Weeks had passed since the turmoil of exam season, and Rody had almost forgotten about the strange, lingering feelings that had consumed him just days before. The intensity had dulled under the weight of tests, sleepless study nights, and the overwhelming grind of school life.
But now, he was finally free.
No more grueling hours of revision. No more stress. Finally, he could return to the normalcy of his group the football matches, the late-night banter, the teasing, and the comfortable familiarity that had always grounded him.
Rody made his way downstairs, a lightness in his steps he hadn't felt in weeks. When he arrived, the entire gang was there, caught up in heated discussions about how awful the exams had been.
JJ was particularly animated. "Dude, I swear that math paper was created by a literal sadist. No human would do that to us."
Pri scoffed. "It wasn't that hard."
Zozo laughed. "Of course you'd say that, Miss Perfectionist."
Rody smirked, pulling JJ's leg with sarcastic remarks every chance he got. He was fully immersed in the moment, enjoying the reunion with his friends when his phone buzzed.
A text.
Instinctively, he glanced at the screen.
Sam.
The moment he saw her name, something shifted inside him.
Everything gushed back into his mind those restless nights, the confusion, the ridiculous internal debates he thought he had finally left behind. And just like that, his dilemma returned.
But this time, it wasn't as suffocating.
He could handle it. Or maybe he was just used to it now.
With a breath, he opened the message.
Sam: Heyyy, I'm coming down. Is everyone there yet?
A rush of relief flooded through Rody's chest. Maybe he had been overthinking everything all along. Maybe it had never been a big deal.
The stress left his body, and he quickly responded.
"Yeaa, everyone's here. You're missing the show JJ's getting absolutely cooked right now."
Her reply came fast.
Sam: OMGG I'm coming!! I don't wanna miss that!
A few minutes later, Sam joined the group, her bright energy immediately infecting the atmosphere. Everyone greeted her warmly.
Rody simply said, "Hey."
But then, something caught his eye.
Sam looked different today.
She seemed… cuter.
Before he could even process that thought, Lina pushed past him, smirking.
"Oh wow," she teased, eyeing Sam's outfit and hair. "What's with the makeover? Who are you trying to impress?"
Sam immediately blushed.
"Oh, come on! You know," she said, waving Lina off. "I'm finally free of my house obviously, I gotta look how I feel, right?" She nudged Lina, laughing. "Stop it!"
Rody felt something unfamiliar stir in his chest.
Why did he notice it?
It wasn't like him. He had never been the type to care about things like this. And yet, here he was, painfully aware of the way Sam blushed, the way she moved, the way she seemed different today.
Was he… accepting it now?
Painfully, yes.
Late Night Conversations
The evening flew by, and as their hangout came to an end, everyone headed home.
Except for Sam And Rody.
"You leaving too?" she asked as the group dispersed.
Rody shrugged. "Not really. I'm free, so I don't have to leave right now."
Sam smiled. "Same."
So, they walked.
Around the complex, aimlessly, just talking.
Random things their interests, places they wanted to visit, dreams, plans for the future. Time blurred, the conversations pulling them deeper into an unspoken understanding that neither of them acknowledged out loud.
Then, Sam paused.
"So… are you dating anyone?" she asked suddenly.
Rody stumbled in his step.
"Me? Dating? Do you think anyone would date me?"
Sam raised an eyebrow. "Why not? You've got all the qualities a girl would want. Why wouldn't someone wanna date you?"
Rody's brain short-circuited.
Was she complimenting him? Messing with him? He couldn't tell. He blushed regardless.
"I dunno," he admitted. "I never really sought out something like that. Not after what happened last time."
Sam frowned, curiosity sparking in her eyes.
"Oh? What happened? Was it bad? Who was the idiot who left you?"
She was digging deeper, trying to unravel something that Rody wasn't ready to share.
A beat of silence passed before Sam realized her mistake.
"Oh… I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I didn't mean to overstep. It's okay you don't have to tell me. I just didn't like how someone would do that to you. I'm sorry."
Rody dismissed her apology. "No, it's alright. It's just been a while, so remembering it… was a little upsetting." He forced a small smile. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad about asking."
Sam hesitated but nodded softly. "Okay… another time then?"
Rody breathed out. "Yeah. Another time."
The silence stretched between them before he finally broke it.
"What about you?" He smirked slightly. "Got a boyfriend?"
Sam froze, her face turning red in seconds.
"Me? Me… me… No! I don't have anyone," she blurted out, stumbling over her words. "What makes you think I have a boyfriend?! No no no."
Rody chuckled, finding her reaction oddly amusing.
"But what's wrong with that?" he asked, throwing her words back at her. "I think every guy would wanna have someone like you."
Sam's face turned even redder.
"You're just saying that," she pouted. "I'm way too annoying. No guy would last a minute with me."
Rody playfully smirked.
"Yeah… that's true."
Sam gasped dramatically and smacked his arm. "You agree with me?! Wow, what a meanie!"
Rody laughed.
Sam pouted harder.
But after a moment, she let out a sigh.
"Anyway… I think it's time to head home."
Rody nodded. "Yeah. Guess so."
And just like that, the night ended.
They said their goodbyes and parted ways.
But as Rody walked home, something gnawed at him.
The conversation had left him feeling happy.
And for the first time…
He didn't mind it.