Academic lovers

18 | Change

I let out a tired sigh, shutting the books one by one. The table was cluttered with a massive stack of books, each one opened to about halfway through.

Feeling the strain in my eyes, I reached up to rub them, glancing at the clock. It read 8:03. Fuck, I thought to myself as I peered outside and noticed that darkness had already settled in. It's that time of year when the days grow shorter and the nights longer.

The library is pretty dark now. There are only a few lamps flickering, giving off a dim lighting. The air feels still and quiet and there was barely anyone; I could only count two.

Standing up and yawning, I noticed Aiden. He was sitting there, completely focused, with a pen in his hand, scribbling away on a piece of paper. His dark brows were furrowed in concentration, and his intense gaze behind those glasses made it hard to look away. It was like he was in his own world, completely absorbed in whatever he was writing.

It was a rare sight, one that left me feeling somewhat intimidated by his presence.

Just as I was lost in my thoughts, my phone rang, pulling me back to reality. I answered with a simple "Hi, mom."

"Do you know what time it is?" She replied coldly, ignoring my greeting.

I sighed "I'm in the library; I'm heading home soon."

There was a brief silence on the other end before she finally said, "Alright, come home soon; be safe"

I replied with a simple "ok" and placed my phone down, rubbing my eyebrows.

"was that your mom?" Aiden asked,
I nodded in response. "Yeah, I need to head home."

Aiden took off his glasses, carefully placing them down, and stood up, stretching his body. "Let me walk, you" he offered.

I shook my head, declining his offer. "No, it's alright. My house is just a short fifteen-minute walk away."

"Let me walk you home, Thompson. It's late"

I thought about it for a moment. Than nodded. Even though it's with Aiden, I still didn't want to walk alone, especially since it's this dark outside.

We grabbed our stuff and walked out.

The air was a bit chilly, but a good kind. The leaves were starting to dry since autumn is over and winter is coming soon. My favourite time, by the way, is mainly because it's my birthday season.

I pulled my jacket tighter around me, keen to avoid another cold.

The moon cast a soft glow over the empty streets as we strolled side by side, surrounded by an eerie silence broken only by the gentle rustling of the wind and our own footsteps echoing down the quiet street.

"Do you usually walk late at night by yourself?" Aiden asked, his gaze fixated on me.

"Yes, occasionally when I stay late at school" I replied.

He raised an eyebrow but simply nodded. An awkward silence fell, and I couldn't help but despise the awkwardness that hung in the air. God, I hate awkward silence.

Aiden cleared his throat, breaking the tension. "So, can you believe high school is almost over" he asked.

I rubbed my head. "Yeah, it's hard to wrap my head around it" I admitted.

Aiden nodded. "Have you started thinking about colleges yet? My dad won't stop pressuring me about it."

I paused for a moment, meeting his gaze. "Well, I do have a few in mind, but it still feels too early to make a final decision" I replied. "What about you? Any thoughts on where you want to go?"

"I'm thinking of going to Stanford or Princeton."

Of course he picked the best schools. I remember someone saying that his whole family went to one of those schools, so I guess that's why he chose those.

In that moment, I couldn't help but wonder if his decision was solely based on family tradition or if he genuinely believed those schools were the best fit for him.

"I just can't believe I survived almost four years with you." I sighed, shaking my head.

He chuckled. "Those were the best years of your life; stop denying it. Thompson"

I rolled my eyes.

As we reached my house, we came to a sudden halt. I began walking towards the doorsteps, leaving Aiden standing behind.

"Wait there; I'll be right back" I hurriedly said, darting inside. I passed my father at his desk, making a beeline for my room.

Within seconds, I was back outside. I don't know how a couple flights of stairs could leave me so breathless. I really need to star exercising.

"Here" I said, handing Aiden his jersey. "Thanks for lending it to me the other day, by the way."

A warm smile spread across his face as he gently took the jersey from my hands. "No problem, sweetheart" he replied.

A brief silence settled between us. "Anyways, bye" I said, waving my hands.

He waved back, his smile unwavering. "Good night, Thompson" he called out.

—

I flopped onto my bed, feeling a mix of emotions. Something felt different between Aiden and me. Today, we didn't bicker as much and actually managed to accomplish some work together. Then he walked me home, and we had a conversation that was both awkward and surprisingly normal, without any arguments.

It's not like our usual routine, and I couldn't help but question if I was just imagining things. But deep down, I knew it was real.

Tossing and turning in bed, I let sleep slowly claim me.

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