Part 2
He had spent the whole morning running on nerves, barely remembering the ceremony, the speeches, or even the clapping. His mind was locked on one thing—her. Keira.
He clutched a single rose in his hand, soft red petals curled tightly like his courage. He had practiced his words over and over in his head, but no version felt perfect. Still, he knew… he had to try.
When the afternoon came, and most of the students had already drifted away from the school grounds, Glen made his move.
He sat on the bench near the exit gate, the one that overlooked the quiet street beyond the campus walls. The sky was dim, casting the world in shades of gray, and the clouds hung low as if watching with bated breath.
The rose was hidden behind his back. His hands trembled. His pulse roared in his ears.
And then… he saw her.
Keira stepped out of the building, her uniform slightly wrinkled from the long day, her hair catching the breeze. She looked around briefly, unaware that someone was waiting for her just ahead.
Glen's breath caught.
This is it.
The moment he had been waiting for. The one he'd dreamed of, feared, and hoped for, all wrapped into one fragile second.
His legs felt numb, but he stood.
He watched her get closer, step by step, heart pounding with every inch.
This is where he finds out, what destiny had written for him.
The clouds darkened overhead, heavy and silent like the weight in Glen's chest.
Then she appeared.
Keira stepped through the school doors for the last time, her figure framed against the gray sky. She walked calmly, her gaze forward—but she noticed him. He saw it, that brief flicker of recognition in her eyes.
But she didn't stop.
She didn't turn.
She just kept walking.
Glen swallowed hard. His breath felt caught somewhere between his lungs and his throat. He gripped the rose behind his back tighter, petals trembling along with his hand. And then—he stood.
This was it.
But as he took that first step forward, his body betrayed him. His foot stopped mid-motion. His heart was pounding like it was trying to break free from his ribs, faster, louder, shaking him from the inside out. His breathing quickened, panic creeping into his veins like ice.
What am I doing?
There's no way a girl like her… someone like her, could ever like someone like me.
I'll just embarrass myself. She'll laugh. Or worse… she'll walk away like I was never even there.
He froze.
He didn't move.
He couldn't.
And just like that… she was gone.
Keira stepped into the taxi, unaware of the boy standing just a few feet away—holding a rose he never gave, with words he never said.
The cab pulled away, and Glen was left standing at the school gate… alone.
And then, it began to rain.
First a drizzle, then a downpour, the sky weeping alongside him. Glen dropped to his knees, his uniform soaking through, the rose still in his hand—its color dimming under the storm.
Then...
He cried out. His body trembled with the force of each cry, each wave of pain crashing over him like a storm he couldn't escape. The tears came in a flood, mixing with the rain that soaked his clothes, his face, his heart.
He held the rose tightly, as if it could anchor him to something—anything—but it was just a symbol now. A symbol of what he could've had, and what he'd lost in the silence.
The storm in him mirrored the storm around him—each raindrop, a reminder of the words he never said. He would never know what could've been. What Keira would've said. If she ever felt the same way.
The pain of never knowing tore at him, deeper than any rejection could ever cut. He wasn't just grieving the chance he missed. He was grieving the unanswered questions that would haunt him forever.
The rain poured harder, but it couldn't drown out the pain inside his heart.
Meanwhile… Keira
The clouds whispered low above, thick and silent. Keira stepped through the school gates, her heart pounding beneath the calm expression on her face.
In her pocket, a folded letter trembled with every step she took.
Her eyes, even if for a second, glanced to the side—and there he was.
Glen.
Sitting quietly by the bench near the exit. Alone. Still. His gaze low, as if waiting… for something.
Her heart skipped.
Just seeing him there made everything inside her blur—the noise, the people, the world. It was just him, and the storm of questions inside her.
Is this the moment?
She slowed her pace.
Should I say it? Should I give him the letter? What if… what if this connection I feel is real?
Then the fear crept in.
What if I'm wrong? What if I go to him, and he doesn't feel the same? What if I've misunderstood everything?
Her hand clenched over the letter in her pocket. Her throat tightened.
What if he looks at me with confusion? What if he turns away? What if… what if I embarrass myself?
Each doubt stabbed deeper than the last.
Her steps faltered. Her chest rose and fell in quick, uneven breaths. She glanced at him one more time.
He didn't look up.
Maybe he's just waiting for a ride. Maybe he's not thinking of me at all.
That final thought crushed her.
So she turned her head. Walked forward. Past him. Past the moment she'd been holding onto for so long.
She stepped into the taxi, eyes stinging.
The door shut. Her breathing shaky.
And then, in the silence of the backseat—she broke.
Tears streamed down her face. The kind of tears that come not from rejection, but from regret. From the pain of not knowing. From wondering what could have been.
Through the window, the rain began to fall. She watched as the world blurred outside, and though she couldn't see it—behind her, Glen still sat. Still frozen in place. Still holding everything he wanted to say in silence.
And in her pocket, the letter remained.
Unread.
Untouched.
Unspoken.
She cried harder.
Because she would never know if he felt the same.
Because she couldn't find the courage to speak.
Because fear had stolen what her heart had been screaming.
Two hearts.
One moment.
Gone.
The rain poured harder.
And somewhere, beneath the same sky, two people cried—
not because they were rejected,
but because they never gave themselves the chance to be accepted.
Sometimes, the biggest battles we face aren't against the world—
but against the voice inside us that says we're not enough.
Fear holds us back.
Doubt ties our hands.
And hesitation steals moments that may never come again.
This isn't just about love.
It's about believing in yourself.
About standing up, even when your knees shake.
About speaking, even when your voice trembles.
About taking the chance—even if you're scared.
Because the truth is, courage isn't the absence of fear.
It's choosing to move forward despite it.
Don't be afraid to take chances.
Because missed chances don't come back.
It's not failure that hurts the most—
It's the regret of never trying.
Be brave.
Say what you feel.
Do what scares you.
You might fall,
but you might also fly.
You'll never know unless you try.
Because...
The scariest risks are often the ones that matter most