Kali, Tanya, Dinedyi, Videl and Genesis had sat down next to Silas immediately when they arrived.

"So what happened before Winter break? Did you pass?"

He pulled out the assignment, showing them, who cheered and high-fived upon seeing the A.

Tanya nodded. "So you confessed?"

Embarrassed, he looked away, and shook his hand. "Sort of."

"She rejected you?"

He shook his hand.

"I...kissed her. In front of her ex."

Genesis' eyes popped, Dinedyi almost choked on her water, Kali and Videl turned to each other, and Tanya gasped.

A collective, "What," came out of their mouths.

"Details!"

"Um, I kinda just did it out of the blue. Wait, I didn't ask her. We haven't talked about it since. But isn't that harassment if you didn't ask them?" He started shaking Tanya by the shoulders, back and forth. "I don't know what to do!"

Dinedyi reached over to the table, slapping him across the face when one of the supervisors asked what was going on over there.

"It's okay, it was a fly," turning to her. "Thanks, I needed that."

"Take a deep breath," Tanya suggested, and start from the beginning.

"Okay," soothing his soul. "So we were just celebrating, and I was about to tell her."

—

Wiping the tears off her face, she smiled, inching closer to his face.

"You meant that?"

"Of course peli," leaning in. "Cam, I like y-"

"Camila?"

The two faces were directed to the voice calling her.

"Arden?"

His light brown face and wet hop hair waved through the winter afternoon as the sun started to set.

"What are you doing here?"

"Here to see you, of course. Was I interrupting something?"

An awkward silence permeated as she found herself between the two, unsure of what to say.

"Wait, you're Arden? Her ex?" Silas bolted past her and met him face to face. "Dude, I love the hair! You look kinda like Avan Jogia if he permed it to the side."

"Oh, thanks. You wanted to meet me?"

"Heck yeah. Huh," inspecting him from eye to toe. "Favorite sport?"

"Volleyball. I like basketball and football but it's a little overrated."

"Alright, based. You work out too?"

"Every now and then but I've been busy with work and such."

"Makes sense, high school and all that."

Camila raised an eyebrow. "You went back?"

"School's pretty easy. Asked dad to give me afternoon shifts, wake up early and finish the work pre-class, seems set. Everyone kinda wondered where you've been, mi corazón."

He's got a cute pet name for her too? "Corazon means love?"

"Heart," touching her own.

"Oh, Makes sense, you're great." Then he lowered her eyes to Arden. "So why did you break up?" The aggression in his voice caught them off guard.

—

Videl nodded. "You actually said that to him?"

"I wanted to hear his take. She seemed shaken up so I wanted to be sure it wasn't anything too bad."

"Wait, go back. You two almost kissed! Go back, info," Dinedyi demanded.

"Okay."

—

"I couldn't have done it without you," crying. "She never believed in me."

"She was being too harsh," wiping the tears off her face with his gloves. "And tell her I said you killed it. Camila, you are smart, talented, funny, creative, and you put a smile on my face."

"You shine as bright as your hair," comforting her as he leaned in.

—

"Was it good enough?"

"My heart just skipped a beat," Dinedyi felt. "So what led to the kiss?"

Kali interrupted. "But did he act differently after you asked him?"

"He's cute," but his eyes lowered. "But he feels so distant. Well?"

—

Arden had a look of guilt on his face.

"I messed up and made some mistakes."

"One that could've ruined my life, you could say," Camila responded with more aggression.

"What did you do? Did you record her and put it online? Threaten to break up with her? Slept with one of her friends behind her back instead of just trying a throuple? Made fun of her art but sold it off to someone else and pretended you made it? Which one?"

Arden and Camila dropped a sweat.

"None of those...but I'm glad I never did."

"Well, one of those."

"We talked, nothing happened."

"If you felt we were drifting apart, you should've talked to me instead of her before dragging m into that stupid heist!"

Tears of her seething rage didn't fade in the winter air.

"Heist?"

"And I won't make that same mistake again. Camila, I want you back."

Wait, I was gonna confess to her. Still, seeing the look in her eyes. She still cares about him.

He sighed. "Okay, you two clearly need to talk about some things. I'm going to leave, but I care about her just as much as you do. Arden, please don't break her heart again. And Cam, we can talk after break. Now, you two just calm down, close your eyes, and just take thirty seconds."

Arden agreed to it, breathing in as the other school nearby let out, covering the noises. Silas clearly saw her slowly close it, but he tapped her. This was his one and only chance.

"What were you going to say earlier?"

He raised his head through his turmoil and pecked her on the lips, stunning her.

"I like you, Camila, a lot. But you're not ready for an answer. Take it easy and we'll talk after break.

He couldn't hear what she mouthed off as he ran away.

—

Tanya and Kali got it now. So that's how you kissed her in front of him."

Dinedyi shrugged. "If I were you, I'd kiss her while he was watching." 

All of them turned to her. "You know, I'm right, Silas, if you give her the option, she'll think you're not into her."

"I know! I can't  force her to make a choice right there and now. If you're one leg of a love angle, you have to let them know you love them but not be controlling about it! I want  her to be with the person who's makes her the happiest. Even if it's not me."

Genesis groaned. "Love triangles suck." All of them agreed.

Videl raised a finger. "I might have an idea. But first, what did you text each other over break?"

He grew nervous, but pulled out his phone for them to read the text messages.