn't because she was avoiding him. it was just strategic planning. operational efficiency. corporate risk reduction. whatever.
she kept her head down as she walked toward her classroom, hugging her books to her chest, pretending today was going to be normal. no rumors. no rooftop moments. no looking at leo's stupidly warm eyes and pretending they didn't shake her entire nervous system.
she reached her classroom door and exhaled in relief—until she noticed someone sitting inside, legs propped up on the desk like he owned the place.
leo.
of course.
she froze. "why are you here?"
he didn't look at her immediately. he just flipped his pencil around his fingers like he was practicing a magic trick. "i wanted to talk to you before school starts."
sara stood at the doorway like it was a crime scene. "about what?"
leo finally looked up, and there was something calmer in his eyes than usual. "yesterday."
her stomach tightened. "we don't need to talk about yesterday."
"yeah, we do."
she stayed silent. she wasn't ready for another intense moment before 8 a.m. she barely had caffeine in her system. she didn't even moisturize properly.
leo sat up straight, dropping his feet to the floor. "i didn't want you to go home thinking i didn't care."
"i didn't think that."
"yes, you did."
she looked away, annoyed that he read her so easily.
leo continued, voice lower than usual. "you were upset. and i didn't want to push you more. that's why i didn't follow you home."
sara frowned. "wait—did you actually think about following me?"
leo scratched the back of his neck. "for like two seconds. then i realized that would look insane."
sara felt a small smile trying to escape her face, and she immediately killed it. "you don't have to worry about me."
"i do." he said it so simply that she forgot how to breathe for a second.
leo stood up slowly, stepping closer but stopping far enough that she had space to run if she needed. "i didn't mean to make things harder for you. the rumors… i didn't think people would twist it like that."
"they always twist things," sara muttered. "people hate when you mind your own business."
leo blinked at her, softer now. "i don't hate your business."
that made her heart give a dramatic backflip she didn't ask for.
she tried to sound annoyed. "leo, what does that even mean?"
"it means…" he sighed. "i like being around you. even if you pretend you don't notice."
sara's breath caught in her throat.
leo immediately looked away, frustrated with himself. "okay, that came out weird. what i'm trying to say is—"
the classroom door burst open.
amira and two of her friends walked in, stopped mid-step, and widened their eyes at the sight of sara and leo standing way too close.
amira grinned like she found gold. "ohhh. morning, lovebirds."
sara felt her soul leave her body.
leo didn't even flinch. "amira, please. not today."
amira raised an eyebrow. "so there IS a day where you two aren't flirting?"
"we're not flirting," sara snapped instantly.
amira smirked. "sure. and i'm the queen of england."
leo sighed. "can you not—"
but the girls were already giggling their way to their seats.
sara rubbed her temples. "great. now they think you were confessing or something."
leo stared at her. "so what if i was?"
she froze. completely.
leo's voice softened. "i'm not saying i was. but… what if?"
her heart felt way too loud in her chest.
this was too much. too early in the morning. too intense. too something.
she swallowed. "can we not do this here?"
leo nodded once. "okay. after school, then?"
she almost said no. she almost ran away again. but instead she heard herself say, "fine. after school."
leo smiled—not the teasing, 'i know i'm annoying but you secretly like me' smile. a quiet one. softer. real.
the bell rang, saving her before she had to react.
---
the entire morning was chaos. every class felt longer than the last. and every time sara looked up, leo was staring at her from somewhere. across the hallway. through the classroom window. leaning against the railings. waiting outside the lab. like he was checking if she was okay without wanting to obvious about it.
and each time, she pretended not to notice. because if she noticed, she'd have to admit she liked it.
during lunch, she avoided the tree. avoided the cafeteria. avoided everywhere leo could find her. but somehow, he didn't push. he didn't chase her or drag her somewhere. he kept a distance but didn't disappear.
and weirdly… that made her miss him a little.
---
after school, she walked to the side gate like she promised. he was already there, leaning against the wall with his backpack thrown over one shoulder. when he saw her, his face relaxed in a way she had never seen before.
"hey," he said.
"hey."
they started walking without saying anything. the road was quiet, shaded by big trees that made the afternoon sun softer. neither of them spoke for a full minute, but somehow the silence wasn't uncomfortable.
leo finally broke it. "i'm not trying to ruin your life, you know."
sara snorted. "that's the most dramatic thing you've ever said."
"i'm serious."
"i know."
"i'm also not trying to confuse you."
her steps slowed. "leo—"
"just listen." he pushed his hair back, nervous for the first time ever. "i don't know what's happening between us. i know we were supposed to hate each other. i know detention was supposed to be the worst part of my week. i know rooftop wasn't supposed to… feel like that."
her breath hitched.
leo kept going, voice steady. "but i'm not going to pretend i don't care about you. i'm done pretending."
sara looked at the ground. "i don't know what to say."
"you don't have to say anything. just…" he paused. "don't run away again."
her chest tightened painfully. "i didn't run."
leo raised an eyebrow.
she groaned. "okay. maybe i ran a little."
he laughed softly. the sound felt like sunlight.
sara took a deep breath. "i'm scared, leo. i don't want people talking. i don't want to get hurt. i don't want… complications."
leo's voice dropped. "i'll handle the rumors. i'll deal with the people. i just don't want to lose whatever this is."
she looked at him, really looked at him.
and for once, she didn't deny what she felt.
"okay," she whispered. "then we figure it out. slowly."
leo's smile was small, but it lit up everything around him. "slow is fine."
they kept walking side by side, close enough that their hands brushed once. twice. three times. neither of them pulled away.
and for the first time, it didn't feel like an accident.
it felt like the beginning of something they weren't ready to name yet.
but it was there.
real. warm. dangerous.
and growing.