Ryan

Camps weren't really my thing.

Sleeping in tents, sharing public washrooms, and doing "team-building" activities that mostly involved awkward ice-breakers and pretending to care about who could balance a bamboo stick the longest - yeah, not my vibe. But here I was, standing in the middle of this open field surrounded by pine trees and overenthusiastic teachers, carrying a duffel bag I didn't even pack myself. Mom did. Dad just signed the form and said, "Might be good for your head, kid."

Whatever that meant.

After registration, I got the key to Tent No. 14. Tossed my stuff in, took a cold shower because the heater wasn't working, and came out wrapped in a towel, half-drying my hair with one hand when-

The zipper of the tent door rustled.

And then I froze.

She stood there.

Siya Sharma.

Her eyes widened. Mine probably did too. For a second, neither of us said a thing. Just... stared.

"I... I guess you're in the wrong tent," she finally said, stumbling over her words, already turning around.

I didn't even think before I responded. "Well, I don't know why we always run into each other half-dressed, Ms. Sharma. But for your information, I'm in the right tent. Maybe you're the one who came here intentionally."

She turned so fast I thought she might fall. "Intentionally?! Why would I come into a room knowing that a boy's changing? Are you mad or something? And how would I even enter without a key? The warden gave me this tent!"

Even while she spoke, she kept her hands half-covering her face - trying not to look at me.

That was... kind of cute.

But she was pissed. And honestly, I didn't blame her. I quickly threw on a shirt while she stood facing the other way.

We both marched to the warden's cabin, tension thick between us.

When she snapped about the room mix-up, the warden simply shrugged and said, "It's a social experiment. We're pairing opposite genders together. Let's see how well students can adjust."

I wanted to laugh. Siya didn't.

We walked back to the tent in silence. I sat down, scrolling my phone, pretending I wasn't aware of the thousand things she wasn't saying. She stood near the window, not looking at me.

.....

Back in the tent, the silence between us was loud. I sat down, scrolling my phone like I didn't just walk into a teenage drama script. She stood near the tent flap, staring at the grass, lost in thought.

I looked up.

She still hadn't moved.

"Hey," I said, keeping my tone low. "How's... your grandmother?"

That made her glance toward me.

"She's better," she said after a pause. "Still weak, but... better."

"I didn't know she was your grandmother," I admitted. "Mrs. Verma - I mean, I visit her sometimes, just to check in. She always talked about her family. But never mentioned your name."

Siya finally glanced at me and spoke, "She uses her son's surname. I use my mother's."

I furrowed my brow slightly. "But isn't her son... your father?"

That silence again.

She didn't reply immediately. Then softly, firmly-"Some things are more complicated than they appear, Ryan."

I nodded, not asking more. It wasn't my place to dig.

We both went back to our own spaces, our own thoughts, the night falling quietly between us once more.

And the rest of the night went silent.

She nodded too, then looked away again. The silence returned - not heavy, but not light either. Just... there.

I didn't push the conversation.

For some reason, sitting across from her - no arguing, no sarcasm - just being there felt like the right thing to do.

Siya's POV

I shot up from the sleeping bag like someone had poured cold water on me.

"Shit, shit, shit!" I mumbled, yanking my hoodie on over my head and shoving my feet into my sneakers. The breakfast whistle had gone off ten minutes ago, and I had slept through the entire camp's chaos.

I didn't even bother to brush my hair - I just tied it up in a clumsy bun and sprinted out of the tent, half-zippered hoodie flapping as I ran toward the breakfast area.

The field was alive with chatter and laughter, long tables already lined with plates, trays of food, and campers casually seated in their little groups. I slowed down, trying to catch my breath, scanning for an empty seat - when my eyes met his.

Ryan Bosco.

He was sitting with a group of guys - probably his basketball buddies - laughing at something someone had said. His laugh faded a bit when he saw me. I don't know what his eyes were saying, but they lingered a second too long.

I quickly looked away.

And slammed straight into someone.

"Ow-" I winced, stepping back.

"Woah, easy there," came a voice I hadn't heard in a long time.

I froze.

No, it couldn't be.

But it was.

Jason decosta.

In his same smug confidence, hands in his pockets, head tilted as if he was surprised but amused at the same time. "Didn't expect to see you here, Siya."

My heart dropped to my stomach.

"What are you-" I started, but my voice came out thinner than I intended.

He smiled - the same fake one that used to fool me before. "Well, camps are for everyone, aren't they? And apparently, even nerds get invited these days."

I clenched my jaw, trying not to show how much his presence rattled me.

Ryan hadn't moved from his table. But I could feel his eyes.

"I'm not here to talk," I muttered, trying to walk past him.

But Aarav blocked me gently with a hand. "Relax. Just being friendly."

I stepped away, shooting him a look that made my message clear.

Don't.

As I found an empty corner on the breakfast bench, sitting down and focusing only on the toast in my plate, I couldn't help but glance up once.

Ryan was still watching.

And this time, he wasn't laughing.

I was about to say something-something snarky, something to push him away-when she appeared.

A whirlwind of perfume, drama, and venom - my ex-best friend.

Before I could even blink, she wrapped her arms around Jason and kissed him. Right there. In front of everyone. A messy, desperate, hungry kiss.

My breath caught.

And the worst part?

He kissed her back.

Time slowed down. My ears started ringing, and everything else around me faded into a blurry mess of morning sun and teenage noise. I couldn't look away, but I desperately wanted to.

When they finally broke apart, she turned to me with the smuggest smile on her face - one she knew would crush me.

"This..." she gestured dramatically between them, "...is what a boyfriend and girlfriend actually look like, Siya. Can you see? Oh-obviously you can."

I stood frozen. My fingers gripped the edge of my tray so tightly my knuckles turned white.

She turned to Jason with a syrupy voice. "Well, Jason... who do you think is the better kisser? Me... or her?"

Jason didn't answer immediately - and that silence stung more than anything.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and stepped back.

I didn't wait for his reply.

I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.

I turned on my heel and walked away, leaving my untouched breakfast behind, my dignity dragging somewhere behind me like a broken shoelace.

---

Ryan's POV

Breakfast at camp was louder than usual. Everyone seemed high on excitement - probably because of the day's activities or just the thrill of being away from home. I sat with Lucas and the others, chuckling at something stupid someone had said when I caught sight of her.

Siya.

She looked different today. Tired... like she hadn't slept properly. Her steps were rushed, like she was late, but her eyes... they were still the same. Distant. Quiet. As if she was here, but not really present.

She didn't see me.

But I saw her.

And then-some guy walked up to her. Broad-shouldered, athletic build. I had seen him around. Jason, maybe? I didn't know much about him except that he liked the attention he got from girls.

What happened next... caught everyone's attention.

Before Siya could even fully react, another girl walked up - confident, loud, overly made-up - and pulled Jason into a kiss. A full-blown, in-the-middle-of-everyone kind of kiss.

People started whispering. A few even laughed.

Siya just... stood there. Frozen.

When the two broke apart, the girl turned to Siya with a cruel smirk.

> "This is what a boyfriend and girlfriend actually look like, Siya. Can you see?"

Then she giggled like it was some kind of joke before turning to Jason.

> "So, Jason, who do you think is the better kisser - me or her?"

Wait. What?

Her?

Something clicked then. Something deep in my gut. That wasn't just a random taunt. That was personal.

I glanced back at Siya. She didn't say a word. Didn't fight. Didn't flinch. But I saw it.

The way her eyes dropped. The way her hands slightly trembled. That stillness that only someone who's too used to pain learns to master.

And then she turned around and walked away.

No reaction. No anger. Just... walked.

I didn't understand all of it. I didn't need to.

But I knew one thing.

Whatever just happened?

It wasn't okay.

And maybe... maybe it was time I stopped just watching from the sidelines.

I was still watching her walk away, every step looking heavier than the last, when Lucas nudged me with an elbow.

"Ryan, leave it, man. These juniors - they fight every day over crap like this," he said, laughing as he slung an arm around my shoulder. "Come on, forget it. We're here to chill, remember? Holidayyyy from our tired-ass schedule and lectures."

I blinked a few times, forcing myself to turn my gaze away from the empty path Siya had disappeared into.

But something itched.

Would she really just... take all that and walk away?

"Do you know what happened between them?" I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral.

Lucas made a face like I'd asked him to recite the periodic table. "How would I know about junior drama, man? And why do you even care?"

I opened my mouth to reply but didn't have to - someone else from our group, Rajan maybe, cut in, rubbing his hands together like he was spilling premium gossip.

"I think I know," he said, grinning. "Heard it from my girlfriend. If I'm not wrong, the girl who walked off is Siya Sharma... and the guy, Jason - plus the extra lipgloss chick - well, that's her ex-best friend and ex-boyfriend."

My brows lifted slightly. "Both?"

He nodded, clearly enjoying the attention. "Yeah. Apparently, they were all close once. But the ex and best friend hooked up behind Siya's back. Classic betrayal. People say she caught them kissing in the school hallway or something... got humiliated. Since then, she's become kind of... invisible."

Invisible.

The word hit something in me.

I looked again in the direction

she had walked away.

It made sense now.

The distance in her eyes.

The silence.

The walls.

Everyone had a reason to pretend she wasn't there.

And she had learned to pretend she didn't care.

But I saw her.

Even if she didn't want anyone to.