" Good luck on the first day of school, baby! " Jake's mom's voice echoed through the garage, but the sound barely penetrated the bubble of nerves that surrounded him.

Jake was lost in his own thoughts, the muscles in his legs tense as he pedaled his bike down the street. The morning sun shone brightly, painting his red hair in even more vibrant hues as he pressed down hard on the pedals, trying to suppress the whirlwind of emotions bubbling in his stomach. The gentle morning breeze wasn't enough to calm the racing heart in his chest. He didn't even fully understand why he was so anxious — after all, it was just another start of the school year, right?

The squeak of the tires on the pavement briefly brought him back to reality, but it was soon interrupted by an enthusiastic voice next to him.
" Hey there, champ! Ready for an amazing year?"

Without him noticing, Amelia Bourne had approached with her usual lightness, like a living shadow appearing at the most unexpected moments. Her long pink curls swayed joyfully with each pedal stroke, and her ever-present wide smile radiated contagious energy. Wearing a purple jacket that beautifully contrasted with her black skin, Amelia seemed completely at ease at the start of the new year.

Jake sighed internally upon seeing his friend. He knew that whenever Amelia was around, some embarrassing situation would soon unfold.
" Oh, it’s already started… " Jake murmured, trying to keep his balance on the bike as he aligned himself next to her. His own green eyes reflected a mix of resignation and anticipation. Amelia was like that, a force of nature, hard to avoid or ignore.

" I haven’t said anything yet… " she replied, lightly poking him in the arm with a teasing finger, her brown eyes sparkling with amusement.

Jake gave a half-smile and moved away, adjusting the hood of his blue jacket.
" So just spill it already… " he said, resigned to the fate that Amelia probably already had in mind for him.

" Tyler and I are in the same class this year " she said, her voice low, as if it were a well-kept secret.

Upon hearing Tyler’s name, something in Jake’s chest gave a little leap. He felt a momentary rush of breath and gripped the handlebars a bit tighter. What was that? He couldn’t understand why he reacted that way. Turning his face away, Jake tried to hide the blush rising on his freckled cheeks, feeling the growing heat contrasting with the cold wind slicing through the air.
" That’s nice for you… " he murmured, almost unsure of what to say.

Tyler. A name that brought back so many memories. He and Tyler had been friends with Jake since they moved to town over a decade ago. So much had changed since then, many things Jake preferred to forget. In that moment, the image of Tyler's red, irritated eyes from one very specific night flashed through his mind, generating palpable discomfort.
" Watch out for the cars! " Amelia interrupted, her voice laced with concern as she noticed Jake was about to cross without paying attention. " You’re distracted, huh? "

Jake merely shrugged, veering onto the sidewalk, but his mind remained lost.
" You know what that means, right? " Amelia pressed on, insistent.

" Don’t even try! " Jake replied quickly, his voice firm as he increased his pedaling pace. It was as if he wanted to escape not just the conversation, but all the confusion swirling inside him. The wind whipped against his face, further tangling his red hair, but the feeling of escape didn’t ease his mind.

Amelia quickened her pace, her pink curls moving like a flag in the wind, insisting on keeping up with him.
" I could talk about you to Ty… " she teased, her voice dripping with mischief.

Jake almost lost control of his bike. Her words caught him off guard, causing him to falter on the pedals for a moment. His heart raced, and he quickly turned his face, his eyes wide open.
" Amelia! " he exclaimed, his voice echoing down the street as panic rose within him. " Don’t even think about it! "

" Why not? " She raised an eyebrow, a playful smile curving her lips. " You two would make such a cute couple! "

Her words hit him like a punch to the gut. A couple? Tyler and him? What was she saying? Tyler was just a friend, right? Jake shook his head, trying to fend off the confusing thoughts. He felt sweat trickling down his neck, making him squirm inside his shirt.
" Oh my God… " Jake grumbled, more to himself than to her, his voice heavy with exasperation. " What kind of fanfics do you create in your head? "

Amelia let out a laugh, but soon made her final play, the blow she knew would truly shake Jake.
" Hyan thinks so too, you know...? " she said casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, but her eyes sparkled with that characteristic mischief.

Jake felt the ground disappear beneath his feet, his head spinning for a moment. Hyan? He blinked, trying to focus on the road, but they had already passed the BlackOps Bowling Alley, the place where he and his friends usually hung out. His mind was too far away to register the surroundings.
" Hyan knows what, Amelia? " he asked, confusion evident in his voice, as his heart raced even faster.

" He figured it out on his own, I swear " she shrugged. " You know he has those strange intuitions…"

Jake knew well. Hyan had always been introspective, someone who spoke little, but when he did, his words hit right at the core of issues. And now, this?
" The Red Ways are weird… " Jake murmured, trying to rationalize it all while forcing a shy smile. But then an idea struck him, a way to turn the tables. He looked at Amelia with a lighter, almost playful expression. " But speaking of Hyan… I’ll be in his class this year…"

Amelia, who had been trying to appear uninterested until now, raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
" And…? " she asked, sensing that Jake was about to retort.

" Looks like luck has turned, huh? " Jake said triumphantly, seizing the small moment of advantage as they crossed 37th Street. " I could talk about you to Hy… "

" Jake! " Amelia shouted, urging him to stop as she pedaled harder, trying to catch up with him.

Jake simply smiled, feeling victorious with each pedal. The morning breeze was invigorating, and for the first time that day, he felt in control.
" Now pedal fast! " he shouted, rounding the corner of 38th Street, his heart light and a satisfied smile on his face. " I don’t want to miss the first day of school! "

Amelia, laughing and showing him her middle finger, knew Jake had won that little battle… for now.