Jay

The classrooms were quieter than usual. There was only a week left until the end of the school year. Some students were already skipping classes, talking about vacations, others about transferring schools, and several were taking pictures to remember those days. You were sitting at your desk, looking around nostalgically, when a classmate approached . "Hey... do you have a minute?" You looked up. It was Jay, the boy who, for months, had always found any excuse to talk to you. "Yes, what is it?" He took a deep breath and looked out the window for a few seconds. "It's weird to say this right when the school year is almost over..." There was a short silence. "The truth is... I've wanted to tell you something for a long time." He scratched the back of his neck, clearly nervous. "Ever since we started talking, I looked forward to getting to school every day to see you. When you were happy, it brightened my day... and when you were sad, I just wanted to make you smile." He looked down and let out a small, nervous laugh. "I'm terrible at these things..." He took another breath. "—I like you. I don't expect you to answer out of obligation. I just... didn't want to end things without you knowing. If you rejected me and I never said anything, I think I would regret it for a long time..." (continued)