Invisible String

Chapter 5

Iyaara

Weekends didn’t feel like weekends anymore.
We had tests coming up next week, and the thought of it alone was enough to drain my energy. I was exhausted—mentally and emotionally. The kind of exhaustion that doesn’t even come from studying but from the idea of studying.

I wasn’t one of those students who immediately revised after every class. Nope. I was the “last-night-before-the-exam” kind of student—the one who depended entirely on panic and caffeine to survive.

The first test was math.
And math, for me, felt like some alien language—something straight out of Russia that I was being forced to translate without a dictionary.

I sighed, opened YouTube, and typed “Algebraic Expressions” into the search bar.
Thousands of videos popped up, but I always went back to that one YouTuber whose calm voice made math sound slightly less like torture. Just as I was about to click on the video, my phone pinged.

> Ava: heyy how much did you finish?
Me: started now 😅
Ava: same heree I’m not understanding any thing 😩
Me: okk then I got to go
Ava: byee

I rolled my eyes fondly, tossed my phone aside, and clicked on the video again—until someone knocked on the main door.

“Huh? Who is it now?” I muttered under my breath. “Why does everyone decide to interrupt only when I actually start studying?”

I ran to open the door, half-annoyed, half-curious.
The second I did, the smell of floral perfume filled the air, soft and familiar. Standing there was a middle-aged woman with eyeliner perfectly drawn and her hair neatly tied back.

My annoyed face instantly melted into a wide smile.
“Aunt Emma!” I exclaimed.

“Heyyy, Yara!” she said, pulling me into a hug. “How have you been? Are you eating well?”

“I missed you so much!” I said, exaggerating only slightly.

She smiled knowingly and handed me a small paper bag. “Here, I brought you something.”

“What is it?” I asked, curiosity bubbling up as I peeked inside.
Inside was a box of chocolates and the perfume I absolutely loved.

My grin widened. “You’re literally the best, Aunt Emma!” I said, hugging her again.

She laughed softly. “Go on, I’ll unpack. You’ve probably got studying to do.”

Right. Studying.
The word hit like a slap.

I froze for two seconds before panic rushed through me.
“Oh no—maths test tomorrow!” I muttered. “And I didn’t even complete one chapter out of four!”

I dashed to my room, gave myself two light slaps on the cheeks (as if that would wake up my brain), and forced my eyes open. I spent the entire night surrounded by notes, textbooks, and half a cup of cold coffee. By the time I finally closed my book, I had slept only two hours.

The next morning, I stared at the question paper, took a deep breath, and began writing as if my life depended on it.

Hours later, when the test finally ended, I walked out into the hallway feeling half-dead.

“How was your test?” Ava asked, walking beside me.

“Yeah… it was fine,” I said with a tired smile. “Yours?”

“Umm… let’s not discuss mine,” she muttered.

Before I could reply, a hand came out of nowhere and smacked the back of her head.

“Ouch! Are you serious!?” Ava yelped, turning around.

Kairo stood there grinning. “How was your exam, dumbo?”

“Why should I tell you?” Ava shot back.

“Because you look like you want to murder the teacher,” he teased.

I burst out laughing, clutching my stomach, and Kairo only grinned wider.

“What’s so funny?” Ryker’s voice came from behind us, calm and even as always. He stood there, expression unreadable, his jaw slightly tilted like he was observing a scene he didn’t quite understand.

“Just those two fighting again,” I said, face-palming.

But the moment my eyes met his, a flash of memory hit me—the feeling of being underwater, his hand gripping my waist, our faces inches apart. My heartbeat spiked instantly. I forced a smile, pretending nothing was wrong.

“What happened?” Ava asked, her tone suddenly concerned.

“Nothing,” I said quickly. “I just… forgot to write one answer.”

“Girl, be happy you left one answer. God knows if I left the whole paper blank,” Ava groaned dramatically.

I laughed softly. “How did your exam go, Ryker?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, it was quite easy.”

“Of course it was,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

We started walking toward the exit together, the exhaustion of the exam day finally setting in.

“By the way,” Kairo said suddenly, “what’s your Instagram, guys?”

“Same as my name,” Ava replied instantly.

As they exchanged usernames, I suddenly remembered that embarrassing moment last week when I’d searched for Ryker’s account and he was sitting beside me. My stomach twisted at the memory, and I prayed no one noticed the heat rushing to my cheeks.

When I glanced up, Ryker was already looking at me—with a faint smirk.
Oh no. He knew.

Kairo turned to him. “Bro, aren’t you gonna give yours to Ava and Iyaara?”

Ryker looked at me, then extended his hand slightly. “Give me your phone.”

I hesitated, then handed it to him. He typed something in, then gave it back.

I looked down and saw the username: @Karlingson.Ryker.
No wonder I couldn’t find him.

“Of course,” I muttered under my breath.

They all said their goodbyes, and soon, I was walking home alone. The familiar scent of leaves and the cool evening breeze brushed past me, calming me after a long, chaotic day.

But the peace didn’t last long.
I still had two more tests to study for—and I already knew sleep wasn’t part of that plan.