Chapter 33.5 – How We Got Together (Part 14)

Alex’s POV – 3 Months Later

Three months have passed since that crazy day.

Since the fall.
Since the rescue.
Since Natalie became a permanent fixture in my house.

At first, it was weird.
Now?

It’s just life.

What I didn’t expect?

She’s really good at house chores.

“BREAKFAST IS REAAADY~!”

Her voice echoes like a school bell across the house.

I drag myself to the dining table, barely awake. Then I stop—
Eyes locked on the food.

Scrambled eggs.
Toast.
Pop-tarts.
Beef bacon.

An actual normal human breakfast.

Way better than Mom’s usual “East Malaysia firestorm special”:
sambal fried noodles + fried eggs + way too much chili + emotional trauma.

Natalie still can’t handle spicy food.

She tried. Once. Ended up crying into the fridge for half an hour.

Hana’s crawling now.

Every morning, she immediately goes straight to Natalie, like some adorable, chubby homing missile.

Today’s no different.

“Here comes your No.1 fan,” I mutter as Hana latches onto Natalie’s leg like a baby koala.

Natalie lifts her with ease. “You want Pop-tarts too, huh~?”

Hana lets out a squeaky giggle and smooshes her cheek against Natalie’s.

I sigh.

I’ve lost my baby sister to a teenage fashion terrorist.

Mom walks by, flipping through a file. “Alright, get moving you two! Five minutes or you’re late!”

Natalie turns dramatically, dressed in yet another of her custom outfits—a fusion of modern chic and Victorian chaos.

I deadpan.
“…Seriously?”

“Presentation is everything.”
She grabs my collar and straightens my tie.
I’m just her walking mannequin now.

At School

Somehow, we've developed a reputation.

They call us:

“The Two Victorians.”

Why?
Because Natalie keeps showing up like she fell out of a time portal.
And me?
Well, I’m her fashion hostage.

Still, life at school’s not bad.

We’ve got a solid group now.

Faiz, my quiet classmate who always brings backup snacks.
Marina, an artist who secretly draws manga versions of all of us.
Matt and Travis, the chaotic twins from 5A—who once switched identities for two whole weeks and nobody noticed.

And then there’s the bilingual class crowd, from the other wing of the school.
We don't see them much, but whenever we do, it's like walking into another world.

They're sharp. Multilingual. Super chill.
Some of them even think Natalie’s a foreign exchange student.

(Which, to be fair, she sort of acts like.)

Even Wan’s chilled out.

Still acts tough, but doesn’t bother us anymore.

We even nod at each other now. Like bros.

The goons? Gone.
Mylie? Avoids us like we’re cursed.

Peace, at last.

This is our final year of primary school.

Middle school’s just around the corner.

Natalie’s already made sure I’m enrolling in the same one as her.

“It’s closer, more prestigious, and I already wrote your name on the form.”

“Wait—you what?!”

“It’s submitted.”

…

So yeah.

All ends well.

Or so I thought.

That Night – At Home

It’s quiet now.

Mom’s busy at her desk, papers everywhere.
Hana’s fast asleep, twitching softly in her crib.
The house smells like lemongrass and laundry detergent.

Natalie’s on the couch.
Still awake. Hugging her knees.

She’s not sketching.
Not sewing.
Not even talking.

Just… quiet.

I sit down beside her.

“Hey… you okay? You look like you saw a ghost.”

She doesn’t respond at first.

Then—

“…Yeah. It’s just…”

“...Luna, right?”

She nods, slowly.

“Yeah.”

Luna.

We haven’t seen her in months.

No texts.
No chats.
Not even a glance in the hallway.

Ever since Natalie moved in…

She started pulling away.

From me.
From Nat.
From everything.

Natalie speaks, her voice barely a whisper.

“She used to talk to me every day. Walk with me. Now…”

She trails off.

The silence wraps around us like a blanket.

I lean back.

“Do you think she’s… angry?”

“I don’t know,” Natalie says, eyes dark. “But it feels like… she’s hiding something.”

The air shifts.

For the first time in weeks,
our peaceful little world suddenly feels fragile.

Like we’re standing on a floor with a crack running through it.

And the weight of something unspoken is about to break it wide open.

Present-Day Natalie (Narration)

This is what it means…
To be decisive.

To choose a path, knowing someone else might fall behind.

To reach for happiness…
And wonder if it came at the cost of someone else’s smile.

Back then…
I was scared.

Scared of losing friends.
Scared that it was my fault.
Scared that I didn’t say the right things, or do enough to stop it.

Sometimes I wonder if it was my own selfishness that made me who I am now.

But even so—

Alex…

Heh…

He never asked.
He never judged.

He just stood beside me.

And somehow… he always understood.

Flashback – Natalie’s POV

Mornings at Alex’s house have become… normal.

Hana’s growing up fast—now crawling everywhere like a speed-demon gremlin. She clings to me like I’m her actual sister.

Honestly?

I adore her.

She smells like baby powder and tiny dreams.

Phylis drops by sometimes too, working on her teaching license stuff. She always helps Alex’s mom with her university projects while I sneak bites of whatever’s cooking.

And me?

I’ve been tutoring Alex in math and science.

Because… let’s be real.

The boy has zero love for numbers.

But strangely, he’s not dumb.

He’s got instincts.
He’s sharp.
He sees patterns. He just hates formulas.

Maybe it’s trauma. Maybe it’s laziness.
Maybe it’s just Alex being Alex.

Still…
That’s why I help.

Walking to School – Autumn

Me.
Faiz.
Marina.
And Alex.

We walk together every day now.
It’s autumn—the leaves are starting to fall, and the desert air’s got this weird chill.

Alex is the first to complain.

“Gaaahh!!! 🥶 What is this weather!?”

He’s practically hopping in place, rubbing his arms.

Faiz grins. “Didn’t you once climb Mount Kinabalu with nothing but a T-shirt and slippers? And now this desert wind is freezing you?”

“Shut up!!” Alex snaps. “This is different! This wind is personal!”

Marina smirks and loops an arm around his shoulder.

“Aww~ does little Alex need a warm hug?”

She hugs him.

And my eyes twitch.

I walk up behind them and gently push her aside.

Very gently.

Totally not passive aggressive.

“Oh~ someone's jealous,” Marina teases with a smug smile. “Looks like your girlfriend doesn’t approve~”

“We’re just friends!!” Alex protests, face going bright red.

“Not what I’ve heard~” Marina sing-songs, skipping ahead.

I glance sideways.

Alex is blushing.

So am I.

My fingers twitch… and quietly, I grab the hem of his shirt.

He doesn’t say anything.
But he doesn’t let go either.

At School Gates

We reach school as the bell echoes in the distance.

That’s when I see her—

Luna.

Standing near the front gate…

With Dino.

I blink, then wave and run ahead.

“Hey! Luna!!”

She turns.

Smiles.
And hugs me.

But something’s off.

She looks… older.

Not just older—but done up.

Her hair’s styled.
Lip gloss shining.
Her blazer fitted like she tailored it herself.

It’s subtle.
But she doesn’t look like an elementary schooler anymore.

More like a girl who’s trying to escape being one.

And something in that hug…

Feels distant.

“LUNAAA!” Faiz, Marina, and I wave cheerfully.

Luna waves back—wildly, her oversized sleeves flapping like a bird about to take off.

She skips toward us like she’s on springs, grinning from ear to ear.

But then—

She turns to me.

Eyes locked. Mischief glowing.

“Hehe… I heard from Nat… you’re a hero, Alex~”

“Eh?” I blink.

Wait—why is she so close?

Why is her face inching closer?

WAIT—NO. NO. NO—

SMOOCH!!! 💋

“EEEEEEWWWWW!!! WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT!?!?”

I rocket backwards like I’ve been cursed.

“I GOT COOTIES!!!!”
I’m wiping my cheek with both sleeves like I’m scrubbing acid off my soul.

Faiz raises his hand in shock, trying to hide a grin.

“Bro… BRO. That’s wild!!”
Marina snorts. “That’s cold, Luna.”

Natalie’s POV – 😡💢

Me = 🤯 +💢 +😐 + SHOCKED

I freeze. My jaw drops. My arms tremble as I point stiffly like an anime character locked in rage mode.

“HEY!!! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?”

Luna just twirls a strand of hair and looks at me with a strange, sultry smirk.

“Huh~? He’s a boy… or maybe… a man?”

What the heck is wrong with her!?

Since when did Luna become this—seductive??

But Alex?

He looks pale.

Frozen.
Twitching.
Like he just saw Freddy Fazbear in real life.

“…G-get… away from me…”

Then—

“EYAAAAA!!!!”

He sprints full speed across the field, arms flailing, backpack bouncing violently.

“ALEX!!!” Faiz chases after him. “BRO, WHERE YOU GOING!?!?”

Marina: 😓 “Did… did that really just happen?”

Me? I stare at Luna.

She’s smiling.

But it’s not the Luna I remember.

It’s soft. Forced.

Like she’s trying to convince herself of something.

“See what I told ya?” she says.

“He’s cool. At least… now I’m not worried about you anymore.”

“Luna…” I mumble, stepping closer.

But she suddenly throws an arm around me and laughs.

“You’re my best bud, Nat! Don’t overthink it.”

I grip her arm gently, forcing a smile.

But deep inside…

I know something’s off.

Later That Morning – Total Chaos

The schoolyard is in disaster mode.

A bunch of students are huddled around a tree in the courtyard.

Faiz. Xavier. Francisco. Lam. Muhammad. Hussain. Camile. Keiko. Jasmine. Will.

All staring.

At the top.

Natalie + Marina + Luna = 😐😯😳

“…Don’t tell me…”

“YUP.” Xavier sighs.

We look up.

ALEX IS IN THE TREE.
LIKE. IN. THE. TREE.

Not just climbing—
He’s perched, squatting like a jungle cat, whispering to himself and poking at leaves.

"He's talking to the tree..."

I walk up to Camile. She throws both hands up dramatically.

“Yo Nat! Fo sho—Alex done lost his dang mind! Like, he straight up GONE! Climbin’ trees like Tarzan, talkin’ to leaves like they gonna give him answers or somethin’! Girl, I swear he thinks he’s KING KONG!!”

“HUH!?!?!?”

I look up.

He’s literally on the top branch.

Swaying.
Staring at the sky.
Muttering nonsense like a monk possessed.

Just then—

“ALEXANDER BIN IMRAN!!!”

Ms. Forest.
Teacher.
Terror of 5th Grade.

🤦🏻 + 💢 + “WHY AM I DEALING WITH THIS AT 8:10 AM.”

She looks at me, exasperated.

“Tell me, Natalie. Did you do something to trigger this?”

“HUH?!”

Before I can deny it—

I’m already climbing the tree.

Skirt flapping, grumbling all the way up.

I reach the branch and shout at the top of my lungs.

“ALEX!!! GET. DOWN. THIS. INSTANT!!!”

Xavier, below, scratches his head.
“Sorry, Nat. I tried to stop him. But the second he stepped into class, his face twisted, he screamed something about cooties, and next thing you know… BAM! Tree boy.”

Scene: courtyard chaos.
Time: 8:17 AM.
Status: absolute madness.

There’s a crowd under the school’s biggest tree.
The branches sway gently in the wind—
and high up, clinging like a jungle beast… is Alex.

Yup.

Alex.

Our Alex.

Once known as the quiet tsundere boy.
Now?

He’s evolved.

Into a freaking monkey.

“ALEX, GET DOWN THIS INSTANT!!!”
I yell from halfway up the tree, clinging to a branch.

My voice echoes across the courtyard.

The crowd of students backs up instinctively like there’s about to be an exorcism.

But Alex?

He’s still perched in the upper branches—squatting like a lemur, muttering to the leaves.

“Look at them…”
His eyes widen like he’s communing with nature.

“So many layers… photosynthesis… sunlight powers all… must protect the forest… they speak to me… the chlorophyll is crying…”

Alejandro, bless him, is trying to reason with him from the next branch over.

“Bro! Bro! Come on man. Breathe. You’re not a druid—this is just a tree!”

Alex hisses.

Like.
A cat.

“HHHSSHHHAAA!!”

Luna tries next.

She cups her hands around her mouth and calls up gently:

“Come on, Alex… Nat’s waiting for you, okay?”

Alex freezes.
He turns his head slowly like a cursed animatronic.

Then—

“NAT’S HERE?!?!”

SHK!!

His eyes go wild.
Panic sets in.

He hisses again.

Tail-less monkey mode: MAXIMUM.

Alejandro’s still trying.

“Here, bro, I brought snacks. Look—cheddar chips. Your favorite. Please man, come down before someone calls the fire department!”

Alex slowly reaches…
Then snatches the bag like a raccoon and backs into the leaves.

And me?

I sigh.

Deeply.

Because I’ve been infected.

By Alex.
By his mom.
By the combined nonsense that is now my daily life.

I start climbing.

Yup. Me.
Natalie Felicity Hawk.
Grade 5 top student.
Climbing a tree.
Like a lunatic.

I push past leaves, bark scraping my palms.

Closer.
Closer to him.

He’s crouched on a thick branch, hoodie twisted, hair messy, crumbs on his face.

His breathing is erratic.

His eyes dart like a cornered cat.

But…

Something about him is familiar.

That look—

Like he's fighting something in his head.

A switch.
I’ve seen it flip before.

Back when he faced down Wan.
Back when he jumped to save me.
Back when he cried without realizing it.

“Alex…” I whisper.

He doesn’t look up.

I inch closer.

“…It’s me.”

No response.

Just soft muttering.

“Leaves… balance… cannot trust the landwalkers…”

I stretch my hand out.

“If I could just… find that switch again.”

Up in the tree.
Leaves rustling.
Sanity gone.

Below us?
The staff is assembling.

Ms. Forest.
Ms. White.

Both staring up at the chaos unfolding above them like it's episode 97 of a show they've grown tired of rewatching.

Ms. Forest: 🤦🏿‍♀️
Ms. White: 🤦🏼‍♀️

Yup. That’s our teachers.

“This is why I drink coffee before class,” Ms. Forest mutters under her breath.

I adjust my grip on the branch.

Bad move.

That’s when it hits me.

I’m wearing the wrong outfit.

Not wrong as in “bad taste.”
But wrong as in—

“I’M IN FULL VICTORIAN MODE.”

My self-designed school-ready ensemble:
– Puffed blouse
– Half-skirt with lace detail
– Knee-length
– No extra safety shorts underneath

Why.
Why did I think that was a good idea for tree climbing?!

Alejandro, climbing beside me, glances back. “You good?”

“I… I got it.”

We switch places—he holds the branch as I edge closer to the monkey in question.

Alex, still squatting like a lost jungle prince, glares at me with wide eyes.

I try to smile.

“Hey, Alex… it’s time for school…”

His head tilts slowly.
His voice drops low.

“…hisssssss…!”

He literally hisses.
Like a stray cat that’s just been sprayed with a water bottle.

💢 THAT’S IT.

My hand twitches. I’m ready to grab him by the hoodie and drag him back to reality—

But just then…

FWOOSH!

A sudden gust of wind hits us.

And.

And.

I freeze.

Because I feel it.
Air.

Cold air.

Direct hit.

I look down—

“OH NO—MY SKIRT!!!”

I totally forgot.

I’m wearing pink bunny panties.

EXPOSED.
FRONT ROW SEATING.

Alex: 😳
Alejandro: 😳🛐

“¡Virgen María! ¡Por favor, líbrame de esta pasión… de este deseo ardiente!!”
Alejandro gasps, crosses himself, and promptly falls off the branch.

Alex?

Completely frozen.

Like a statue in a forbidden museum exhibit.

“EKKKKK—DON’T LOOK!!!”

I scream, trying to hold my skirt down, but the branch shifts—

AND WE BOTH FALL.

Alex and I tumble through the air—

WHUMP!!
We land in the grass with a soft thud, tangled together.

He’s red.
I’m red.
My dignity is somewhere back up in the tree.

Alejandro is on the ground near us, arms outstretched, mumbling prayers in Spanish, eyes still wide and dazed.

“El señor es mi pastor… no me faltará… aunque ande en valle de sombra… líbrame de toda tentación rosa…”

Leaves are still drifting from the tree like post-battle confetti.

Alejandro is on the grass, murmuring his 98th Hail Mary in Spanish.
I’m covered in twigs and humiliation.
Alex is next to me—blinking like a confused baby deer reborn from a fall.

Then—

“Ahem.”

Footsteps.
Sharp. Authoritative.

The crowd parts.

And there she is.

Ms. Forest.
Hands on hips. Glasses lowered.
An aura of ‘I’ve had enough today’ radiating off her like a dark aura from a villain boss.

She looks down at us.

“So… what happened here?”

Silence.

Everyone freezes.

No one wants to speak.

So I do the most logical thing.

I grab Alex’s ear.

“OWW!! H-HUH?! What happened?!” Alex squeaks, now fully back to consciousness.

The crowd reacts in emoji mode:

Everyone: 😐😑🤦🏻🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏿‍♀️😐😓😅🙄😳

Yep. He’s back to normal.

Like flipping a switch.

Ms. White steps in beside Ms. Forest, arms folded.

“Would detention be of interest to anyone here?”

Alex blinks. “Huh? Nope. Not really.”

She raises an eyebrow. “What about… that tree?”

Alex turns and stares up at it.

Then, eyes wide, he steps back.

“Wait. Who the heck climbed that thing?!”

The entire class—

Points at him.

In perfect sync.

“YOU.”

Alex points at himself, genuinely confused. “Huh?! No way. You’ve got the wrong person—”

He brushes off his blazer, straightens his tie, and calmly begins walking back toward the building.

“Anyway. Time for class.”

Everyone: 😓😐😑

Even Ms. Forest looks like she’s buffering.

“Did… he forget?”

Faiz: “He’s got plot armor.”

Marina: “He’s got amnesia armor.”

Luna just giggles nervously, trying to act like nothing happened. Alejandro is still twitching in prayer position.

And me?

I sigh.
Deeply.

I grab my bag.
Brush the grass off my skirt.
And march forward.

Natalie (Narrating):

He may forget.

But I sure won’t.

Not the bunny panties.
Not the tree incident.
Not the hiss.
And definitely not…
how fast my heart was beating when we fell.

Alex’s POV –

Bilingual Class

It’s just another regular day.
Totally normal.

Or so I hope.

I’m sitting in the bilingual classroom, notebook open, trying to look like I’m paying attention—even though my mind is running on 3% brain battery and leftover Pop-Tart energy.

Then…

Click. Click. Click.

I hear the slow approach of Ms. Forest’s heels against the tile floor.

I tense up.

She stops right beside my desk, arms folded, eyes narrowed.

“Mr. Alex…”

My soul jumps.

“Y-Yes, ma’am?”

She raises an eyebrow.

“Since today’s science topic is photosynthesis… why don’t you explain to the class what you learned… from the tree.”

I freeze.

“Tree? Uh… what tree?”

Everyone in the class: 😓😑

They all point.
In sync.
Like cursed NPCs in a horror game.

“That tree.”

The very same one outside the window.
The one I apparently climbed like a deranged chimpanzee.

“W-What are you talking about…?”

I stand up hesitantly and try to wing it.

“Okay so… uh, trees are cool. They have trunks, branches, leaves. They absorb sunlight and do photosynthesis to make food. Their roots suck up water and nutrients from the soil. They give us oxygen to breathe. They’re like… Earth’s green warriors. Or something.”

The class pauses.

Ms. Forest: “...Acceptable.”

But I still feel the stares.

Especially from Francisco, whispering to Alejandro beside him.

“¿Qué pasó con Alex? ¿Su novia le habrá tocado el botón que no era?”
(What happened to Alex? Did his girlfriend hit the wrong switch?)

Alejandro clasps his hands together in full prayer mode.

“Ave María… líbrame de los conejitos…”
(Holy Mary… deliver me from the bunnies…)

What. Is. Happening.

Even Xavier, who’s usually half-asleep, is giving me the most haunted stare I’ve ever seen.

He holds up two pens like a cross.

“Back, foul spirit…”

“HEY! What’s wrong with you guys?!”

Then, the final blow:

Ms. Forest lowers her glasses.
Voice calm. Calculated.

“Tell me, Alex… do you remember anything about… bunnies?”

My blood goes cold.

“Bunnies…?”

FLASH.

Suddenly, the image slams into my brain.

Pink.
Lace.
Frills.
A breeze.
A scream.
A fall.

“WHAT THE—?!?!?”

I jump to my feet, face turning as red as a chili pepper in Mom’s cooking.

“WHY DID I SEE THAT!? WH-WHAT WAS THAT!?!!?”

The entire class leans back—

“He remembers.”

Ms. Forest nods, satisfied.

“Good. That means your cognitive memory is intact. Now sit down so we can move on.”

I collapse into my chair.
Brain melted.
Dignity… erased.

Alejandro is still mumbling in Spanish, crossing himself like I’m a holy relic he wasn’t ready to see.
Francisco just pats his back.
Xavier slowly offers me holy water.
The girl in front of me slides her chair slightly farther away.

And me?

I don’t even know how I survived this long.

Natalie’s side –

Morning Class

The gossip won’t die.

It's like oxygen. It spreads fast. Even without proof.

From the moment I step into class, I feel it—eyes tracking me, whispers trailing behind.

I sit down calmly. Act unbothered. But inside?

Steam.

Pure emotional steam.

Luna turns her head around, chin resting on her palm, lips curled into a devious little smirk.

“Soooo, Nat~ I heard things about your weekend.”

I give her the most neutral face I can manage.
“Did you now.”

“Yup~ All sorts of interesting things…”

“That's funny,” I say, flipping open my notebook. “I don’t remember telling anyone anything.”

She blinks, mock-innocent. “Oh, you didn’t. But you know how ears work~”

Ugh.

Why is she like this?!

Luna’s intuition is a superweapon.
Even if she doesn’t know, she always knows.

Ms. Hazel walks into the classroom, holding her lesson book. But instead of opening it, she looks right at me.

Her smile is suspicious.

“Good morning, everyone. And a special welcome to our rising star of the week—Miss Natalie Hawk, who seems to have accomplished what no teacher has.”

I blink. “Huh?”

She closes her book and points straight at me.

“You. Tamed. Alex.”

The class:
“OOOOOOOOHHHH!!!!!!!”

They erupt like it’s an confession scene.

Wan immediately stands up like he’s in a courtroom.

“THIS IS SCANDALOUS!! You’re both too young for that kind of relationship!!”

💢 “Says the boy who asked Mylie out with a rose-shaped jelly bean last month.”

Mylie raises her hand politely.
“Can we just start class now? We all know it’s true. She’s glowing.”

“GLOWING?!?!”
My voice cracks.
I sink into my chair.

The rest of English blurs past like a fever dream.

Math Class – Later That Morning

Our new teacher, Mr. Donyai from Iran, actually makes math engaging. Surprisingly.

Even Wan behaves and solves questions like he’s trying to impress someone.

“X equals 3, sir,” he says proudly.

Mr. Donyai nods. “Correct. You are improving.”

Maybe hell is freezing over.

Still… I can’t focus.

Because in my head…

Alex.

What is he doing now?

Lunch Break – School Field

Luna and I head to our usual quiet spot under the trees near the field.

Luna opens her homemade burrito—still warm from her family’s food truck. It smells heavenly.

I unwrap my veggie sandwich. Alex’s mom made it this morning.

Luna side-eyes it.

“…Did you make that?”

“Sort of,” I say. “Assisted.”

Her eyebrow raises.

“So…” she begins slowly, chewing, “I heard someone met someone big over the weekend.”

I smile. “I met Luca Dolores.”

Luna gasps.

“No way! The fashion queen with the 1970s aesthetic?! You met her?!”

“She invited me to enter the next exhibition,” I say calmly.

“That’s amazing! But…”

Her voice dips.

“You didn’t go alone, did you?”

I blink.

I chew.

I casually sip juice.

“…Of course I went alone.”

“Uh-huh.”
Her eyes narrow. “You’re not a very good liar, Natalie.”

“I’m not lying,” I lie.

She tilts her head.

“Then why is your sandwich made like someone else’s mom packed it?”

SHOOT.

I try to change the topic—

But then we hear loud cheers from across the field.

Alex.

He’s playing soccer with the bilingual class—Francisco, Xavier, Alejandro, Muhammad, Hussain.

He’s laughing, running, messy hair, jersey half tucked in.
Clumsy but happy.

I smile before I can stop myself.

Luna notices.
Of course she notices.

Then—

She stands.

Cups her hands.

And yells,

“WOOOO!! GO ALEX~!!”

And then she does a sexy little dance.
Right in front of everyone.

The boys:

“YOOO!!”
“¿Quién es ella?! ¡Madre mía!”
“Bro—she’s got moves!”

Alex?

Freezes.

🥶

Then—

BONK!!

Francisco kicks the ball.
It rebounds off someone.
Direct hit to Alex’s head.

He collapses.

“ALEX!!!”
I jump up.

My sandwich drops.
I dash toward the field.

Francisco rushes over.
“¡Tío! ¿Estás bien? No pensé que te iba a dar, lo juro.”
(Dude! You okay? I swear I didn’t mean to hit you!)

Alex is groaning.

He looks like he just saw space and forgot how gravity works.

I kneel next to him.

He opens his eyes—

And blinks up at me.

Then I feel the chill.

Luna.
Right behind me.
😈 Grinning.

“Aww~ Nat, your boyfriend’s down~”

Then—

Will shows up.

“YO!!! COOTIES INBOUND!!!”

The boys join in like a war chant.

“COOTIES!!”
“HARAM!!” – Hussain
“BRO! JUST MARRY HER!!” – Muhammad

Me: 😖 “WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!?!?”

Alex slowly sits up, dizzy.

“Ugh… guys… stop making weird assumptions…”

Then his eyes focus—

Right on me.

My hands.
On his chest.
My face flushed.
Too close.

I squeak and yank back, covering my face.

“Ekkk—!!!”

“HUH!?!?”
Alex stares around in pure confusion.

“Oi!!! You guys got it ALL WRONG!!!”

The teasing continues.

Luna is laughing.
Will’s dancing like an idiot.
The bilingual boys are chanting “cooties” like it’s a victory anthem.

And me?

Still crouching on the grass.

Wondering when my heart started beating this fast around him.

Luna leans in closer, eyes sparkling with trouble.

“I know what you were doing there, Nat~”

“HUH?! I SWEAR I DID NOTHING!!”
I panic, cheeks burning red-hot.

“Really?” she says, eyes narrowing.

“Yeah!!!” I say back, louder than I should, still sitting right next to—

Alex.

Flat on the grass.
Dazed.
Muttering nonsense with soccer stars spinning over his head.

“Ugh… go away girls…” he groans.

I glare down at him.
“Shut it, Alex! You could’ve dodged that ball!!”

He barely opens one eye.

“That… cootie-infected kiss… it cursed me…”

Luna's smile turns downright devilish.

And then—

“CHUP 💋!!”

She kisses Alex…
RIGHT ON THE FOREHEAD.

The field explodes.

The boys: 🤯😱💀

Hussain + Muhammad (together): “HARAM!!!!”

Alejandro: Already on the ground, praying to the Virgin Mary, hands clasped like he’s watching an exorcism.
“¡Virgen María, protégelo! ¡Está poseído por el beso prohibido!”

Francisco: “¡Wow! ¡Está besándose con una chica!”
(Whoa! He’s kissing a girl!)

Xavier: “This… this could be my next hit single…”
Please. Don’t.

Alex?

Completely frozen. 😶
Eyes glassy.
Spirit gone.

He’s buffering.

Just then—

Faiz and Marina arrive.

Faiz: “GUYS!! HELP ME!!”

We all rush to grab Alex—

Because we all know what’s coming.

Alex’s body twitches.

And then—

“EYYYYYYAAAAAAA!!!!!!!”

He springs up like he’s been struck by lightning.

Arms flailing.
Eyes wide.
He’s gone full 🧠💥🦍 MONKEY MODE.

“NOOOO!!! THE CURSE IS BACK!!!”

Marina: 🤦🏼‍♀️ “Here we go again… TIE HIM DOWN, BOYS!!”

I spin toward Luna, fuming.

“LUNA!!! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?!”

I stand up, my arms tense, one pointing in rage, the other gripping the air like I want to throw her off the planet.

Keiko, one of the quiet bilingual girls, covers her mouth.

“A-Ara… Alex-kun… he’s… gone… koo koo… again…”

Lam deadpans from behind:
“Alex… gone.”

Jasmine is trembling like she’s about to faint.

Will, ever the drama king, shouts:
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death—”

I cut in.
“WILL! He’s not Christian!! He’s not POSSESSED!!”

Hussain and Muhammad, however, begin reciting full Qur'anic verses in unison.

“Allahu la ilaha illa huwa al-hayyu al-qayyum…”
("God—there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence...")

The energy is insane.

Alex is still flailing.
The boys are trying to contain him.
Xavier’s composing lyrics.
Luna’s enjoying the chaos.
Everyone else is PRAYING.

And I…
I’ve had enough.

I run forward.

I get in front of Alex.

He’s mid-swing. Still screaming gibberish.

And I do the only thing I know will shock him back to earth.

I headbutt him.

CRACK!!

Direct.
Precise.
Full impact.

THUNK.

Alex collapses.

Stars swirling around his head like cartoon spirals.

Everyone: 😱😨😵

Even Luna flinches.

Alejandro gasps, “SHE KILLED HIM!”

Me:
Panting.
Red-faced.
Silent.

“…I regret nothing.”

The field falls silent.

Alex lies sprawled in the grass, stars dancing over his head, body twitching like a glitched-out video game character.

My heart’s pounding.
My head hurts.
My forehead is literally pulsing from the impact.

But at least…

He’s not screaming anymore.

Then—

“YOOO!!”

Alex SITS UP.

Like nothing happened.

Like he wasn’t just climbing mental mountains five minutes ago.

“WHAT HAPPENED?! Yo! Let’s play already!!”
He jumps up, punching the air.

Everyone stares.

In silence.

At me.

All eyes on me. 😒

I sigh.

My bangs cover my eyes as I mutter—

“Shut up.”

Camile swaggers over, hands on hips, twirling her curly braid.

“Aww shucks, girl… you got some serious knockout power, fo shoo! You cracked him like a piñata!”

“Shut up…” I cover my face with both hands.
I’M. DYING. INSIDE.

Faiz gently pats my shoulder from behind.

“Honestly… thank you. You did what had to be done.”

Next to him, Marina smiles softly.

“Don’t worry, Nat. Alex is back to normal now.”

I glance up.

He’s laughing. Chasing a soccer ball like nothing happened.

He doesn’t remember.
AGAIN.

And then… she arrives.

Luna.

With that grin.
The one that says "I’m about to ruin your emotional stability."

She slides next to me, locking arms, eyes gleaming.

“See what I told you, babe~?”
🥰

“Luna, please don’t—”

“That right there?”

“No…”

“What you did back there?”

“Please no—”

“That’s what I call…”

I panic.

“SHHHH!!!”

She leans in.

Whispers like a devil in my ear.

“Falling… in… love~”

💥 “EYAAAAAAAAA!!!” 😖💢

I scream and fling myself into the grass.

FACE. PLANTED.
SOUL. GONE.

The class bursts out laughing.
Luna just smiles.
Alex—still clueless, still running.

To Be Continued…