Wave

1

Part I: Then (an innocent beginning)

The First Wave

The sound of the final bell echoed through the halls like freedom. Backpacks zipped, chairs scraped, and voices burst into the kind of chaos that only the end of a school day could bring.

"No, but seriously—did you see the way he looked at me?" Camille squealed, practically bouncing as I packed up my books.

I rolled my eyes, trying not to laugh. "Yeah, you've completely lost it."

She gasped in mock betrayal and tossed her braid over her shoulder like she was in a shampoo commercial. "It wasn't just a look. It was the look."

I smirked, swinging my bag over my shoulder. We walked into the main hallway, our conversation unraveling into a stream of nonsense about who was wearing what, what teacher gave too much homework, and how unfair it was that the vending machines were still broken.

It was lunch, which meant forty minutes of pretending we cared about cafeteria food and scanning the room for someone to whisper about.

Camille kept talking, but my mind drifted somewhere else—or rather, to someone else.

He was sitting three tables down. Hoodie sleeves pushed up, laughing at something one of his friends said.

Ethan.

He wasn't new anymore. He'd transferred to our school about two months ago, but something about him still didn't feel like he belonged here.

Like he'd just stopped by on his way to somewhere bigger. Somewhere more important.

And me? I was just some girl three tables away with a peanut butter sandwich and a crush so obvious it should've been marked on my forehead.

He was older—fifteen, leaving junior high soon, probably for some giant senior high school in another district. And I was thirteen, almost fourteen, still stuck in this awkward space between invisibility and maybe-someday.

So I watched him. Quietly. From a distance.

"Earth to Selina," Camille said, snapping her fingers in front of my face. "You literally didn't hear a single word I just said."

"Sorry." I mumbled, eyes flicking back to Ethan before I could help it.

Camille followed my gaze and groaned. "Oh no. Don't even start."

"I'm not starting anything."

"You've got that look. The one that says you're about to fall in love with someone who doesn't even know your name."

"He knows my name." I said, too defensively.

She raised a brow. "He does?"

Okay. So maybe I wasn't sure. He might've heard it once or something.
⸻

Across the cafeteria, a girl sat alone in the far corner, poking at her tray with a plastic fork. She had the same dark eyes as Ethan, the same bone structure—his little sister.

I'd heard her name once in passing. Azaria. Quiet, always by herself, tucked away like a shadow.

Something in me shifted. Maybe it was guilt. Or maybe it was the kind of boldness that only shows up when you've got nothing to lose.

"I'll be back." I said to Camille, and walked toward Azaria's table before I could talk myself out of it.

She looked up, startled, as I approached.

"Can I sit?" I asked.

Azaria hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah."

I slid into the seat across from her and offered a small smile. "I'm Selina."

"I know," she said softly. "You're in some of my classes."

Right. So I wasn't as invisible as I thought.

She was shy—nothing like her brother. While Ethan filled up a room with his presence, Azaria seemed to disappear into its corners. Still, there was something kind in her quiet.

I made small talk. Asked about her classes, if the food was always this bad, the usual stuff. She laughed once, a soft little sound that felt like a victory.

Then—

"I'm leaving school early today, so don't wait for me." a voice said behind me.

Azaria turned. "Okay." she replied, barely above a whisper.

I turned too, and there he was. Ethan.

Up close, he looked even more unreal—sharp features softened by a warm smile that showed off his dimples.

"Oh, hey." he said when he noticed me.

"Hi." I gave a small wave.

He nodded, gave a grin, and walked away without waiting for a response.

Just a wave.

Just a smile.

And somehow, it felt like everything.