It started as whispers in the hallway.
Pearl heard it while grabbing her books from her locker, voices behind her, hushed but sharp:
"Did you hear? James's leaving."
"Yeah, his dad's job or something…"
"Poor Pearl, she doesn't even know."
The words froze her, her hands clutching her books too tightly, her breath caught somewhere between her chest and throat.
Leaving?
She didn't wait. She closed her locker, the metal door slamming harder than she meant, and walked quickly, ignoring the curious glances following her down the hall.
She found Sharon near the art room, packing his brushes, earbuds in, softly humming under his breath. He looked up when she entered, a small smile already on his lips.
"Hey, Star—"
"Are you leaving?" she blurted out, the words cracking, too loud in the quiet room.
Sharon's smile faltered. His hand paused mid-pack, the brush slipping from his fingers onto the table.
"Who told you that?" he asked quietly.
"So it's true?" she whispered, stepping closer, her eyes searching his face.
Sharon looked away, jaw tightening, his fingers curling. "It's not decided yet."
"But it's being talked about?" Her voice trembled, her hands shaking around the books pressed to her chest. "Sharon, why didn't you tell me?"
He closed his eyes, exhaling slowly, before looking at her. "Because I didn't want it to be real."
The silence between them was loud, their unspoken words pressing against the walls.
Pearl dropped her books onto the table, stepping closer, her fingers clutching the edge. "When were you going to tell me? Before you left? Or were you going to disappear without saying goodbye?"
His eyes flickered with pain. "Star…"
"Don't 'Star' me now!" she snapped, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. "You promised you wouldn't leave without telling me."
"I didn't promise that," he whispered, his voice hoarse.
"You didn't have to," she replied, softer now, tears slipping down her cheeks, "I thought we understood each other."
Sharon's hands trembled as he reached for her, brushing her tears away with his thumb, his forehead pressing against hers.
"I don't want to leave," he whispered, so quietly it was almost a plea.
Pearl closed her eyes, the tears mixing with the warmth of his touch, her hands coming up to hold his wrists.
"Then don't," she whispered back.
"I might not have a choice," he said, voice breaking.
They stood there, the world outside moving, unaware of the quiet storm inside the art room. Her tears fell, his breath shaky, their hearts pressed together with the fear of goodbye neither of them were ready to face.
Pearl pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, her thumb brushing the corner of his mouth. "Whatever happens, you don't get to disappear on me, okay?"
Sharon swallowed, his hand cupping her cheek, his eyes never leaving hers. "Okay."
And in that fragile promise, they held on, even as the rumour of goodbye hovered like a shadow over them, waiting for its moment.