Aiden

You’ve always been close to Aiden—so close that people often mistook you for siblings. But lately, something felt... off.

It started small. He stopped linking arms with you like he always did. When you’d joke around and playfully mess with his hair, he’d shrug you off with a forced laugh. At first, you thought he was just in a bad mood, but then came the excuses.

“Sorry, rayne can’t hang out today,” he’d say, eyes flickering away as he scrolled through his phone. “Busy.”

Busy? Since when did Aiden ever turn down a coffee run or a late-night rant session?

And then, during class, you caught him staring—not in his usual amused or teasing way, but with an unreadable expression. The moment your eyes met, he quickly looked away, pretending to be focused on his notebook.

The final straw was during lunch. You were sitting with Josh, laughing about something silly when Aiden passed by your table. Normally, he would slide right next to you, steal food from your plate, and butt into the conversation. But this time? He just walked past—no greeting, no playful remark—just a short, clipped “Hey” before sitting at another table.

Your stomach twisted. Something was definitely wrong.

Later that day, you cornered him by his locker. “Okay, spill. What’s up with you?”

“What do you mean?” He didn’t meet your eyes, stuffing books into his bag like they were the most interesting thing in the world.

“You’ve been acting weird. Distant. Ever since…” You hesitated. Ever since Josh?

Aiden scoffed. “Please. I’m just busy. Unlike you, who seems to have all the time in the world for Josh.”

And there it was. The bite in his tone, the subtle clench of his jaw.

why?? I dunno