My brother's best friend

CLARISSA

I woke up before the alarm—I always do. Summer vacation was officially over, and the first day of my junior year was waiting for me.

This summer had been completely different. Instead of running into my brother Caleb and Mason almost every single day, I had actively tried to avoid being in the same house as them. I desperately needed to keep my mind off him. That was why I’d dragged my best friend, Zoe, to the beach with me almost every afternoon. I spent my time hiding behind books, while Zoe spent hers swooning over every handsome guy who walked past our towel.

I swung my legs out of bed and got dressed in my usual uniform: fitted dark jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and an oversized brown hoodie. After brushing out my long brown hair, I let it spill loosely over one shoulder, added a quick coat of mascara, and swept on a touch of soft blush. My skin was already glowing, perfectly sun-kissed from those endlessly long summer days.

Downstairs, the quiet morning air was filled with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Caleb was already sitting at the kitchen island.

“Morning. Ready for your senior year?” I asked, reaching for a mug.

He looked up with heavy, tired eyes, his short brown hair sticking up in a chaotic bedhead. He just grunted in response—a low, gravelly “Mmmmm.”

I smiled, leaning back against the counter. “Maybe you should finally start drinking coffee so you can function like a normal human in the morning.”

That comment actually made him blink. “Never. That stuff is toxic.”

I rolled my eyes and let out a soft laugh. “Right. Because all that cheap beer you drink—the beer you’re technically not even allowed to buy—is pure health food?”

“Ugh, shut up,” he grumbled, though there was zero venom in it. He took a bite of his toast before adding, “Want a ride to school? I’m picking up Mason on the way.”

My chest tightened slightly at the sound of his name, but I kept my voice perfectly light. “No, I’m walking. I like clearing my head before the noise starts.”

It wasn’t a total lie, but it certainly wasn’t the full truth either. The truth was far simpler: I avoided being in the same room as Mason whenever I could.

Caleb just shrugged, grabbing his truck keys. “Suit yourself. Don’t complain if it rains. See you later.” He headed back upstairs to grab his backpack.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and stepped out into the crisp morning air. I had only made it about a block down the sidewalk when a breathless voice called out from behind me.

“Crissy, wait!”

I turned to see Zoe jogging toward me, her blonde ponytail bouncing wildly.

Zoe and I had been best friends since middle school. We were complete opposites in almost every way, but somehow, that was exactly why it worked. I was the quiet, academic one; she was the outgoing, gorgeous social butterfly. But the absolute best part about our friendship was that we never forced each other to spill every secret. No dramatic speeches, no “if you’re really my friend, you’ll tell me everything.” We just knew where we had each other.

“Hey, Zoe. Did you run all the way from your house?” I asked with a grin.

“Duh,” she panted, catching her breath as she fell into step beside me. “I had to sprint just to catch up with my long-legged best friend.”

We shared a quick, warm hug.

“So, I’ve officially decided that this is the year I get a boyfriend,” Zoe announced, looping her arm through mine.

“So... just like every other year?” I smirked.

“Yeah, fair point. But this time I actually mean it.”

“Sure you do,” I teased.

“How about you?” she asked, her voice dropping into a softer, more cautious tone—always cautious, as if she could sense the silent war going on inside my head.

“I’m going to die single,” I said with dramatic sarcasm.

“No, you won’t,” she smiled warmly, squeezing my arm.

Before we could dive any deeper into that dangerous territory, a cheerful voice cut through the morning air.

“Hey girls! I missed you! Did you have a good summer?”

It was Noah. Effortless, golden-haired Noah. The kind of guy who was far too handsome for his own good, yet entirely too sweet to fit the arrogant jock stereotype. Somehow, he managed to maintain top grades while enduring grueling daily practices. Zoe and I still hadn’t fully cracked the code on why he chose to hang out with us, but we certainly weren’t complaining.

“We missed you too!” we said in unison, stepping in to hug him together.

Noah had spent the entire summer in Europe, so we hadn’t seen him in forever. We spent the rest of the walk catching up on everything, until the tall glass entrance of the school building finally flickered into view through the trees.

As we approached the front steps, my eyes instantly locked onto two familiar figures.

Caleb and Mason were leaning against the brick wall right outside the entrance. Mason looked like he’d rolled straight out of bed, but his messy dark hair fell in that perfectly effortless way, framing his intense eyes.

My mouth went completely dry. I forced my gaze forward, trying desperately not to look at him directly.

“Hey there,” I managed to say, flashing a generic smile as we passed. I didn’t slow my pace for a single second.

Caleb gave a brief nod, but Mason’s eyes tracked my every move.

“Hey, Iss,” he said, his voice smooth and low.

My heart skipped a pathetic, traitorous beat. I hated how deeply that stupid nickname affected me—a remnant from when he was nine years old and decided “Clarissa” was far too complicated for him to pronounce.

I kept walking, pushing the heavy glass door open as if his voice hadn’t sent a shiver straight down my spine, forcing a laugh at a joke Noah was making.

MASON

I spotted her from down the walkway before she even noticed us standing by the entrance.

I hadn’t seen her in weeks. Every time I’d dropped by Caleb’s house over the summer, she was somewhere else—at the beach, tucked away in the library, or hanging out at Zoe’s place. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was actively avoiding me. But that was ridiculous, right? Why would she avoid me?

She seemed to radiate light—her sun-kissed skin warm against her white shirt, her dark hair falling in soft, shiny waves over her shoulder. She was walking toward the doors alongside Zoe and Noah. A little too close to Noah, if I was being completely honest.

Her eyes scanned the crowd outside, but they didn’t land on me. Not really. She was looking in my direction, but sweeping right past my face. Why wasn’t she looking at me?

She threw out a quick smile, muttered a brief “hey,” and kept right on walking.

At first, I told myself to let it go. But the urge was too strong, the habit too deeply ingrained. “Hi, Iss,” I called out.

She didn’t even flinch. No reaction at all.

Why wasn’t she reacting? She always reacted. When she was nine, that nickname would make her stomp her foot in annoyance. By twelve, she’d laugh and toss a throw pillow at my head. At fifteen, it brought a faint, adorable blush to her cheeks.

But now? Nothing. Not even a glance back.

A sharp, unfamiliar ache settled in my chest. I knew I shouldn’t care this much. But I did. I really did. I couldn’t stop my eyes from following her as she walked away, watching the way Noah leaned in closer to say something that made her laugh.