When Erica found herself missing Angel when they weren't together, she knew something inside her had shifted.
It wasn't love. Not quite. Not yet. But it was something.
Something steady. Something real.
And maybe, more importantly, something she wasn't afraid of anymore.
Nicole would always be a part of her story. That much Erica had accepted. The echoes of their past would always live in the corners of her heart. But maybe Nicole didn't have to be the ending. Maybe she was just a chapter.
And maybe, just maybe, there was room for something new.
She caught herself staring at Angel again.
Angel was busy talking to Risha, animatedly telling a story about how she accidentally wore mismatched socks to her math presentation. Her voice was filled with laughter, her face open and bright.
Erica smiled.
It hit her, gently but undeniably, how much she had leaned on Angel. How Angel had picked up the pieces when she couldn't even look at them herself. How she had listened without judging, held Erica together without asking for anything in return.
Angel's presence didn't burn. It didn't sting like Nicole's had. It didn't make her heart race with panic.
Instead, it felt warm. Soft. Like a blanket you didn't know you needed until it was wrapped around you.
And for the first time, Erica wondered—what if this was the start of something real?
She didn't say anything. Not yet. But when Angel turned to look at her and smiled, Erica smiled back. And this time, it wasn't forced. It wasn't for show.
It was just her.
Falling for Angel wasn't like falling for Nicole.
It wasn't dizzying or overwhelming. It was gentle. Safe. Healing.
And maybe, that was what Erica had needed all along.
---
Weeks passed, and with them, the weight of everything Erica had carried for so long began to lighten.
One afternoon, while organizing old notebooks and throwing out crumpled assignments, Erica stumbled upon something unexpected—a letter.
An old one. Folded twice. Her handwriting.
She hesitated before unfolding it, but curiosity won.
"Nicole," the letter began.
It was everything she had never sent. Everything she had never said. Apologies. Regrets. Confessions of love.
But as she read it now, it didn't feel like her voice.
It felt like a stranger. A different Erica. A girl who was broken and scared, clinging to someone who no longer held space in her life the same way.
She folded the letter again and smiled softly.
She didn't need it anymore.
Because the person she was now?
She was okay.
---
The school festival arrived in a blur of bright lights, loud music, and the scent of grilled snacks wafting through the air.
Erica had been looking forward to it all week. It was the first time she and Angel had agreed to go on a real date.
Just the two of them.
Angel pulled her by the wrist toward a game stall, grinning. "Okay, if I win, you owe me a kiss."
Erica raised an eyebrow. "And if I win?"
Angel leaned closer, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Then you owe me a kiss."
"That's not how bets work!"
Angel just laughed. "I make the rules, babe."
Erica rolled her eyes, smirking. "Hey, don't call me babe. I'm not your girlfriend."
"What did you just say, babe? I can't hear you."
"Whatever."
Their laughter mixed with the music and noise of the festival as they challenged each other to silly games, shared a skewer of grilled squid, and made fun of each other's bad aim at the ring toss booth.
Across the festival, Nicole and Cloud were locked in a competitive game of darts, trying to win a stuffed bear. Cloud missed on purpose; Nicole hit the bullseye twice.
Kim and Rhea Lee walked hand in hand, sharing cotton candy. Risha had just won a giant plush rabbit for Mary, who turned red and nearly dropped her drink.
Audrey and Aedrian were still arguing—this time over whether the takoyaki or the yakisoba stand had better food.
Vinish and Steph had been dragged into the haunted house and were now dramatically recounting the horrors they "survived."
And beneath the fireworks, their group sat on the school rooftop like they always did.
No drama. No tears. Just laughter. Just them.
"We should make a promise," Risha said, lifting her soda. "That no matter what happens, we stick together."
"Forever?" Nicole asked, half-smiling.
"Forever," Cloud confirmed.
They all linked pinkies.
No one knew what tomorrow would bring. But tonight?
Tonight was enough.
---
Graduation approached faster than anyone expected.
Caps were ordered. Yearbooks signed. Final exams taken.
And in all of it, Erica found herself growing.
Not into someone new.
But into herself.
---
One morning, Erica woke up to the sound of someone shouting.
"ERICA! WAKE UP, WE'RE GONNA BE LATE!"
She sat up with a jolt, eyes wide. Angel was standing at the foot of her bed, hands on her hips.
"Angel?! What the hell are you doing in my room?!"
Angel grinned. "If I didn't come, you'd sleep through graduation."
Erica groaned and buried her face in her pillow. "Freak."
"Come on, sleepyhead. Let's go."
As Angel turned to leave, Erica reached out and grabbed her hand. Angel stumbled, slipping and falling on top of Erica.
"AHH!"
Erica laughed. "Stop screaming like a baby or else..."
"Or else what?" Angel narrowed her eyes.
"Or else I'll kiss this crying baby."
"Do it if you can."
Erica smirked, pulled Angel closer, their faces just inches apart—
"OH MY GOD, ERICA! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?!"
Kim's voice echoed through the room, followed by Risha and Steph's laughter.
"Angel, I didn't know you were this clingy!" Risha teased.
Erica pushed Angel off, face red. "WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING IN MY ROOM?!"
"Your majesty," Steph said, bowing dramatically, "have you forgotten it's graduation day?"
Erica screamed and bolted for the bathroom. The room exploded in laughter.
---
The ceremony was packed. Parents, teachers, students—all dressed up, cheering, crying.
When Angel's name was called for academic excellence, the group cheered louder than anyone. And when she stepped onto the stage to deliver her speech, Erica appeared from the crowd, handing her a bouquet.
Angel froze.
Erica smiled. "Go get 'em."
Angel dropped the script.
And kissed her.
Right there. In front of everyone.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Erica's legs almost gave out. But she held on.
And for the first time, she didn't care who was watching.
---
After the ceremony, they gathered at their favorite coffee shop. The air was warm with the scent of vanilla and memories.
They laughed. Told stories. Took pictures.
They were all going to different colleges, different cities, different lives.
But here, in this moment, they were just friends.
No drama. No secrets.
Just promises.
To never forget.
To always come back.
---
Weeks later, in the quiet of the school library, Erica sat alone.
Nicole slid into the seat beside her.
"Hey," Nicole said softly.
"Hey."
There was silence. But not the heavy kind.
"I'm glad we're friends again," Nicole said, looking down.
Erica nodded. "Me too."
It wasn't the same.
And that was okay.
She would always care for Nicole.
But this wasn't heartbreak anymore.
It was peace.
---
Later that night, as the stars blinked above and Angel sat beside her on the rooftop, Erica finally whispered,
"I think I like you."
Angel smiled without surprise. "I know."
Erica laughed. "Of course you do."
And just like that, her story started again.
This time, not with fire.
But with light.