The perfect timing

If you have a best friend, then you’re one of the lucky ones.

I met mine in kindergarten.

Back then, I was sitting on my favorite swing, lazily watching clouds drift across the sky. That’s when I first noticed him.

He was small for his age, with oversized glasses that seemed too big for his face and a shy expression that made him look as though he wanted to disappear whenever someone looked at him. His name was Aiden.

And he couldn’t stand up for himself.

That’s why we became friends.

Eric, the biggest kid in kindergarten, was doing what he always did—bullying someone smaller than him. He towered over most of the children our age and seemed to enjoy making others miserable.

Unfortunately, this time his target was Aiden.

Eric grabbed the front of Aiden’s Superman sweater and mocked the gap between his teeth and his tiny stature.

I hated Eric.

Not only because he was cruel to everyone, but because he loved pulling my hair until it hurt.

Watching him shove Aiden around made my blood boil.

Without thinking, I jumped off my still-moving swing and marched toward them.

Neither of them noticed me at first. Only when I cleared my throat loudly did they turn around.

“What?” Eric snapped.

He released Aiden’s sweater, causing the smaller boy to stumble backward and fall into the dirt. Aiden looked up at me with wide blue eyes.

“Leave him alone,” I said.

Eric laughed.

The sound immediately annoyed me.

He turned away as if I wasn’t worth his attention.

“Mind your own business.”

Meanwhile, Aiden continued staring at me, his mouth hanging slightly open.

I ignored him and focused on Eric.

“Leave him alone,” I repeated.

This time, my voice was louder.

Eric finally faced me again.

“And what are you going to do about it?”

He looked completely unimpressed.

To be fair, I was wearing a yellow flower dress, and my aunt had braided my hair into two pigtails that morning. I wasn’t exactly intimidating.

Still, I stood my ground.

Everything inside me screamed at me to back away.

I didn’t.

Instead, I shoved him.

Or at least I tried.

Eric barely moved.

His grin widened.

Heat rushed to my face.

I pushed him again.

Nothing.

This time he laughed openly.

The sound only made me angrier.

My fists clenched. My heart pounded. That familiar feeling began growing in my stomach.

I knew what was about to happen.

It had happened before.

Suddenly, everything stopped.

The wind vanished.

The laughter disappeared.

The entire playground froze.

Eric remained frozen in place, his mocking grin locked on his face. Aiden sat motionless on the ground beside him.

Time itself had stopped.

Again.

For everyone else, only a fraction of a second would pass.

For me, it was different.

The world became silent.

Still.

Lifeless.

I could move freely while everyone else remained trapped in a frozen moment.

I had no idea why this happened.

I only knew that it did.

And that it never lasted forever.

Looking at Eric’s frozen expression, I couldn’t help smiling.

Then I walked over and gave him a firm push.

Without time resisting him, he toppled backward like a sack of potatoes.

A few moments later, the world lurched back to life.

The wind returned.

Voices filled the air.

And suddenly Eric found himself flat on the ground.

“What?!” he shouted.

Aiden squeaked in surprise and scrambled away from him.

Eric looked around in confusion before fixing his gaze on me.

“How did you do that?”

I smirked.

“Maybe you’re not as strong as you thought.”

His mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came out.

He looked like a fish gasping for air.

Ignoring him, I turned to Aiden and held out my hand.

For a moment, he simply stared at it.

Then, cautiously, he took it.

I helped him to his feet.

Neither of us said anything as we walked back toward the swings.

When I sat down, I immediately started swinging again, letting the familiar motion calm me.

Beside me, Aiden remained silent.

He just stared.

And stared.

And stared.

Eventually, I sighed.

“My name is Celia, by the way.”

Still nothing.

I glanced at him.

Was he mute?

Just as I was about to give up and return my attention to the clouds, he finally spoke.

“Aiden.”

His voice was quiet and slightly hoarse.

Then he cleared his throat.

“My name is Aiden.”

I smiled.

For such a shy kid, he had a surprisingly pleasant voice.

A moment later, he smiled back.

“Thank you, Celia.”

That was the beginning.

After that day, we became inseparable.

And for years, I thought nothing would ever change.

I was wrong.

______________________

“So… you’re basically Superman?”

Aiden stared at me as though I’d just admitted to being an alien.

I rolled my eyes and tightened my grip on the baseball bat.

A few seconds earlier, we had been playing catch in his backyard when it happened again.

Time froze.

Normally, that wasn’t a problem.

This time, however, I’d made a mistake.

The baseball had been suspended in midair when I instinctively reached out and touched it. The second my fingers brushed against it, gravity took over and the ball dropped straight to the ground.

Right in front of Aiden.

And unfortunately, he’d seen everything.

“How is that even possible?” he asked, staring at the baseball as if it had personally betrayed him.

I forced a shrug.

“What are you talking about?”

Aiden narrowed his eyes.

“Celia.”

His tone alone made me nervous.

“A baseball doesn’t just fall out of the sky in the middle of a throw.”

I looked anywhere but at him.

The grass.

The fence.

The clouds.

Anything.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Jessica walking across the yard carrying a basket of laundry.

For one glorious second, I thought she might save me.

Instead, she smiled warmly at us and continued walking.

Completely oblivious.

Parents could be remarkably unhelpful.

“Celia.”

I still refused to look at him.

“Don’t bullshit me.”

My head snapped toward him.

Aiden immediately looked as shocked as I felt.

The word seemed completely out of place coming from him.

“Did you just swear?”

A faint blush crept across his face.

“That’s not the point.”

“It kind of is.”

“Celia.”

I couldn’t help laughing.

The fact that he looked guilty for saying one bad word somehow made it worse.

Then his expression softened.

“I’m serious.”

For the first time, I heard something different in his voice.

Not curiosity.

Trust.

“I notice things,” he said quietly. “And I’m not stupid.”

His blue eyes met mine.

“Please tell me.”

The knot in my stomach tightened.

Nobody knew.

Not my teachers.

Not my aunt.

Not a single person.

For years, this secret had belonged to me alone.

But Aiden wasn’t just anyone.

He was my best friend.

If there was one person in the world I trusted, it was him.

So I told him.

Everything.

The freezing.

The silence.

The strange world that only existed when everyone else stopped moving.

By the time I finished, Aiden looked like his brain had completely stopped working.

Finally, he pointed at me.

“So you have superpowers.”

I groaned.

“That is literally everything you got from this conversation?”

His face lit up.

“You have actual superpowers.”

“No.”

“You freeze time.”

“Technically.”

“That’s a superpower.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“Aiden—”

“You’re a superhero.”

“I’m not.”

“You absolutely are.”

I stared at him.

He stared back.

Neither of us blinked.

Then he suddenly gasped.

“Oh my God.”

“What now?”

“You need a secret identity.”

I threw my hands into the air.

“You’ve watched way too many movies.”

He ignored me.

“What would your superhero name be? Lady Chronos? Time Girl? Captain—”

I slapped a hand over his mouth.

Immediately.

His eyes widened.

“You cannot tell anyone,” I said.

He nodded.

I narrowed my eyes.

“Anyone.”

Another nod.

“Not your parents.”

Nod.

“Not your friends.”

Nod.

“Not even if someone offers you money.”

Aiden rolled his eyes and pushed my hand away.

“I get it.”

I studied him for a moment.

Then I sighed.

“Good.”

His expression softened into a smile.

“My secret’s safe with me.”

And it was.

For years.

The years passed faster than either of us expected.

Before I knew it, I was seventeen and Aiden was eighteen.

Which was still annoying.

Mostly because he never let me forget that he was older.

Or taller.

Especially taller.

“So,” Aiden said, leaning casually against the locker beside mine, “are you going to the party tonight?”

I shoved my history textbook into my locker and avoided looking at him.

“I don’t think so.”

His face immediately fell.

The guilt hit me right in the chest.

“Then we’re doing a movie marathon instead.”

I closed my locker.

“Aiden.”

“What?”

“You should go.”

He frowned.

“Without you?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

I sighed.

“Aiden, normal people don’t skip parties because their best friend doesn’t feel like going.”

“Maybe I’m not normal.”

“You definitely aren’t.”

That earned a grin.

Unfortunately, it didn’t change his mind.

I adjusted the straps of my backpack.

“You’ll have fun.”

“Maybe.”

“And you’ll meet people.”

“I know people.”

“You’ll meet girls.”

His grin widened.

“Are you trying to get rid of me?”

I fought back a smile.

“No.”

“Because it sounds like you’re trying to get rid of me.”

The truth was exactly the opposite.

Aiden deserved every experience high school had to offer.

Parties.

Memories.

Relationships.

A life that didn’t revolve around me.

The thought left an uncomfortable ache in my chest.

Before I could stop myself, the words slipped out.

“Fine.”

Aiden blinked.

“Fine?”

“We’ll go.”

His eyes widened.

“Seriously?”

I immediately regretted it.

“Yes.”

“Celia, are you sure?”

Five seconds ago he’d been begging me to come.

Now he looked suspicious.

Honestly, it was insulting.

I forced a smile.

“I’m sure.”

He studied my face.

For a few moments, neither of us spoke.

Aiden had always been able to read me better than anyone else.

Sometimes better than I could read myself.

Eventually, he slipped an arm around my shoulders.

“You know,” he said with a grin, “you’re actually going to have fun tonight.”

“Highly unlikely.”

“Nope.”

I rolled my eyes.

He ignored me.

“I’m personally going to make sure this becomes the best night of your life.”

I laughed.

“That’s a lot of pressure.”

“You’ll thank me later.”

At the time, I thought he was being dramatic.

Neither of us knew that the night ahead would change everything.