Friday evening felt calmer.
No cramps.
No surprise tests.
No mood swings.
Just a normal sky outside her window and a quiet room.
Ariana sat at her desk, finishing her English homework before opening the app.
He was online.
But this time, she didn't jump into jokes.
She typed something random.
SilentStar15: Tell me one good thing about yourself.
There was a pause.
Then—
UnknownUser: That's strange.
SilentStar15: Answer.
Another pause.
Longer than usual.
UnknownUser: I don't give up on people easily.
Her fingers slowed.
That answer felt… real.
SilentStar15: That's your good quality?
UnknownUser: I think so.
She leaned back in her chair.
SilentStar15: That can also be a bad quality.
UnknownUser: I know.
She blinked.
That honesty surprised her.
SilentStar15: Okay. My turn.
Pause.
She thought carefully.
SilentStar15: I'm responsible.
UnknownUser: That's obvious.
She frowned.
SilentStar15: Obvious?
UnknownUser: You panic when you think you're wasting time.
She exhaled softly.
He wasn't wrong.
SilentStar15: That's not nice.
UnknownUser: It's accurate.
She rolled her eyes.
SilentStar15: Fine. Tell me one bad thing about you.
Three dots appeared.
Stopped.
Then—
UnknownUser: I overthink things I shouldn't.
Her chest tightened slightly.
That sounded familiar.
SilentStar15: Like what?
Pause.
UnknownUser: Timing. Words. Silence.
Her fingers froze for a second.
Silence again.
Why did he always mention silence like it meant something bigger?
She quickly typed—
SilentStar15: That's normal.
UnknownUser: Not when it makes you leave instead of speak.
She stared at the message.
Leave instead of speak.
Something about that sentence felt personal.
But she didn't ask more.
Instead—
SilentStar15: My bad habit is… I shut down when I'm hurt.
There.
She hadn't said that out loud before.
There was a longer pause.
Then—
UnknownUser: That makes sense.
No judgment.
No dramatic reaction.
Just understanding.
She realized something.
This wasn't flirting.
This was knowing.
And knowing felt deeper.
But also scarier.
She closed the app earlier than usual that night.
Not because she was upset.
But because she needed time to process.