Chapter 39: The Bet
Monday morning started normally. Which should have been a warning. Because whenever things felt normal around Aiden and Mia, something ridiculous usually happened right afterward.
This time, it happened before first period. Aiden was walking through the hallway when he noticed students gathered around one of the notice boards. Normally he would've ignored it. Unfortunately, he spotted Noah standing in the middle of the crowd looking far too pleased with himself. That was never a good sign. Aiden immediately walked over.
"What did you do?"
Noah looked offended.
"Why do you assume I did something?"
"Because you're smiling."
"Fair."
Aiden looked at the board. Then froze. Pinned to the center was a piece of paper. A large piece of paper. With very large writing.
WHEN WILL AIDEN AND MIA SAY "I LOVE YOU"?
Below it was a chart. An actual chart. Students had written guesses. Some said this month. Some said next month. One person had written:
Before Friday.
Another had written:
Never. They're both too clueless.
Aiden stared. Then stared some more. Then looked at Noah. Slowly.
"You made a betting pool?"
"It's not gambling."
"It literally is."
"It's academic."
"HOW?"
Noah pointed at the chart.
"We're studying human behavior."
Aiden wanted to transfer schools. Immediately.
Five minutes later, Mia arrived. And unfortunately... Sophie was with her. The moment Sophie saw the board, she doubled over laughing. Mia looked confused. Then she read it. Then she wished she hadn't.
"Oh my God."
"That's what I said."
People nearby immediately started watching them. Which made everything worse. Much worse. Sophie wiped tears from her eyes.
"This is incredible."
"No, it isn't."
"It absolutely is."
Mia buried her face in her hands. Meanwhile, Noah was proudly accepting high-fives. Like he'd accomplished something. Which somehow made the entire situation even more annoying. The rumor spread through the school in record time. By lunch, almost everyone knew about it. Some students were adding predictions. Others were debating dates. A few teachers had already heard about it. One teacher actually stopped Aiden in the hallway.
"Aiden."
"No."
"I didn't even ask anything."
"I know."
The teacher laughed. Unfortunately, that meant he'd definitely heard about it. By lunchtime, Aiden and Mia had escaped outside to a quieter part of the courtyard. Or at least they tried to. The second they sat down on a bench, both immediately started laughing. Not because it was funny. Okay. Maybe because it was a little funny.
"This school is insane."
"Definitely."
"Your friends are insane."
"Our friends."
Aiden pointed at her.
"Fair."
For a few moments, they sat comfortably beside each other. The chaos of the school felt distant from where they were sitting. Then Mia smiled.
"You know what's embarrassing?"
"What?"
"I think Sophie bet on this week."
Aiden laughed.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"Noah probably did too."
"He definitely did."
They both shook their heads. Then silence settled between them. Not awkward. Just comfortable. The kind of silence that came naturally. The kind that only happened when you knew someone really well. Eventually, Mia glanced at him.
"Can I ask something?"
"Sure."
"Does any of this bother you?"
Aiden thought about it. Honestly. A little. Not because of the betting pool. Not because of the teasing. Because of what it represented. People had noticed. People had noticed the way he looked at Mia. The way he talked about her. The way he smiled around her. And maybe... Just maybe... There was a reason for that.
"A little."
Mia nodded.
"Yeah."
Neither said anything after that.
Because somehow, they both knew the conversation wasn't really about the betting pool anymore.
The afternoon passed quickly after that. Classes ended. Students rushed home. Teachers finally stopped assigning homework for approximately five minutes. By the time the final bell rang, Aiden and Mia were walking toward the gates together. The setting sun painted the school grounds gold. Everything felt easy. As usual. Then Mia suddenly stopped walking. Aiden stopped too.
"What?"
Mia looked nervous. Actually nervous.
"Nothing."
"Mia."
"It's stupid."
"Tell me."
She hesitated. Then sighed.
"Do you ever think about... later?"
Aiden blinked.
"Later?"
"Like... after school."
The question caught him off guard. Not because it was strange. Because he'd thought about it before. More than once.
"Yeah."
Mia looked surprised.
"You do?"
"Of course."
A small smile appeared on her face. For some reason, that answer made her happier than she expected. Before either of them could say anything else, a voice echoed from across the parking lot.
"ARE YOU SAYING IT?"
Both immediately turned. Noah stood fifty feet away. Watching. For absolutely no reason. Aiden closed his eyes.
"Mia."
"Yeah?"
"Do you think murder is illegal?"
Mia laughed so hard she nearly dropped her bag. And just like that, the serious moment disappeared. Again.
But this time, neither felt disappointed.
Because little by little, the distance between what they felt and what they were willing to say was shrinking.