When Sierra stepped onto the rooftop of their school, Kate was already opening her lunchbox over the blanket she had spread on the floor.

“Why are you with Josh?” Kate suspiciously asked after Sierra settled on the blanket.

“I can't understand it as well,” Sierra sighed in confusion. “Maybe he is punishing me for crashing onto him while I was in a hurry to get in my first class.”

“We tried waking you up,” Kate said with a guilty look on her face.

“I know,” Sierra smiled at her friend. “What I didn’t know is you stalking Dan.”

“I’m not stalking him!” Kate loudly denied.

“If you say so,” Sierra said with a shrug of her shoulders. “But you have to tell him about your feelings.”

“I can’t do that,” Kate blushed once again.

“You like him since the first time you saw him. That was how long? Three years ago? How long are you planning to hide your feelings for him?” Sierra seriously inquired, raising an eyebrow at her friend.

“I can’t say it to him,” Kate sadly admitted. “I’m scared, Sierra.”

“He will keep on ignoring you, whether you confess your feelings to him or not," Sierra honestly stated even though she could see the painful tears brimming in the eyes of her friend. “Unless you become a flask or any equipment in the laboratory, you will not get his attention. That’s all he cares about, Kate.”

Sierra hardly knew anything about Dan. But every time their paths crossed, Dan was either busy reading books or observing smoking flasks. Girls were piling behind him, but he was completely oblivious of them. That was him since their first year and he never changed up to that very moment.

“Staring at him from a distance is enough."

“It will never be enough,” Sierra firmly disagreed when she noticed the forced smile that curved on the lips of her friend while saying those words.

“How did you know that?” Kate snapped at her.

“How did I know that?” Sierra glared at her friend. “I’m watching you, Kate. This is the first time I saw you stalking Dan! When I caught you staring at him with admiration, I thought it will go away in time. That’s why I didn’t say anything. But years had passed. You still like him. You are now stalking him! Can’t you see, Kate? The more you hide your feelings, the more it intensifies. Your simple admiration can turn into obsession. Do you want that?”

Kate was silenced by her words.

“I don’t want that for you, Kate. You deserve someone that can love you back,” Sierra moved closer to her friend and gave her a warm embrace. “Say it to him, Kate. Free your heart from it.”

“Will it really end if I tell him what I feel?” Kate asked, filled with doubt.

“He will either tell you he loves you too or he loves you not. If he tells you he loves you too then that’s good. If he tells you otherwise then that’s also good. You can finally stop hoping and find another man to love, right?”

“You make it sound so simple,” Kate sighed.

“It’s hard. I know. Rejection hurts a lot. But after that pain, after all the tears you shed, you will start accepting the truth. And you will finally be okay. I know you’re brave enough for it, Kate,” Sierra said, gently stroking the back of her friend, encouraging her.

But Kate was still hesitant when she said, “I’ll think about it.”

“You’ll think about it for how many years?” Sierra frowned at her friend.

Kate raised an eyebrow at Sierra and asked, “Have you done that before?”

“Confessing?” Sierra smiled reminiscently. “Of course, I did.”

“Oh no…” Kate breathed. “You confessed to Josh?!”

Sierra laughed as she answered, “Not him. He is someone from my work. It started in admiration but with the passing of days, it grew into something that really hurts my heart. I don’t like that feeling. It’s distracting me from my work and studies. You know how important work and studies are to me. I need to end my feelings. So, I confessed. Not directly, though. I’m not that bold.”

“How did you confess?” Kate curiously asked.

“I gave him a letter,” Sierra could still feel the nervousness she felt back then.

“What happened next?” her friend asked with growing curiosity.

“I got rejected,” Sierra answered with a shrug of her shoulders. She was also trying to dismiss the pain away. It had been months, but the pain was still there. But it was not as painful as before.

“When did you do that?” Kate asked with great disbelief. “How can you love someone without our knowledge? How can you be heartbroken without us noticing? How did you hide all those feelings from us?! We live in the same apartment and I never saw you cry or even get sad.”

“You know I’m not that good at showing emotions. I hate crying in front of anyone, even with you and Ella. But I’m always glad that you are with me. Your presence and stories were enough comfort to me,” Sierra shyly admitted.

“You’re so unfair,” Kate frowned.

“I’m really okay now,” Sierra seriously uttered. “It hurts once in a while. But it’s not like before. So, Kate, just tell him how you feel.”

“Fine," Kate sighed then promised, "I will do it.”

Sierra sighed with relief then looked around the rooftop.

“Where’s Ella?” she asked while taking a lunchbox out of her bag.

“Here!” Ella answered, hastily closing the door to the rooftop right after she entered.

Ella was a few inches taller than Sierra. She had short blonde hair that always stayed neat even if she ran a mile or so. She was wearing an emerald green blouse, blue knee-length shorts, white sneakers, and a huge sports bag that matches the color of her blouse.

“Who is it this time, Ella?” Sierra teased her friend that was catching her breath.

“Another volleyball player, I guess?” Kate said, motioning for Ella to sit between her and Sierra.

“I didn’t fight anyone today,” Ella said, sitting over the blanket, still catching her breath. “I nearly did but…”

“What did you do this time?” Sierra suspiciously asked.

“Nothing,” Ella was shaking her head as if trying to forget something so terrible. “Let’s just eat.”

But Sierra and Kate only stared doubtfully at her.

“You will not eat?” Ella asked, pulling a lunchbox out of her huge bag.

“Your friends must be waiting for us,” a voice from the other side of the closed door answered Ella.

When the door opened, Sierra and Kate were dumbfounded while Ella sighed in surrender.

Josh, Dan, and their other friend Renzo entered the rooftop  with take out foods in their hands.

^#####################################^