Logan and Hana saw their friends crowded by their classroom door. Seth leaned against the wall, reading a manga, while his girlfriend and Jake paced back and forth. Logan and Hana found the scene suspicious, so they tread to them cautiously.

Jake saw Logan and Hana first, so he pointed to them and got Hailey’s attention.

“What’s up, guys?” asked Logan.

Seth closed his book, and Hailey and Jake ignored Logan. Instead, Hailey and Jake crowded around Hana.

“What went down with you and Victor yesterday?” asked a frantic Hailey while Jake jumped up and down at the side.

Hana’s eyes widened, and she froze. Her friends couldn’t have seen them—or what had happened. She scratched her jaw.

“You guys dating now?” asked Jake. He then laughed and looked back at Logan. “If they are, that means you’re the only one who’s single!”

Logan didn’t respond. His eyes were glued to Hana.

Hana saw him look at her. It was as if he wanted her to have nothing with the older guy.

“Hey, guys,” said someone not from any one of them.

The friends turned to their right and saw Victor.

Hana instinctively coward behind Hailey.

“Can I talk with Hana alone for a moment?” he asked.

Hailey stepped to the side. “Sure.”

Hana forced a smile.

Victor walked to her and when he passed Logan, he said, “Victoria said hi.”

The gang flinched.

Victoria was Victor’s younger fraternal twin sister. She was also a teen model, so she hardly made an appearance at school. Regardless of her absences, she managed to rank in the top ten in her class year. She also had a major crush on Logan and didn’t like his friends. Especially Hana. Victoria didn’t like seeing Hana and Logan together and always called Hana out for seducing her crush.

Hana, on the other hand, didn’t care but loved to tease Victoria because of Victoria’s endless imagination about her friendship with Logan. Only when Victoria got on her case would she pretend to be all over Logan.

Victor and Hana walked away from the friends’ sights, and Hailey and Jake soon crowded around Logan.

“Oh, my gosh!” hissed Hailey. “I forgot about that girl.”

“It’ll be fun again,” said Jake. “I still remember that one time we had that rally, and she went crazy over something.”

Logan shivered and placed a hand over his queasy stomach. “I took a sip from Hana’s bottle, and she wouldn’t let that go. Man, I thought she wouldn’t be back ‘til graduation.”

“The photo-shoot must’ve finished early,” said Seth.

Jake added, “You and Hana should race to see who’ll date the Hall siblings first.”

“Very funny,” sneered Logan. “We don’t need to race. He’ll realize sooner or later that Hana’s nothing but a man-girl.”

*

Hana had been following Victor from behind. She maintained a two-step difference with him. She was too embarrassed and nervous to walk side-by-side with him and to speak with him like normal. She already had a problem with trying to hold a normal and casual conversation without stuttering, and now this happened. Moreover, she should be thrilled that he liked her, but now that it was a reality, she couldn’t help but be wary.

Why would someone so great as him like her?

They came back to the field, and Hana recalled everything that happened between them yesterday during lunch. He had kissed her, confessed to her, and then she lied about having to do something and left.

He turned around and looked at her. “I want to clear up about yesterday.”

She tried to look him in the eyes. “No need to. I-I understand. You were thanking me.”

He frowned. “You think I’d kiss a girl to express my thanks?”

She stopped breathing. This was the first time she had heard him use a tone that she knew was trouble. She had offended him. “I-I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just…Logan’s kind of like that, so I thought—”

“Every guy’s like that?”

They were quiet.

He then laughed. “Sorry. Didn’t mean for this to happen. I want to tell you that it’s not like that at all.” He took a deep breath. “You remember what I said, right?”

She didn’t know how to answer. She remembered everything but was afraid that he might touch on it. If she lied that she didn’t, he would bring it up and repeat it. Neither was what she wanted.

“I like you. Will you go out with me?”

*

Everyone was in class.

Logan couldn’t concentrate. He felt impatient, and something deep inside his chest bothered him. He found himself stealing glances at Hana and when he saw her, the image of her and Victor together burned his eyes, making him looked away with some sort of hot fueled emotion. More importantly, what did they talk about that they couldn’t say in front of the group?

“Logan?” The teacher called on him.

He didn’t hear. He was too busy thinking about the possibilities of Hana’s conversation with Victor.

“Logan? Logan Hart.”

Logan still hadn’t heard his name. Instead, his feet tapped vigorously on the ground as his hands supported his cheeks. His eyes had drifted into space.

“Logan Hart!” yelled the teacher.

Logan flinched and looked at his teacher.

“I see that you’re in your own world. Focus.”

Logan sighed. “Can I see the nurse?”

The teacher was taken aback. “You’re not feeling well?”

Logan nodded.

The teacher scurried to the desk, wrote a note, and gave it to him.

He took his belonging and went out the door.

Hana had seen everything, and she was quick to raise a hand in the air. “Can I make sure he gets there safely?”

The teacher paused, hesitant. “I guess you could.”

She received a pass and quickly rushed out the door. She caught him in the hallway.

He was taking his time.

She grabbed his backpack and scared him.

He wasn’t expecting her.

“I got permission to escort you, Mr. Hart,” she said, playfully.

He sent her a weak smile.

She didn’t like it. She wanted him to play along with her like usual. “You okay? Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well?”

“I am okay.”

“You are not okay. Your legs were shaking, and you kept looking up at the ceiling.”

He perked up, intrigued. “You…were watching me?”

“I think everyone was when you didn’t answer the first time.”

He shoulder-bumped her. “Admit it, you like me.”

They turned at a corner and were steps away from the nurse’s office.

She playfully rolled her eyes. “As if.”

“Come on, I know it.”

“Know what?”

“You like me.”

The word 'like' made Hana cease her joyful expression as she recalled what happened this morning with Victor.

Logan caught onto her solemn expression, and he wore the same too.

They opened the door and saw Victor sitting at a bed. He was getting his arm bandaged by the nurse, Mrs. Cooper. Logan glanced at Hana, and Hana pretended to look unbothered.

Mrs. Cooper saw them and asked with her brows raised, “Aren’t you supposed to be in class now?”

Hana pointed to Logan. “He’s not feeling well today, so I’m here to make sure he won’t faint or die.”

Logan scowled. “I’m not that weak.”

“That’s what you think. Who couldn’t piggyback me to school today?”

“That’s ‘cause you’re too heavy, Miss Piggy.” He did pig noises, which aggravated her.

Hana sought revenge by jumping onto his back, but Logan managed to move away at her every attempt.

Mrs. Cooper sighed. “Are you here to have fun or to have your brains fixed?”

Hana and Logan pointed to each other and said that the other was here for their brain at the same time. They laughed at their synced answer.

Mrs. Cooper also joined them on their laugh. She said for them to sit down first while she finished with Victor. When she was done, she told Victor he could go back to class and then looked at Hana and Logan.

“Logan, I’ll check up on you when I come back,” said the nurse. “Hana, I’ll give you a pass later too, so for the meantime, I’ll have you here with him in case he passes out. I’m afraid he might be too weak.”

Logan blew a raspberry. “Not you too, Mrs. Cooper.”

Hana saluted the nurse. “Roger that.”

Mrs. Cooper opened the door for Victor, but Victor said that he’d like to rest a bit before leaving. She nodded and went out first.

The three teens were in the room alone.

“Hana.” It was Victor. “Have you told Logan about it? About us?”

Logan subtly bit his lower lip. He didn’t like how Victor said ‘us.’ Regardless, he managed to look unbothered. He looked at his friend and tried to look disinterested. “Got something for me?”

Hana took a deep breath. “Victor and I…are having a dating trial.”

*

It had been almost an hour since Logan was alone with Mrs. Cooper in the infirmary. Hana had gone to class, and she was escorted by her trial-boyfriend, Victor. When Logan was told of the news, he didn’t know what he felt. It took him almost a minute to gather his thoughts and to realize that he should congratulate them. Then, he turned sulky. He didn’t want to look at them. He felt bad, but he was a bit hurt. He couldn’t explain his feelings either.

“Why are you so down?” asked Mrs. Cooper from at her computer.

Logan laid on the bed on his side. He had a white blanket over him. “I’m in pain.” He touched his forehead. Maybe he was sick. Maybe he was not. He couldn’t tell at all. But for sure, something didn’t sit well within him. He heard her chair moved and knew she was looking at him from her spot.

“A migraine?” she asked.

“No.”

“A toothache?”

“No.”

“A sprain?”

“No.”

“Got it. I know what you have now.”

“What?”

“A heartache.”

There was a long silence.

Logan didn’t like the word because he knew what it meant. But it hit home. It felt like it was a correct diagnosis. He slowly sat up and pulled his knees to his chest. He looked down at his feet.

“This kind of pain won’t go away easily, son.”

“I don’t like her that way.”

“When Hana told me about her dating trial with Victor—that’s his name, right?”

Logan nodded, still not looking up.

“I saw your expression, and it showed it all to me.” She raised her brows at him. “And you’re still going to deny it?”

“It’s not denial. It’s the truth.”

“That’s why you two are known as the denial couple. You guys keep denying. Friends between girls and boys don’t joke as well as you two. It’s the reason why friendship doesn’t work or last long between boys and girls.”

“But it’s true though. I’ve never thought once of even liking her.”

A smile curled at the side of her lips. “Then, what are you gonna do? How are you going to cure your heartache?”

He looked up at her. “I can’t do anything.”

“Well, I’m not giving you any ideas, but I can clarify something. They aren’t dating. They’re only seeing if they’re a good fit.” She coughed and grabbed a paper nearby and pretended to go over it while spying a look at the younger boy. “If I were you, this whole dating-trial means I still have a chance to make her look my way.”

“But we’ll never be anything more than friends. She’s never seen me as anything more than Logan.”

“And what about you? What do you see her as?”

He gave it a long thought. “A friend.” Although he had said the word with much confidence and normality, he repeated the word in his mind with a tone of doubt. And hesitation.

“How long have you known her?”

“Since sixth grade. But we never really talked ‘til seventh grade. We didn’t get along at first. She was always irritated ‘round me. That’s why I said she’ll never see me more than a friend.” He thought back to the reason why Hana had avoided him—and all boys—because of her parents. Then, it made him think about Lucas and the situation they were in and how she wanted to confirm her love for kids so she could be prepared for marriage in the future.

He continued. “She has always wanted a family of her own but meeting me when I was still someone who messed around, she can’t possibly think of having a relationship with me. I know it.”

“Even if she’s never thought of having a relationship with you or you the same with her, I’ve never seen a pair of best friends act like you two at all. Look at Hailey and Seth. They’re dating, but they’re nowhere near how you guys are. And you two are friends.”

“How do we act?’

Mrs. Cooper took a moment to think to herself. “Like you’re in your own little world. Like a married couple.”

*

It was lunchtime, and Hana ran to the infirmary room with her and Logan’s lunch in her hands. She opened the door. “Mrs. Cooper! Is he still here?”

“She’s out.” It was Logan. He was playing something on his phone as he laid in bed. “What you need?”

She showed him the lunch boxes. “I was gonna ask if she’d let us eat here.”

He sat up and smiled. “Us? Us as in you and me?” He liked this ‘us,’ not the ‘us’ he heard this morning.

“Of course, us. Thought you’d eat it all by yourself?” She came to sit by the bedside.

“No. I thought you, Miss Piggy, would eat it all.”

She grimaced. “Your wish is my command. None for you.” She immediately moved away to sit on the other bed. She opened the lunch boxes and fanned the food toward his direction with the lid so that the scent would reach him. “More for me.”

He dropped his phone. He took in the scent. “I’m sorry. I lied.”

“Lied about what?”

“That you are Miss Piggy.” He saw her smile and then added, “You’re actually Miss Cow.”

She frowned and got up to playfully hit him. “You’re really not gonna get any!”

He held onto her wrists and stopped her. “You’re as big as a bunny. Happy?”

They laughed at his comparison.

As he held onto her wrists, he slowly slid his hands up to interlace with her fingers. He brought their hands to his chest and placed it there.

“You okay?” She bent down to place her forehead on his. She wanted to compare body temperatures. Unfortunately, her action caused his body heat to rise, and she mistook it as his fever. She moved away, gasping. “You’re hot! Your face is red too!” She pulled her hands away and pushed him down onto the bed. “Go to sleep right now. Lie down—hurry!” She tucked him in with the blanket and grabbed all the blankets she could find to put over him. “You’re a big kid, and you can’t take care of yourself?” She shook her head. “You’re like another baby, Lucas Junior.” She added a laugh. “You’re just not as cute as him though.”

“So, you don’t like me?” he asked, teasingly.

“Of course, I do.”

“How much?”

“A lot. I like you a lot.”

“More than Victor?” It was a soft question as if he had been hesitant to ask.

Hana stopped. She avoided his eyes to think. Did she like Victor more or Logan more? One of them was a gentleman. The other? A huge doofus that caused problems for her.

He tapped her to get her attention. “Can you sing me that lullaby you sing for the brat?”

“You've heard it?”

He nodded. “Sing.”

“I-I don’t like my voice.”

“Me too, but only something so harmful to my ears can make me go to sleep.”

She playfully socked him in the stomach.

“Kill me with your voice, not with your hands,” he teased.

She massaged where she had hit him. “Fine, fine.” She sat at his bedside, placed a hand at his side, and hummed the lullaby. She watched him smile.

He reached for her free hand to hold and then closed his eyes.

She smiled. She wondered when he had had the chance to hear her because she made sure to keep it low every night. “Goodnight, Lucas Junior.”