Summer Begins

The summer heat settled heavily across the school grounds long before assembly had even started.

Crickets screamed somewhere in the dry grass beyond the rugby field, the noise blended into the restless hum of students gathered beneath the unforgiving morning sun.

Small portable fans whirred weakly in people’s hands, barely helping against the heat that clung to their uniforms and skin. Teachers fanned themselves with attendance sheets near the front while students loosened ties and complained under their breath about the temperature.

Even the large ceiling fans inside the assembly hall struggled to keep up.

“Please give a round of applause for Westbridge High’s very own national qualifier… Starr Beaumont.”

The principal’s voice echoed through the hall as applause immediately broke out around her.

Starr blinked once before standing from her seat. Beside her, Kevin nudged her shoulder lightly with the back of his hand.

“Try not to trip on the way there, superstar.” he whispered.

She turned toward him immediately, a small smile slipping onto her face before she could stop it.

“You’re literally the worst person to receive encouragement from.”

“Is it that bad?”

A quiet laugh escaped her as she shook her head and stepped past him, making her way toward the podium while the applause continued around her.

The heat somehow felt even worse beneath the assembly lights.

Starr stood beside the principal while cameras flashed somewhere near the front row, the applause slowly settling into scattered whistles and cheers from students near the back.

Her victory at regionals had spread through the school faster than she expected, turning her into something people suddenly noticed in corridors and classrooms.

The principal continued speaking proudly beside her, talking about discipline, commitment, and representing the school with pride, but most of it blurred together after a while.

Starr’s eyes drifted instinctively toward the front rows instead.

Remy was practically vibrating in her seat trying not to scream.

Luna sat beside her with one leg crossed over the other, clapping softly despite the faintly amused look on her face.

Kevin looked genuinely proud—something about that unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.

By the time the assembly ended, the heat inside the hall had become unbearable. Students immediately started filing toward the exits. Starr slipped back into her seat while people around her continued congratulating her in passing.

Kevin leaned closer almost immediately.

“So,” he murmured,

“when you become famous, remember I was emotionally supporting you from day one.”

Starr stared at him flatly.

“You called me a mosquito with anger issues during qualifiers.”

“I—was just… trying to help?”

She snorted out a laugh before she could stop herself, lowering her head slightly as Kevin started grinning beside her.

And for a moment, they looked strangely effortless together.

Luna noticed the ease between them.

The casual way Kevin leaned towards Starr without thinking about it. The way Starr’s expression softened around him naturally, like she no longer needed to guard herself.

Luna looked away quietly.

But something inside her shifted slightly.

Small enough to ignore.

Yet impossible not to notice.

 

Break-Time

The student council office felt even hotter during break time.

Sunlight pierced through the small gaps in the blinds Starr had adjusted earlier to block most of it out, leaving thin streaks of gold stretched across the floor and desks.

The windows were opened as wide as they could go, but no breeze came through.

Starr sat lazily on top of one of the desks near the back wall, swinging one leg while she held an ice lolly between her fingers. It melted faster than she could eat it, dripping against her hand as she flipped through the pages of a manga resting open on her lap:

Blue Box — Chapter 228: Moving Forward.

Her eyes lingered on one panel a little longer than the others before the office door suddenly burst open.

“IT IS WAY TOO HOT TO BE HUMAN TODAY.”

Remy stumbled into the room dramatically before immediately collapsing onto Starr’s lap without permission.

Starr looked down at her blankly.

“…You’re sweating on me.”

“I’m suffering,” Remy replied weakly.

“Support me emotionally.”

“You’re heavy.”

“You’re mean.”

Before Starr could answer, voices echoed from the corridor outside.

“No, because why am I the only person updating the notice board every week?”

“That is literally not true!”

“Luna, you forgot twice last month.”

“I was busy!”

“You were sleeping during break as usual.”

Starr and Remy looked at each other silently as the argument got closer.

Then the office door opened again.

Luna walked in first, already halfway through defending herself while Kevin followed behind her carrying a stack of papers beneath one arm.

“I’m just saying,” Luna continued, “if you’re going to accuse me of negligence—”

“You are negligent.”

“Wow!.”

“You know it’s true.”

Remy immediately stood up and pointed between them dramatically.

“Okay! Everybody calm down before I start charging therapy fees.”

Neither of them listened.

“You literally bribed Remy to update it for you once,” Kevin said.

“That was… teamwork.”

“More like corruption.”

Starr watched them quietly while the argument kept going.

Even while arguing, Luna’s fingers still brushed against Kevin’s hand naturally whenever she walked past him. Sometimes they’d still be bickering while standing shoulder to shoulder like they forgot personal space existed.

And sometimes—

Starr and Remy would walk into the student council office and immediately walk back out after catching them making out near the desks.

Starr smiled faintly at the thought.

But something inside her stung softly in a place she thought she buried a long time ago.

 

Luna eventually walked over toward Remy, grabbing and setting the papers down onto the desk with a sigh.

“You know,” she said casually, glancing toward Kevin,

“maybe I should tell your father you bought cheesecake for lunch again instead of actual food.”

Kevin’s entire expression changed immediately.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Luna raised an eyebrow.

“I absolutely would.”

Kevin pointed at her instantly.

“Then I’m telling Mrs. Daniels the real reason you skipped Biology last week.”

Luna froze.

Remy gasped loudly.

Starr looked between them slowly.

“…Oh?”

Luna narrowed her eyes immediately.

“Kevin.”

Kevin folded his arms.

“Actions have consequences.”

“You’re actually evil.”

“You started this.”

Remy laughed and held her stomach.

“This is better than television.”

Starr laughed quietly under her breath while watching the chaos unfold in front of her.

And somehow—

despite being surrounded by them—

she still felt slightly outside of it all.

Like she was watching something warm through a window she hadn’t fully stepped through yet.

The feeling unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.

She let out a quiet sigh before standing from the desk.

Then without warning—

THWACK!

She smacked Kevin across the head with the manga in her hand.

Kevin stared at her in disbelief.

“…Ow?!” he said, grabbing the back of his head.

“Why would you do that?”

Starr smirked lazily before sitting back down again.

“Just felt like it.”

“That’s not a reason!”

“That sounds like a “you”problem.”

Kevin continued scolding her while Remy started laughing loud enough to nearly fall over again.

But Luna wasn’t paying attention anymore.

Because for a second—

behind Starr’s smirk—

she saw something else there.

Gone almost as soon as it appeared.

 

 

After-school

The school hallways felt quieter after classes ended.

The late afternoon sunlight stretched through the windows in long golden lines, washing the empty corridors in soft orange light that made everything feel slower somehow.

The usual noise of students had faded into scattered conversations somewhere in the distance, followed by occasional footsteps echoing briefly before disappearing again.

Outside, crickets had already started singing somewhere beyond the sports fields, blending into the distant sounds of traffic.

Starr stepped out of the principal’s office with a tired sigh, adjusting the strap of her bag against her shoulder. A reporter from one of the local newspapers had spent nearly forty minutes asking her questions about nationals, training schedules, future goals, and what it felt like becoming the first athlete from Westbridge High to qualify for Nationals.

By the time she reached the locker rooms downstairs, the sunlight pouring through the windows had already softened into something golden. The harsh white heat from earlier had disappeared completely, replaced by warm amber light that reflected across the polished floors and lockers.

Kevin would love this.

The thought appeared so naturally in her mind that it stopped her mid-step.

Starr blinked once before slowly turning her head toward the window beside her.

Beyond the school grounds, the sun was beginning to sink behind Table Mountain, painting the sky in shades of orange and fading pink. The city beneath it looked calmer from here; smaller somehow.

 

For a moment, she simply stood there watching it. Then she started walking again.

The summer air outside felt cooler beneath the shade of the old tree near the field—the same tree they used to sit beneath during breaks last year.

Its branches swayed softly above the grass as a gentle breeze passed through, pushing strands of blonde hair across her face.

She lifted a hand to brush it away, and stopped when she Kevin stood beneath the tree with his hands resting in his pockets— leaning against the trunk while staring towards Table Mountain in the distance.

The setting sun caught against the edges of his glasses. When he noticed her, a faint smile appeared on his face.

Something inside Starr tightened unexpectedly.

She closed her eyes briefly and took a slow breath before finally walking toward him.

“Hey,” she said.

Kevin turned toward her fully.

“Hey,” he replied.

“How’d the interview go?”

Starr groaned immediately.

“I think that reporter asked me the same question six different times.”

Kevin laughed quietly.

“What’d they ask?”

“The usual stuff.” Starr adjusted her bag again as they started walking toward the school exit together.

“How long I’ve been training. How nationals work. Whether I’m nervous.”

“You are nervous.”

“I am not nervous.”

“You literally bite your nails before every race.”

“That’s different.”

Kevin looked at her flatly.

“I’m sure that’s exactly what nervous means.”

Starr clicked her tongue before continuing anyway.

“And then she asked me what inspired me to keep pushing myself.”

Kevin glanced sideways at her.

“What’d you say?”

Starr looked ahead quietly for a second.

“…I told her I had people who believed in me before I did.”

Kevin’s expression softened slightly.

Then he smiled again.

“Well,” he said, nudging her shoulder lightly as they walked,

“you’re finally living up to your name.”

Starr stared at him blankly for half a second.

Then immediately kicked him in the shin.

Kevin nearly stumbled forward.

“OW—!” He grabbed his leg instantly, hopping awkwardly on one foot.

“What was THAT for?!”

“You deserved it.”

“FOR WHAT?”

“I’ll decide later.”

“You guys are exhausting me!”

Starr tried to respond, but the sight of Kevin limping dramatically beside her completely destroyed whatever composure she had left.

A laugh burst out of her suddenly—so hard her ribs started hurting, tears forming at the corners of her eyes while Kevin continued glaring at her like she had committed an actual crime.

“You’re annoying.” he muttered.

“Come on! You’ll survive.” Starr managed between laughs.

Kevin continued walking awkwardly beside her while complaining under his breath, and Starr found herself laughing all over again at the sight.

The two of them slowly disappeared beyond the school gates together—walking toward the horizon while the sunset stretched across the city ahead of them.

Guiding their path beneath the fading summer light.