Somewhere Between Us!

Tension!

Chapter 2: Still Not Friends

After that day, things didn't stay the same, even if no one said it out loud. Myra felt it in the way the classroom seemed smaller, in the way her focus broke for a second longer than it should, in the way she became aware of someone she had never noticed before. Ayaan Varma was no longer just another student. He had become a presence. And she didn't like it. So she avoided him. Completely. If he walked in, she found a reason to walk out. If he stood near the corridor, she changed her path without thinking. It wasn't fear, not exactly, but something uncomfortable enough to make her want distance.

Ayaan noticed it sooner than he expected. At first, it irritated him. Then it confused him. No one avoided him like this. People usually tried to get his attention, or at least stayed neutral. But Myra? She acted like he wasn't even worth acknowledging. Like he didn't exist in her world at all. And for some reason, that bothered him more than it should have.

One afternoon, Myra rushed out of class, her steps quick, her mind already moving to the next thing she had to do. As she turned the corner, she stopped abruptly. He was there. Leaning against the wall, casual, like he had been waiting without trying to look like it. Her fingers tightened around her books instantly. She lowered her gaze and tried to walk past him without a word.

"You're good at that," Ayaan said.

She stopped, just for a second, then turned slightly. "At what?" Myra asked, her voice calm but distant.

"Acting like I don't exist," he replied.

She looked away again. "Maybe you don't. Not in my world, at least."

That hit harder than he expected. Ayaan straightened and stepped closer. "You told on me," he said.

"I told the truth," Myra answered, finally meeting his eyes.

A pause followed, sharp and uncomfortable. "You could've just left it," he said.

"And do your work too?" she replied quietly. There was no anger in her voice, which made it worse. It was simple honesty.

Ayaan's jaw tightened. "You think you're better than everyone because of your grades?"

"No," she said, her grip tightening slightly. "I just don't have the luxury to fail."

For a moment, he didn't have a response. But instead of stepping back, he stepped closer again. This time, Myra instinctively moved back until her back hit the wall. The space between them disappeared, and the air felt different—heavier, tighter.

"Then why does it bother you so much?" Ayaan asked, his voice lower now.

"What?" she said, her breath uneven.

"Me."

Her heartbeat quickened, louder than it should be. "You don't bother me," she said, but it didn't sound convincing.

"Then stop running," he said.

She swallowed, her eyes flickering for a second before she turned her face slightly away. He noticed everything—the hesitation, the tension, the way she was trying to hold herself together. His hand moved, resting against the wall beside her, not touching her but close enough to trap her in place. She looked up without thinking.

That was the mistake.

Their faces were too close. Inches apart. Close enough to feel each other's breath, close enough for the silence to turn into something loud and overwhelming. Neither of them moved. Not immediately. It wasn't planned, it wasn't intentional, but for a moment, it felt like something was about to happen. Something neither of them had control over.

And that scared her.

Suddenly they kissed but suddenly.. 

Myra pushed him suddenly. "Don't," she said, her voice no longer steady.

She stepped away quickly, clutching her books tightly like they were the only thing grounding her. "Stay away from me," she added, her voice softer but firm.

Before he could respond, she turned and walked away fast, almost like she was escaping.

Ayaan didn't follow. He just stood there, unmoving, staring at the empty space she had left behind.

Because that wasn't supposed to happen.

And yet—

it did. (They accidently kissed)