HAPPY FRIENDSHIP ANNIVERSARY

As the days passed, Eli found himself drawn to Amelia.

"They shared quiet moments, long walks along the beach, deep conversations under starlit skies, and bursts of laughter that felt effortless and real.

Their connection grew unmistakably close, sparking a warmth that neither tried to hide.

Kai and Lena exchanged wary looks.

"He's with Amelia again," Kai muttered one afternoon, watching them from across the yard.

"I don't get it. He's always been about Nora."

Lena nodded, brow furrowed. "Exactly.

But he never stops chasing Amelia's attention either. It's like he can't decide, and it's driving me crazy."

The tension wasn't just about who Eli liked; it was about what his mixed signals meant for all of them.

Was he playing with feelings, or just lost in his own heart's confusion?

Meanwhile, Eli's gaze often lingered on Nora when she wasn't looking, his moments with Amelia layered with an undercurrent of something unspoken.

He was caught in a quiet battle between friendship and desire, between what was safe and what was true.

For Kai and Lena, every smile and glance from Eli felt like a riddle they couldn't solve, one that threatened to pull the group apart.

Lena: (frowning, biting her lip) "Amelia, I just... I don't know.

You and Eli have been spending a lot of time together lately.

It feels different.

Like something's shifted, but no one's talking about it. And honestly, I'm worried."

Amelia: (shrugs, a little defensively) "We're just friends, Lena.

Nothing's changed. Why would it be bad to hang out with him more? Isn't that what friends do?"

Lena: (sighs, looking down) "Yeah, but it feels like... well, I don't want the group to break apart because of this.

You know how close we all are.

"I just don't want anyone feeling left out or hurt."

Amelia: (softening) "I get that. But Eli's important to me.

And I think he needs someone right now. I'm not trying to cause any drama or split the group."

Lena: (nodding slowly) "I know you're not. I guess I just needed to say it out loud.

Sometimes, when things change, it's hard not to feel scared.

"I just want us all to stay together—no matter what."

Amelia: (smiling gently) "Me too, Lena. We'll be careful.

And maybe we should talk to the others, clear the air, you know? No secrets."

Lena: (smiles back) "Yeah, that sounds good. Friends stick together, no matter what."

A Quiet Walk by the Shore

The tide lapped gently at their feet as Amelia and Eli strolled along the moonlit beach, the sky a soft blend of silver and shadows.

The group's laughter echoed faintly behind them, but this moment felt carved out for just the two of them.

Eli kicked at a shell, hands in his pockets, then glanced sideways at her.

"We used to walk like this back in school. Remember?"

Amelia smiled faintly. "Yeah. After drama club rehearsals. Or when we skipped study hall to watch sunsets."

Eli chuckled. "You said sunsets made everything feel less... urgent."

"They still do." She paused, the wind tugging gently at her sweater.

"Eli slowed his pace, his voice dipping quieter.

"How's your boyfriend?"

Amelia didn't answer at first. The sound of the waves filled the silence between them.

Then she stopped walking.

"We broke up," she said.

"Right after school ended."

Eli turned to face her, concern shadowing his expression. "I didn't know. I'm sorry, Amelia."

She shrugged, trying to keep it light, but her eyes flickered with emotion.

"It's okay.

I think... we were just holding on to a version of ourselves that didn't exist anymore.

I'm not really in that space now.

"I just want to focus on my job, my stuff."

Eli nodded, but his gaze lingered on her a second longer than it should have.

"You always had this way of knowing what you needed. I always admired that."

Amelia looked at him, her tone teasing but touched with honesty.

"Is that your polite way of saying I'm stubborn?"

He laughed.

"No.

Well... maybe a little.

But it's a good kind.

The kind that doesn't let the world push you around."

They kept walking in silence for a moment.

Then Eli spoke again, voice softer now. "I missed this. Just talking like this. Like before, everything got complicated."

Amelia glanced up at him, her expression unreadable. "Me too. A lot."

For a heartbeat, they stood still, the ocean breeze whispering around them.

There was so much unsaid in the space between their words, but neither of them dared speak it yet.

 Quiet Longings

Eli's Journal, Late Night – The Cabin's Attic Room

The faint sound of the ocean hummed beneath the wooden floorboards.

A soft breeze slipped through the cracked window, fluttering the edge of a worn notebook resting in Eli's lap.

He sat cross-legged on an old trunk, the group's distant laughter now just a memory echoing in the walls.

He flipped open a blank page and stared at it for a long time. Then, slowly, his pen began to move.

"I liked Amelia back in school. I mean, liked her. But she got a boyfriend and I… I shut that part of me off.

Buried it somewhere beneath jokes and group hugs and late-night playlists."

"Now she's single. And we're spending time again. She's still the same, calm, grounded, effortlessly smart.

I catch myself wanting to rewind time, to the moments before I let myself care too much."

"But then there's Nora."

His handwriting wavered slightly.

"Nora, who's always been a constant. Sharp-tongued, sunshine-laughing Nora.

We vibe like best friends. We tease, talk, share coffee cups and dreams.

And I've wondered, what if that comfort was something more?"

"But what if I confess to her and she doesn't feel the same? What if I break the only thing that's ever felt steady in my life?"

Eli sighed, pressing his pen to the page again.

"What is my heart even doing? Pulled in two directions like I'm in a story I didn't sign up to write.

Amelia feels like a what-if that never got to be. Nora feels at home. But maybe home doesn't always mean romance."

"I haven't told anyone. Not even Kai.

I don't know if I'm afraid of rejection or ruining what we have. All I know is… I can't keep pretending this doesn't exist."

A floorboard creaked downstairs. Laughter floated up again, Amelia's.

He closed the notebook, resting it against his chest.

Outside, the stars blinked on in silence. Inside, Eli remained still, caught in the quiet war between past feelings and uncertain love.