3rd period, language arts, the teacher droned on, the monotony of the lecture filling the classroom. Kara, bored to the brink, decided to capture Matt's attention because, why not. She began sighing, each one louder and more exaggerated than the last.
Siiigh.
Matt, engrossed in doodles on his notebook, finally looked up. He raised an eyebrow at Kara, who was now practically pouting.
"What's with all the sighing?" He whispered.
"Just trying to make this class more interesting," Kara replied, leaning back in her chair with a playful grin.
Matt chuckled, "Well, it worked. I can't focus on these notes anymore."
Mission accomplished. Kara couldn't help but smirk as she stifled a giggle. They shared a brief, amused glance before turning their attention back to whatever the teacher was yapping about.
"Actually," Kara said, making Matt turn his attention back to her, "I'm worried about Stella... and Chris too."
Matt furrowed his eyebrows, "what do you mean?"
"After what happened at lunch yesterday, everything feels so tense. I don't like it. Plus, I feel bad for talking about Chris behind his back, especially now that he's upset." Kara sighed.
"Yeah, it's a mess," Matt agreed, "I don't think any of them should be avoiding each other."
"That's exactly what I was thinking. We need to do something about it," Kara said, determination in her eyes.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Kara and Matt walked through the crowded hallway. Kara just couldn't shake off the unease. She glanced up at Matt, "This is messed up, M. We can't just watch them drift apart."
Matt nodded, a frown etched on his face, "Agreed. We need to talk to them, especially after what happened between Nick and Chris."
"Wait, what happened between them?" Kara asked.
Matt sighed, "They had a huge fight last night. It was pretty bad. They're both really upset."
Kara expression shifted to concern, "I feel like this is all my fault," She said as her and Matt sat down in the library.
Matt placed his hand on Kara's shoulder, offering a comforting squeeze, "Hey, it's not your fault. Things were already complicated between them."
Kara leaned into Matt's touch, which made him fully wrap his arm around her shoulder, making him blush a little bit, "I just don't want things to get worse for them. They're like my family, you know? It hurts to see them like this."
"Trust me, I get it," Matt said, "I care about them too. Let's just talk to them separately, maybe get them to actually talk to each other about this."
Kara nodded, appreciating the warmth of Matt's support, "You're right. We need to help them, but without making it worse. I'll talk to Stel, and you talk to Chris."
Matt smiled at Kara, "Sounds like a plan."
During lunch, Kara found Stella in the library, huddled over her books, a noticeable frown on her face. Kara approached with a dramatic sigh.
"Stella," Kara said with a mix of excitement and concern, "You look like you're studying for the most boring exam ever. What's up?"
Stella glanced up, her mood not lifting, "Just not in the mood for excitement, Kara."
"Oh, come on!" Kara said, trying to infuse some cheer into the atmosphere. "I've got some juicy gossip, and you need a break from these textbooks. It's about... a certain someone named Christopher Sturniolo."
Stella raised an eyebrow, "Gossip? Seriously, Kara, I'm not in the mood for that right now."
Kara sighed dramatically, "Okay, fine. It's not really gossip, but it's important. Chris is feeling miserable, and you two need to talk. I mean, really talk."
Stella's expression hardened, "Kara, please, not now. He's mad at me, and I just can't deal with it at the moment."
"But you have to, Stel!" Kara insisted, her eyes widening, "He's hurting, and you care about him. You can't just avoid this forever."
Stella shook her head, "It's not that simple, Kar. Things are complicated, and talking won't fix everything."
Kara leaned in, lowering her voice, "Maybe it won't fix everything, but I mean it's a start. You can't just brush it under the rug, or it'll get messier."
Stella looked away, her frustration evident. Kara kept pushing, "Stella, please. For yours and Chris' sake, talk to him. I hate seeing you both like this."
Stella sighed deeply, torn between her emotions, "Kara, I just... I don't know if I can."
Kara gave her a sympathetic look, "You won't know until you try. Trust me on this, Stel. You'll feel better once you talk."
Stella hesitated, her gaze fixed on the pages of her textbook. Kara nudged her, "Just talk to him, even if it's just a little. It'll be a step in the right direction."
Stella glanced at Kara, the weight of the situation sinking in. She nodded, "I'll think about it, okay?"
Kara grinned, "That's all I'm asking. Now, let's get some food. A hangry Stella won't do anyone any good!"
Meanwhile, in the computer lab, Matt found Chris clicking away in his Minecraft world. Matt raised an eyebrow as he sat next to Chris, "Minecraft, Chris? Nostalgic much?"
Chris looked up, a small smile playing on his lips, "Yeah, it reminds me of middle school, you know? Simpler times."
Matt took a deep breath before broaching the subject, "Chris, you can't keep avoiding Stella."
Chris sighed, his gaze fixated on the computer screen, "I can keep avoiding her, actually. I just need some time. Everything's a mess."
"But avoiding her won't fix anything," Matt pressed, concern etched on his face, "You care about her, don't you? You need to talk to her, figure things out."
Chris shook his head, determination in his eyes, "Not now, Matt. I can't."
Matt sighed, realizing how absolutely stubborn Chris was, "Chris, you're hurting. Stella is hurting. Ignoring it won't make it magically go away. Just talk to her."
Chris' gaze remained fixated on the game, "I said no, Matt."
Matt sighed and muttered a small "whatever" and then walked out of the computer lab to find Kara. They both realized that convincing Chris and Stella to talk would never work. They would have to plan something a little more complex.
