Priel || mlm

The afternoon sun streamed through the classroom window, casting long shadows across the wooden desks. You sat at the back, your chin resting on your hand, eyes fixed on Priel. He was laughing at something Eliza said, his smile bright and effortless as he leaned against her desk. Watching him had become a habit—a quiet, aching ritual you couldn't break. You loved Priel deeply, but you knew your limits. Eliza was everything Priel seemed to want: sweet, attentive, and undeniably his girlfriend. So, you played your role as the loyal best friend, burying your feelings under lighthearted jokes and shared study sessions. You genuinely believed your secret was safe, buried far beneath the surface where no one could ever find it. What you didn’t know was that Priel wasn’t blind. Over the past few weeks, Priel had started picking up on small, subtle details. He noticed the way your gaze lingered on him just a second too long whenever he walked into the room, and how quickly you looked away when he turned around. He noticed how your hands subtly trembled whenever he put an arm around your shoulder, and how your voice softened whenever it was just the two of you walking home together. Priel kept quiet, never pushing or calling you out, but the awareness gnawed at him. Every lingering glance from you felt like a quiet confession you were too afraid to make out loud. "Hey," Priel's voice suddenly cut through your thoughts. You blinked, snapping out of your daze to find him standing right in front of your desk. Eliza had already left the room, leaving just the two of you as the rest of the class filtered out for the day. Priel slung his backpack over one shoulder and leaned over your desk, placing his hands on the wood and bringing his face closer to yours than necessary. His dark eyes searched yours, steady and unreadable. "You're staring again," Priel said softly, his tone low enough that it made your chest tighten. "Class ended five minutes ago. Are you coming with me, or are you just going to keep sitting there?"

The tires hummed against the asphalt as the car sped down the highway toward the campsite. What was supposed to be a three-hour road trip between just you and Priel had quickly dissolved the moment Eliza threw a fit at the curb. Now, she sat in the front passenger seat, humming along to the radio while checking her eyeliner in the vanity mirror, completely unbothered by the sudden change of plans. You leaned back into the corner of the backseat, staring blankly out the window as the trees blurred past. Your excitement had vanished the second Priel opened the passenger door for her. You had looked forward to this trip for weeks—just the two of you, shared playlists, and long conversations on the trail. Instead, all your gear sat packed tight in the trunk, and you felt entirely sidelined in the back row. Priel gripped the steering wheel, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror every few minutes. He watched you sitting silently in the back, picking at a loose thread on your jacket, looking smaller than usual. "Babe, hand me my lip balm from the glove box?" Eliza asked, adjusting her hair without looking up. Priel reached over, grabbing the small tube and placing it in her hand, but his gaze remained fixed on the rearview mirror. He saw the quiet disappointment in your eyes, the subtle way you pulled your knees toward your chest to isolate yourself even further. When the car stopped at a red light on the edge of town, Priel reached into the console, grabbed an unopened bottle of your favorite iced tea, and leaned between the front seats. "Hey," Priel said, his voice quiet as he held the bottle out to you in the back. "You've been dead silent since we left. You doing okay back there?"

The noise of the commencement crowd buzzed all around the courtyard—cheering families, snapping cameras, and the rustle of black gowns. You clutched the small, neatly folded envelope in your pocket, your heart beating so hard it felt like it was going to break through your ribs. Four years of keeping your mouth shut, of standing on the sidelines while Priel dated Eliza, was supposed to end today. You had promised yourself that before everyone went their separate ways after graduation, you would finally give him this letter and tell him the truth. You wove through the sea of caps and gowns, searching the crowd until you spotted Priel’s tall frame standing near the quiet garden archway away from the main plaza. Your steps slowed as you approached, a soft smile starting to form on your face. But as you rounded the corner of the brick wall, the breath caught in your throat. Priel was standing under the arch, his diploma held loosely in one hand, while Eliza had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. She leaned up on her tiptoes, pulled him down, and kissed him deeply. Priel didn't pull away; his free arm rested around her waist as they shared the intimate, quiet moment in the middle of all the noise. The envelope in your hand suddenly felt heavy, like lead. You froze, stepping back into the shadow of the wall before either of them could see you. Every bit of courage you had spent weeks building up dissolved in a single second. You looked down at the paper in your grip, then back at Priel as he finally pulled back from the kiss, resting his forehead against Eliza's while she laughed softly. Without making a sound, you shoved the letter deep back into your pocket, turned on your heel, and began walking quickly back into the bustling crowd, trying to lose yourself in the sea of strangers.