Chapter 2 THE FIRST CRACk

‎ A week after their anniversary, everything still looked perfect on the outside eliana and adrian walked the hallways together, shared lunch, exchanged notes with silly doodles in the margins, people called them the couple everyone envied, and sometimes Eliana believed they were unbreakable.

‎But the universe whispers warnings long before it shatters something beautiful,

‎It began with small changes at first, adrian cancelled two study sessions in a row"sorry, busy at home.

‎I'll make it up to you tomorrow"

‎she trusted him love teaches trust before caution

‎Then came the late replies,

‎one day, she waited three hours for a text that used to arrive in three seconds he apologized, but his eyes drifted when he spoke not guilty, more... distracted eliana told herself it was nothing people get busy life gets heavy still, something inside her pulled like a loose thread during art club break, she watched him across the courtyard he laughed really loud, the way he used to laugh with her but he wasn't alone, selena stood with him, close enough that her arm brushed his, selena, her deskmate since junior year selena, beautiful in a soft, effortless way, the type people wrote poems about, eliana blinked twice, steadying her heart they're just talking friends talk, but when he noticed eliana watching, he looked away too quickly a small, sharp truth started forming, though she brushed it aside like dust on canvas.

‎One evening, while preparing for the school art exhibition, eliana stayed late in the studio mixing paint the room smelled like turpentine and wet clay her canvas was half-finished a sunset blending into storm clouds, the kind that reflected her confusion, her phone buzzed adrian: can't come today, homework, too tired sorry; she sighed and continued painting minutes later, another message lit the screen but not for her it was a post in the school chat group a picture adrian and selena at the school cafe smiling, drinks in hand, Close too close for coincidence her heart froze not shattered just paused, like the world inhaled and forgot to exhale she stared at the photo until colours blurred her brush slipped, leaving a dark streak across the canvas like a wound she wanted to storm to the cafe and demand answers, she wanted to cry, she wanted to pretend she didn't care instead, she cleaned her brush, wiped her eyes, and painted harder each stroke felt like a heartbeat fighting not to break.

‎The next day, she tried acting normal "hey," she greeted Adrian in the hallway.

‎He smiled, but it wasn't the same smile he once saved only for her ,you look tired, you didn't tell me you were with Selena yesterday ,his expression flickered, barely noticeable like a light about to go out "oh we just met by chance she needed help with maths eliana nodded slowly, searching his eyes for honesty she found a wall instead selena passed them, waving at adrian with familiarity that stung more than words eliana forced a smile back, but the edges of her heart felt sharp she day dragged like a heavy painting she had to carry alone.

‎At home, she lay on her bed staring at the ceiling fan questions spun faster than its blades.

‎Why didn't he tell me?

‎Why does she make him laugh like that?

‎Am I imagining this?

‎Or are we fading?

‎She grabbed her sketchbook and let her thoughts bleed into art two figures holding hands while one slowly slipped away she didn't name them, but she knew who they were.Her phone beeped again, a voice note from adrian.she listened carefully.

‎"Eliana... I'm sorry for being distant lately things are complicated I'll explain soon, I promise."

‎Complicated a dangerous word it tastes like a half-truth hiding a whole lie.

‎Still, she replied softly:

‎"I'll wait just don't shut me out" but deep inside, she feared waiting might break her.

‎Two days later, fate stopped whispering and finally screamed during recess, eliana went to the music room to return adrian's forgotten notebook, she pushed the door gently, expecting an empty room, instead, she heard voices hushed, too close selena's tone was soft. "What about eliana? Does she know?" adrian exhaled, tired "no and don't tell her yet. I don't want drama" eliana froze behind the door, breath trembling the notebook nearly slipped from her hand, selena spoke again, quieter "so... was last weekend a mistake? Or are we" eliana stepped back before the sentence finished, heart pounding like fists against ribs she didn't wait to hear more she walked away fast, hallway blurring, breath shaking like someone running from a truth too heavy to hold.

‎The notebook fell and fluttered open on the floor behind her like a broken wing her world didn't explode it fractured quietly, painfully sometimes heartbreak isn't loud, sometimes it whispers while you crumble silently, she didn't confront them immediately no shouting, no tears spilled in public, betrayal deserved more than a reaction it deserved patience, understanding, strategy, she wiped her cheeks in the bathroom mirror, studying her reflection her eyes were red, but something new flickered inside them not just hurt.

‎A spark,

‎A promise to herself,

‎If love could paint joy, betrayal could paint strength she wouldn't break quietly she would rise in colour they never expected, she stepped out of the bathroom with steady breaths and lifted chin, the pain was real, but so was her resolve.

‎This was no longer just a love story this was the beginning of a transformation, a storm brewed quietly in her chest and storms, when they finally arrive, are unforgettable.

‎