Introverted.

Nerd.

Teacher's pet.

3 words ro describe her. Never cared bout her appearance but gave her best in everything else. Aera was the first in everything in her class. Especially literature. Her words always had the power to melt whatever that above her. And the teachers always proudly called the name out whenever she came up with something. 12 long years of dry and cold schoolife without someone to call a friend, pushing back everything and everyone.

Last year of middle school, the summer is slowly melting down after being  used and played by people who she tried calling friends. Everybody was just the same. They always had something to gain from her and fade.

She shared her desk with 2 strangers. Everyone in that school was people she knew for twelve years yet strangers. Not being a good conversation starter, she sat there quite. Until she noticed him rushing to the door. Liu yangyang. He has grown taller. Also, prettier. She felt something fluttering beneath her abdomen. *whatttt?? *

She quited herself down. Yangyang marched to the backseat when the teacher dragged him back to the very first desk. "sit here"

He let out a heavy sigh and sat right infront of her. She could feel her heart heaving down. She had never felt this way before. He turned around, "You mind if I borrow this?" with her pencil in his hands he asked.

"N-

NO. Sure you can use it." 

"okay." 

She gasped. Never had a proper conversation with a boy before. She was startled. 

"You don't talk with boys, do you?" the girl beside asked. 'I was that obvious??? Shucks...'

"Uhm,No I'm just startled."

"haha,okay. Btw I'm sean. Friends???" 

She smiled wide, there was something so soothing yet unpredictable about her. Also, the word *friends* she wasn't quite used with it. 

"uh-

Cool. Sure" they shook hands. 

"Can I join?" the girl on her left scrunched her nose. She was cute. 

"sure why not." 

The three of them as friends spent the rest of the days together. Running around and laughing all the way down the school alley. 

Aera has never experienced this before. She had. But was very short-term and insincere. She just waited for the cyclon. 

Everytime she was with her *friends* and every time she saw yangyang and talked to him, all those were new to her. Things she had never felt and been through before. 

Without her knowing, from feet apart, yangyang slowly grew in her. Without even properly talking. His eyes, his lips, his hair-

Yes, the hair that slowly waved and danced whenever he giggled. That grew and tore her walls. So did her insecurities. They grew wilder. She became more and more conscious each day. But never did she mutter a word about this unknown feeling to her friends or family. She was just used to talking to herself. She dint dare to talk to sean. Everytime he came closer time stopped. Aera couldn't breath. She won't say a word. So yangyang was always talking with sean and only approached aera for her notes. She wouldn't hesitate to hand them over. 

As time passed, the introvert in her slowly started fading. Sean was such a good friend. Being the social butterfly she is, she adopted Aera. Brought more colors into her. Aera slowly grew confident of herself more than her nerdself. She fought herself whether to talk bout yangyang to sean. 

But little did she knew it waa too late. Sierra, the third member of the group called her to the library. "Hey I'll show you something." she grabbed her hand and sneaked in. "Hey, why are you walking like that? It's a freaking library. We're allowed here idiot." 

"shut the up and come" sierra shushed her. They reached the corner of the library where the cushions were. And they saw two people sitting there. A girl and a boy. She was smiling. As light as the clouds. Yes. As light as they seems. But it was heavy and humid. She seemed so happy to be there. Holding hands with the boy. Aera felt a cold breeze surrounding them, swaying around their hair strands like in the movies. 

She looked again. I know these people. 

Yes. She couldn't believe yet it was understandable. Sean and yanyang. Holding hands looking each other in eyes and flirting. She didn't expect this coming. But can't blame anyone. No one was at fault. She stood there forcing a smile. 

"I'm so happy for them. She's been crushing for ever. He asked her out this morning." sierra said. 

She nodded not knowing what to feel. It's not that she felt her world was shredded apart. She was just shocked. Nothing else. 

Him being her pretty best friend's boyfriend, she had to now erase all those fantasies bout her first ever crush. The more she tried the more she failed. 

Being a nerd, and already knew a lot of classic and fictions and how they deal with heartbreaks, yes. She tried to hate him. 

The thought of hating him was disturbing. But yet she tried. 

Little did she knew that ot was way too much easier than she thought. 

He wasn't the person she thought he was. He could change colors. And customize them for people. Yes, a boy. Sean was broke to her core months after dating. Aera felt a sudden rush of anger everytime she saw him pass by. A very different feeling from before. 

The cinematic wind effects died down. It was all cyclon. Not the one she was waiting for. But a more severe one. Everyday sean came with new blade bruises on her hands. Aera tried her best to stop her from hurting herself. Both of them were tired of how weak sean was. But they couldn't help. Yangyang was showing all the terrible sides of him. 

She thought at some point she'll loose her friend. But luckily, sean gained some courage after months of Aera's counseling. Yes someone who never had experience in dating and even dealing with people was then counseling her friend. But at least she saved her. 

That horrible middle school year ended with Aera's hands on yangyang's pretty face. She became bold out of nowhere. So did her best friend. Sean moved to the states. Sierra went back to her hometown. Leaving Aera all alone. She had no idea what High school had there, waiting.