Time had a strange way of slipping by when you weren't paying attention, weaving days into weeks, and leaving unresolved moments hanging like unfinished sentences.
It had been two weeks since the vacation ended since everyone returned to their regular lives, their routines, their familiar rhythms. The group was back together: their hangouts resumed, laughter once again echoed through the old familiar streets and corners they called theirs.Yet, for all the noise and togetherness, one thing remained noticeably, painfully unsettled.
Rody and Sam hadn't seen each other.Not even once.
Rody wasn't sure if it was intentional or just bad luck. Maybe fate was playing one of its cruel, teasing games. Or maybe life had simply gotten in the way, as it often did. Either way, the disconnection between them wasn't imagined it was real, tangible.And with each passing day, it weighed a little heavier on him.
At first, Rody tried brushing it off.Sam's busy. I'm busy. It's not a big deal, he told himself.
But as the days dragged into weeks, a restlessness settled inside him an uncomfortable, gnawing sense that something important had been left incomplete.And the worst part?He still hadn't spoken to Sam about the strange reaction she'd had to their YouTube video. He never got the chance to ask what had really been going on in her mind back then.Now, with each passing silence, that small misunderstanding widened into a gap.A gap he couldn't ignore anymore.
That was why on this particular evening Rody made a decision.He wasn't going to wait for fate to fix things.Not anymore.
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Plans Unspoken, Destinies Aligned
Across the city, unbeknownst to Rody, Sam was battling her own turmoil.
She missed Rody.Terribly.More than she was comfortable admitting even to herself.
And she hated how awkward everything had become how a single missed conversation had spiraled into weeks of unspoken tension. Sam had thought about reaching out first so many times. But pride and fear had kept her frozen.What if it was only awkward for me? What if he doesn't care as much?
But tonight, she decided she was done second-guessing herself.She wanted to meet him. She needed to.
Yet, true to their nature, neither of them said anything out loud about this shared longing.No dramatic declarations.No planned meetups.Just a silent, desperate hope that somehow, tonight, the universe would bring them back together.
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The Waiting Game
Rody was stuck with unavoidable errands tasks from his mother that piled up at the worst possible time. Every minute spent away from where he wanted to be only frayed his nerves further.He texted Sam quickly:
Rody: "I have a few things to run for mom. But I'll come later. Promise."
Sam: "I'll wait."
Two simple words.They hit Rody harder than they should have.
But as evening deepened into night, the wait stretched longer than either of them anticipated.
Sam's phone buzzed again.
Sam: "How much longer?"
Rody groaned, staring at the unmoving river of traffic ahead of him.
Rody: "Traffic is holding me back. Ten minutes away."
There was a pause before Sam replied.
Sam: "Okay... I'll wait. Mum keeps calling me to come home, but I made an excuse. So please, come ASAP, okay?"
Reading that, something twisted inside Rody.She was waiting.She was choosing to wait.
That knowledge lit a fire under him.He wasn't going to waste another second.
The moment he reached home, Rody barely took time to breathe. He dumped the groceries in the kitchen, mumbled a rushed explanation to his confused mother, and ran out again, heart pounding harder than when he used to race AJ and JJ across the park as kids.
When he finally reached their usual meeting spot, the streets were mostly deserted. The comforting noise of their group was absent; the space felt strangely hollow without it.Except, in the dim glow of the lonely streetlights, he saw her.
Sam sat alone, her legs swinging over the edge of the bench, headphones plugged in, a faint rhythm of music buzzing from them.Her face was half-lit by the soft light, casting a kind of quiet glow around her.
Rody slowed down, his heart doing somersaults for reasons he didn't understand.
Why would anyone wait this long?For me?
The realization tightened his chest.He approached quietly and tapped her on the shoulder.
Sam turned instantly and without a second's hesitation threw her arms around him.
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A Heart Racing in Chaos
Rody froze.
Sam bright, stubborn, chaotic Sam was hugging him.Tightly.Unapologetically.
His brain blanked out.
What do I do?What's the protocol here?!
After a few eternally long seconds of stunned silence, he awkwardly but sincerely hugged her back. Not too stiff, not too tight just enough.Enough to tell her: I missed you too.
Sam pulled back with the biggest grin he'd ever seen on her face.
"OMG, finally we meet!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing in place. "It's been so long! I missed you so much!"
Rody blinked, still rebooting from the emotional overload.
Before he could respond, Sam teased, "What, were you that busy? Don't tell me you found a new best friend and replaced me already."
Rody frowned, his mind snapping back into sarcastic mode.
"What do you mean I'm busy? You were the one who ghosted first! And now you're blaming me? That's peak hypocrisy right there."
Sam gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest like he had mortally wounded her.
"You wound me, sir!" she cried, before bursting into laughter.
Within minutes, they were arguing, bantering, bickering just like old times.And just like that, the weeks of awkwardness, confusion, and silence melted away.
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The Unsaid Feelings
After the laughter died down, a comfortable silence settled between them.
Sam fiddled with the edge of her jacket, suddenly serious.Then, almost shyly, she spoke.
"About that day," she said, glancing sideways at him. "The YouTube video. I… wasn't mad at you."
Rody stayed quiet, sensing this was important.
Sam inhaled slowly."I was… feeling left out. Like everyone was moving on without me. And I guess I took it out on you. I'm sorry."
The vulnerability in her voice struck him harder than any outburst would have.
He thought back to her text that day the flat, empty reaction that had bothered him more than it should have.It all made sense now.
"I should've checked in," Rody said quietly, meaning every word. "I felt bad for not noticing you weren't okay."
Sam gave him a small, grateful smile.
"You're not a bad friend, Rody. We just misunderstood each other."
She nudged him playfully. "Next time, I'll just come kick your door down when I miss you."
He chuckled, feeling lighter than he had in weeks.
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Goodbyes and an Unspoken Change
Before they could talk more, both of their phones buzzed at the same time.
Their mothers.The universal alarm clock signaling: time to go home.
Sam laughed lightly, shaking her head."Guess we have to end this dramatic reunion," she said.
Rody nodded, reluctantly.
They said their goodbyes simple, casual but both knew something unspoken lingered between them now. Something different.Something important.
As Rody walked home alone that night, he realized he felt different too.Lighter. Happier.More anchored.
For the first time since the vacation, the tension in his chest had finally eased.The distance, the doubts, the strange awkwardness it was gone.
And somewhere deep inside him, though he wasn't ready to admit it fully yet, he knew:
Something between him and Sam had shifted.And whatever it was,It wasn't going away anytime soon.