The main field buzzed with energy. Flags waved above tents, speakers blared music from a raised platform, and students in bright shirts darted around organizing games and performances. It was the annual Campus Unity Festival—colorful, noisy, full of purpose.
Emily and Riley, however, were nowhere near it.
They sat beneath the old ficus tree on the far end of campus, where the sounds of the festival were dulled into background hum. Their shared spot was quiet, shielded by overgrown hedges and half-forgotten benches. A breeze teased strands of Riley's hair as she sketched lazily in her notebook, her foot brushing Emily's.
"You don't feel like going?" Riley asked, though they both knew the answer.
Emily shook her head. "Feels like a show. They say unity, but it's always the same groups organizing. Same faces in every spotlight."
Riley nodded slowly, adding a shadow to her sketch. "Still… showing up is how things change. People can't see what they keep ignoring."
Emily leaned back against the bench, her eyes on the sky. "Sometimes I think it's easier just to move around quietly, stay unseen. No one pushes you that way."
"That's not living," Riley said softly. "It's surviving."
Silence settled between them, warm and weighty.
Emily glanced over, her eyes tracing the gentle curve of Riley's focused expression. Her voice caught slightly as she said, "You… you make it look easier. Being yourself."
Riley looked up, surprised.
"I mean," Emily hesitated, then added in a rush, "I like that about you. I like… you."
The sketchbook stilled. Riley blinked at her, a slight pink rising to her cheeks.
"You do?" she asked, smile playing on her lips.
Emily gave a small, awkward laugh, eyes darting away. "Yeah. Just... figured I should say it."
For a breathless second, Riley didn't say anything. Then she leaned in a little, her voice quieter. "Good. Because I've been trying to figure out if you liked me or if I was just—"
A sudden shout rang out from across the quad.
"Oi! Has anyone seen the mic cables?!" someone bellowed.
They both jumped, turning instinctively toward the noise. Laughter echoed closer as two students ran past them toward the field, oblivious to what they'd interrupted.
Emily pulled back slightly, heart racing. She tried to hide her blush behind her hand.
Riley just smiled wider, the blush on her own cheeks no less obvious. "Guess the world isn't ready to give us a moment."
Emily looked at her, a little breathless. "Guess not."
They stayed a while longer, talking about classes, teachers, random bits of life—but under it all, the air between them had shifted. Quietly, without fanfare. Like a door slowly opening.
When they finally stood to leave, Emily's smile lingered. Her cheeks were still pink.
Riley didn't mention it. She didn't need