where the darkness ended and we began.

8

first day of middle school

I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection with a level of intensity that usually only belongs to world leaders. I was determined to look nothing less than perfect. This was it, the sixth-grade debut! The day that was somehow supposed to decide the trajectory of the rest of my life.

My ponytail was pulled high and tight, my sneakers were spotless, and my heart was pounding a rhythm way too fast for six-thirty in the morning.

Just as I'm about to grab my backpack, the doorbell rings like there's no tomorrow.

"Alexis!" my mom called from downstairs

Before I could even shout a response, I heard the familiar thud of footsteps pounding up the stairs. My bedroom door flew open without a knock.

"Theo! What are you doing here?" I asked, spinning around. "I thought we agreed to meet at the school!"

He was standing there with the biggest smile I'd ever seen. That was the thing about Theo, he was always happy, always glowing. It was impossible not to smile when you were around him.

"I know," he said, leaning against the doorframe as if he'd lived in my house his entire life. "But I couldn't let you go alone."

"Why?"

"I didn't want to leave you. Plus i live so close, so why not!"

I gave him a skeptical look, crossing my arms. "Theo, you live on the completely other side of town!"

"Thats close enough!"

I couldn't help but laugh. The nerves that had been eating me alive for an hour suddenly evaporated. I crossed the room and threw my arms around him. He'd already started his growth spurt and was significantly taller than me, which somehow made the hug feel safe. Secure.

He smiled into my hair and squeezed me back, his chin resting on the top of my head.

"We should get going!" I said, pulling back

We headed downstairs for a quick breakfast, talking over each other the entire time, before stepping out into the crisp morning light together.

Oh boy, were things going to change.

We reached the school and stopped dead. We both stared at the massive entrance doors, frozen in place by the sheer scale of the building. The morning bell rang, loud, bossy, and sounding like it was personally yelling at us to move.

Without thinking, Theo's hand shot out and grabbed mine. I looked up at him, startled. He looked down at me, his expression a mix of nerves and protection. I gave him a small, encouraging smile, and together, we walked in.

The realization that we barely shared any classes hit like a ton of bricks. It was rough navigating the halls without him, but at least we had lunch.

By the time the lunch bell rang, the cafeteria was a sea of unfamiliar faces. Eventually, a few other kids started sitting with us, and it actually felt... fun. A boy named Ryan slid into the empty seat right beside me, armed with a tray of tater tots and a million jokes. I found myself laughing at something he said, leaning in to hear him over the noise.

When I turned my head, I saw Theo. He wasn't eating. He was staring at Ryan. It wasn't his normal, playful look, either. It was the weird, stiff kind of stare that made the air feel heavy.

Before I could even ask what was wrong, Theo stood up. He walked around the table, stood right behind Ryan, and spoke.

"Hey. That's my seat."

Ryan blinked up at him, clearly confused. "Uh, there's space right over there, man."

"I said," Theo's voice dropped, sliding into a tone that was quiet, dark, and dangerously threatening. "That's my seat."

Ryan looked baffled, but he saw something in Theo's eyes that made him decide the seat wasn't worth the fight. He got up and moved down the table. Theo sat back down in the spot Ryan had vacated, picking up his sandwich like nothing had happened.

I stared at him, my jaw practically on the table. "What was that?"

He just shrugged, pretending to be deeply focused on his lunch. "Didn't like him sitting here."

I snorted, shaking my head at his ridiculousness. "You are such a weirdo, Theo."

He didn't argue. He just looked at me and smirked, finally looking satisfied again.

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