Chapter 20: Empty Seats & Quiet Confessions
It was a normal school day.
And yet, it didn’t feel normal at all.
Rain drizzled steadily outside, tapping against windows like it had nowhere else to be. The sky stayed grey, the air cool—one of those days that slowed everything down without asking permission.
Anaya arrived alone.
As she stepped into the classroom, Noah was already there, standing near their usual seats, scanning the doorway.
“Where’s my bro?” he asked the moment he saw her.
“Luca’s taking a day off,” Anaya replied, placing her bag down. “His parents are coming to meet him today.”
“Oh.” Noah nodded, then anaya looked around. “And… Anvi?”
“She took a day off,” Noah said. “Said she was tired. Cleaned her whole house yesterday.”
“Oh,” Anaya said softly. Then, after a pause, she added, “So… we’re alone today?”
Noah nodded. “Yeah. But no worries. We can still enjoy the day.”
She smiled faintly. “We can. It’s just… the seats next to us will be empty.”
“Yeah,” he said. “Nothing we can really do about that.”
Anaya sat down and let her eyes linger on the empty desks.
“It’s strange,” she said. “In just a few days, we got so used to this. Empty seats feel… bad now. Once, none of us even knew each other.”
She tilted her head slightly. “Time is really weird, isn’t it?”
Noah chuckled. “We wanted everyone in our group to be smart like Luca. Turns out, you adapted his personality and his intelligence.”
He grinned. “Congrats. We got Luca 2.0.”
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She laughed. “You’ll never change.”
“I know,” he said proudly. Then, after a beat, “By the way, I wanted your help with something.”
Before he could continue, Anaya glanced at her watch. “You should go. Class is about to start. We’ll meet in recess—then you can tell me.”
“Okay,” he said. “Deal.”
And with that, he left.
Anaya stayed back, sitting quietly. She looked at the seat beside hers—empty. After a moment, she stood up and moved, sitting instead at Luca’s place.
She rested her arms on the desk and stared out of the window.
Rain streaked down the glass. Cool air slipped into the room.
You talk like him now, Noah had said.
She wondered when that started happening.
The teacher entered the class, snapping her thoughts in half.
Attendance began.
“Anaya?”
No response.
“Anaya?”
“Yes—yes, ma’am,” she replied quickly, startled.
The day flowed on like the rain outside—teachers coming and going, voices explaining lessons, pages turning. The breeze kept brushing past her, carrying that calm, rainy stillness.
And then, the recess arrived.
She found Noah almost immediately.
“So,” she asked, “what was that help you wanted to talk about?”
He leaned closer. “Bring your ear closer. And please—don’t overreact or scream.”
She nodded.
He whispered, “I like Anvi.”
“WHAT?!”
“Shut up!” he hissed. “I told you not to scream!”
“Sorry!” she whispered back, eyes wide. Then, slowly, “Wait… you like Anvi?”
“Yeah.”
“But—aren’t you guys already in a relationship?”
“No! Nope! Never were.”
Anaya stared at him. “Me and Luca thought you guys were dating since the day we met you.”
He shrugged. “You never asked.”
She blinked. “We never even thought about asking.”
After a second, she shook her head. “Okay. Anyways—what help do you need?”
“You’re her friend,” Noah said.
She said hmm.
“So you know her taste. Her choices.”
She said hmmmm.
“Will you help me choose the right gift? And flowers?”
She said hmmmmmm.
“Thank you so much!” he said, relieved.
“So,” she asked, “what are you planning to buy?”
He went silent.
Seconds passed.
“I… don’t know,” he admitted. “What should I give her?”
Anaya lightly smacked her own forehead. “Oh my gosh. You deserve to be single.”
“At least don’t say that,” he protested.
She laughed. “Sorry.”
“Okay,” he said. “As a girl—what would you like as a proposal?”
She thought. “Umm… chocolate is enough for me.”
“That’s it?” he asked. “Nothing more?”
“Yeah.”
Noah smiled softly. “Luca is really lucky. He got a diamond.”
“What did you say?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he replied quickly. “So—what do you think other girls would want?”
“Ask other girls.”
He clenched his jaw, then took a deep breath. Another one.
“If I could talk to other girls,” he said calmly, “why would I be here—getting angry, irritated, and frustrated with you?”
She thought for a moment. “I don’t know.”
He inhaled deeply again. “Anaya. Please. For God’s sake—talk normally. Answer straight.”
“That’s what I’ve been doing.”
“Okay. Then answer normally.”
“Okay.”
“What would a girl like for a proposal?”
“Flowers. Teddy bears. Accessories. Jewellery. Chocolates.”
He muttered, “Girls are so choosy and demanding.”
“Did you say something?”
“Nope,” he smiled. “Why would I?”
She hummed suspiciously.
“So,” he continued, “what do you think Anvi would like?”
She thought carefully. “She’s simple. She won’t expect anything expensive. An accessory, some chocolates, and a bouquet of flowers would be enough.”
Noah nodded slowly. “You really know her.”
“Hehe. Thanks.”
“Will you come with me?” he asked. “After school—to buy everything. Please don’t deny.”
“Yeah,” she smiled. “I’d love to.”
She added softly, “I’m free today anyway. Luca’s busy. Anvi’s busy. If they weren’t, I’d have asked all of you for a walk.”
She looked at the rain outside. “But no worries. Today will still be fun.”
Noah grinned. “Let’s go.”
And outside, the rain kept falling—quietly approving of the plan.
