Still Yours

Ding Dong. Then a knock.

Thalia wakes up from her nap on the couch, annoyed cause she has to get up and answer the door. Dragging herself to the hall, she calls out, “Who is it?“

A long silence. Then, a familiar voice.

“… Thally?” She opens the door, confused but happy that it’s not a stranger on her doorstep.

“Kali?” His real name is Malakai, but only she calls him that. Always has.

 “What are you doing here?” she asks.

Searching his face for a hint of an expression, but all she can see is his watered eyes.

Her heart drops as he says:

“… and I broke up again. This time it’s really over”.

Her heart aches for his broken heart.

“You want to come in?”

No answer. Kali buries his face in his hands, silent tears roll down his cheek.

“Are you okay? …. Don’t cry”. These moments are always difficult, especially since it’s not the first time she’s been here for him. He’s always been the one who needed fixing, always the one whose heart broke and needed mending.

“I can make you some…” but before she can finish, Kali hugs her and cries into her shoulder. They hug for a few moments in the doorway, before making their way to the couch inside.

She makes them cocoa, their childhood tradition, but something feels different this time. Maybe it’s the way her heart aches, or the way his fingers brush hers when he takes the mug.

Kali takes a slow sip, still silent. It’s only then that Thalia realizes that she’s always been there for the good, the bad, the happy, and the heartbreaking. When will he stop breaking over the wrong girls and finally see me? Thalia thinks to herself as she looks at him. And yet, she’s still waiting for him to see her the way she’s always seen him.

“You wanna talk about it?” Thalia asks him carefully. Kali shakes his head from side to side, a silent no. This time she won’t ask a second time to drag it out of him. She’s too tired to go back and forth with him about the fifth break-up he’s had in the past two, maybe three years. “Can I sleep here tonight?” Kali asks rather sadly. “I’m not ready for all the questions my mom will ask me yet.” Thalia nods. “Sure, you can sleep here on the couch. Let me get you a blanket and a pillow”. She disappears into the linen closet. A minute later she comes back with a blanket and pillow in her hands and hands it over to Kali. “Thanks Thally, I really appreciate you doing this for me”. Thalia doesn’t respond. Thalia watches him get comfortable on the couch, the same way he always does after another heartbreak. She used to feel special when he turned to her first, but now? Now, it just feels like a routine.

Maybe it’s time to break the cycle.

“Goodnight,” she says, closing the door of the living room behind her, heading up to her bedroom. Lying in bed that night, staring at her ceiling, Thalia makes a decision.

She can’t do this anymore. She won’t be his safety net anymore.

The next school day

In class, Thalia keeps her distance from Kali. She has to protect her heart.

After class, they bump into each other in the halls. “Hey, haven’t seen you in a while. Is everything okay?” Kali asks, his tone light but laced with concern. Thalia doesn’t meet his eyes as she shoves her books into her locker and grabs her lunch. “Everything’s fine” she says, keeping her voice neutral but still avoiding eye contact. Kali frowns. “Are you sure? Cause you haven’t responded to any of my messages. And when I ask you to hang out, you’re always busy!” He’s trying to sound casual, but even he hears the edge of frustration in his voice. Thalia lets out a sharp breath. Her frustration turns into anger as she meets his eyes. Here we go. “Maybe I’m too tired to hear you whining about your heartbreak.” She snaps, slamming her locker shut. Maybe you should think about someone else for a change!” Kali blinks, caught off guard. “Whoa, whoa where is this coming from?” He lets out a short laugh. “What did I do to you?”. Thalia balls her fists. Why can’t he just read my mind. If she explains herself now, she’ll say too much. And she’s not ready for that. “I don’t have the energy for this, Kali. Excuse me”. She turns her head and walks off. She doesn’t look back. By the time she reaches the bleachers, she finally exhales letting her anger melt into exhaustion. Why does it always have to be me who’s there for him? And why does he never see me the way is see him? She sits down, and stares into the field to let her thoughts wonder off.

Malakai is still left standing in the hallway. Stunned at what just happened. Thalia has never spoken to him like that. She has never been this angry with him. He wants to text her, but maybe she just needs some space. So he decides to text later in the day, to see if she gives him a chance to talk.

Slipping away

A few days later, Thalia still hasn’t responded to Malakai’s messages. He taps his fingers against his desk, staring at his phone screen. It’s been three days. Thalia has never gone this long without texting him first. He wants to believe she’s just busy—but deep down, he knows better. She’s pulling away. At lunch, his eyes flicker towards Thalia, sitting across the room, next to some guy from her art class. Noah. She laughs at something he says, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Malakai feels a sudden, unexpected tightness in his chest. He tells himself it’s just weird—seeing her without him. But it’s more than that. And for the first time, he wonders: What if she’s not waiting for me anymore? What if we can’t fix our friendship before she goes off to college on the other side of the country?

On the other side of the canteen Thalia is busy chatting with Noah. Trying to ignore the staring eyes of Malakai. She rather keeps her distance by acting like he’s not there. Because she knows if she reaches out to him, it’ll always be her making the first move after a fight. Even though she misses him, she’s not in a hurry to make amends. Afraid to get hurt again.

Malakai feels uneasy with the distance between them. But he’s not stopping his efforts now, to try and get his best friend back. So he makes his way over to Thalia and Noah’s table. “Can I help you?” Noah asks as he looks at Malakai in a questionable way. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” he asks Thalia.

“Can’t you see I’m busy? Thalia says with an unbothered look on her face.

Malakai shifts on his feet, glancing at Noah before looking back at Thalia. “It’ll only take a minute,” he says, almost pleading.

Thalia exhales sharply, setting her fork down. “Fine.” She pushes her chair back and stands, giving Noah a quick look. “I’ll be right back.”

Noah watches them with narrowed eyes but doesn’t say anything as Thalia walks past Malakai and leads him just outside the cafeteria, near the lockers. She crosses her arms. “What?” she says, indicating to make his point quickly. Malakai hesitates, shoving his hands in his pockets. Now that he finally has her attention, the words feel heavier than he expected. “Are you… going to prom?”

Thalia blinks, clearly caught off guard. “That’s what this is about?” She scoffs. “Since when do you care about prom?”

“I don’t,” he admits. “Or at least, I didn’t. But—” He drags a hand through his curls. “I guess I just thought we’d go together.”

Thalia’s expression softens for a second before she schools it back into indifference. “You assumed I’d wait around for you to ask?”

Malakai tenses. “No, I just—”

“Because I spent years waiting for you, Kali. And I’m done waiting.”

The silence that follows is heavy.

Malakai swallows hard. “So, you’re going with Noah?”

Thalia looks away. “I don’t think that’s any of your business, but yes I am.”

Something sharp twists in his chest. He nods slowly, as if trying to absorb the weight of those words. “Right.”

Thalia exhales, shaking her head. “If that’s all, I need to get back.”

No that’s not all he thinks. I want my best friend back. That’s the least of what he wants to say. He wants to fix this—but he doesn’t know how. Not when she’s already slipping away.

So he lets her go. And as he watches her walk back into the cafeteria, he realizes—this time, she might not come back. Maybe she’s really moving on.

Two weeks later

By the time prom posters go up in the hallways, Thalia has mastered the art of avoiding him.

The hallways are covered in red and gold posters that scream PROM NIGHT – TWO WEEKS AWAY! in bold, glittery letters.

Malakai barely pays attention to them—until he passes one that reads: "Got a date yet?"

He scoffs under his breath.

A date? He doesn’t even have his best friend anymore.

What’s the point of going if Thalia isn’t by his side?

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he moves through the crowded hallway, lost in thought

That’s when he sees them. Noah. Standing next to Thalia’s locker, leaning against it like he does daily.

(Thalia has been hanging out with Noah for a few weeks now. Malakai has seen them together a couple times in the hallway, but pretends not to notice. They haven’t labeled their situationship yet, but he’s definitely getting a little too comfortable around Thalia. Putting his hands on her waist, like they belong there.)

Malakai slows his steps, his jaw tightening. Noah’s talking, smiling, casual. Too casual. Then, right in front of Malakai, Noah scratches the back of his neck and says,

“So… I was thinking. Since we’ve been hanging out a lot lately… You wanna go to prom with me?”

Malakai stops in his tracks. His stomach twists as Thalia hesitates. For a second, she looks caught off guard. Hope flickers inside him—maybe she’ll say no. Maybe—

She smiles. “Yeah, I’d love to.”

Noah grins and pulls her into a hug. Thalia wraps her arms around him, but as they hold onto each other, her gaze drifts across the hallway… to Malakai. Their eyes meet.

Her body tenses. She wasn’t expecting him to be watching.

Malakai doesn’t move. He doesn’t react. He just stares, like he’s processing something too big to say out loud. Thalia feels a bit anxious. But before she can even unpack it, Noah pulls back, still smiling. She quickly focuses back on him. Because what else is she supposed to do?

Prom night

Ding dong!

“Thalia, are you ready? Noah is here to pick you up for prom.”

“Almost done, tell him I’ll be down in 2 minutes, okay?” Thalia says in a rushed voice.

They laugh. With Thalia it’s never 2 minutes. So they sit down as her mom makes them some tea. Upstairs in her bedroom, Thalia is getting ready for prom. She’s nervous. Finally putting the last bobby pin in her messy bun, pulling out a few curly strings. She looks into the mirror and blows out a nervous breath. “You got this” she says out loud while looking in the mirror. “Girl you ate with this looks, I know that’s right”. She smiles. She’s ready. As she walks towards the stairs, she calls out with high volume: “Mom I’m ready. You better get your phone out right now, cause I’m not doing my prom walk twice.”

When she reaches the top of the stairs, she sees her mom and Noah already standing at the stairwell. She makes her way down, while her mom is busy taking pictures. “Okay mom, that’s enough!”. Her mom looks up from her phone with an annoyed look. “You can never have too many pictures of your baby girl.” Thalia rolls her eyes. “Mom, I’m not no baby girl anymore, I’m a woman now.” Her mom laughs teasingly. “Alright now, Y’all should get going”.

Thalia refocuses on Noah. “You look absolutely beautiful, tonight” Noah says as he pulls a curly strand of hair away from her eyes. “You don’t look so bad yourself either” Thalia says as she fixes his tie. In a rush they get in Noah’s car and drive off to prom.

At the dance

The music pulses through the gymnasium, colorful lights flickering across the dance floor. Malakai leans against the wall, watching.

Thalia looks stunning. He’s never seen her like this—hair curled, a soft shimmer on her cheeks, dress flowing like she walked straight out of a dream. And yet, she’s standing beside Noah. Laughing. Dancing. Smiling.

Malakai’s chest tightens. He was supposed to be the one beside her.

For the past two weeks, he’s tried—really tried—to talk to her again. But every time, she slipped through his fingers like sand. The last time he approached her, she barely met his eyes. And now? Now she’s here, with someone else.

But then Noah steps away for a moment. Thalia is suddenly alone near the refreshment table, absentmindedly stirring her drink. This is it. His last chance.

Malakai swallows his pride and walks over.

"Hey."

She turns, eyes widening slightly. "Kali?"

"Can we talk?" he asks with caution, but determination.

A pause. Then, she nods.

The next thing she knows, they’re on the dance floor. Together.

The world blurs around them, the music fades into the background, and it’s just them.

“Thalia, you look beautiful tonight!” Malakai says, as he has only eyes for her now.

Thalia looks up surprised and confused at the same time.

“Eh… You used my actual name. That’s never happened before. Is everything okay?”

"I miss you," Malakai admits, voice barely above a whisper. "I miss us."

Thalia looks up at him, something unreadable in her eyes. "You always miss me when it’s too late."

He exhales sharply. "I don’t want it to be too late. Not this time."

He hesitates, then cups her cheek. “Thally… I think—no, I know—I lo—”

Then she wakes up.

Gasping, heart pounding, reality crashing over her like a wave.

She’s in her bed. It was just a dream. But why does it feel so real?

She touches her lips, remembering the almost-kiss. Her chest aches.

Maybe she’s been lying to herself. Maybe she was never waiting for Malakai to love her. Maybe she’s still waiting.

And she can’t leave without him knowing.

The night before graduation.

With graduation just a day away, Thalia sits on the floor of her bedroom, staring at her half-packed suitcase. After tomorrow, everything changes. She exhales slowly, fingers gripping the pen that hovers over a blank sheet of paper. Her heart beats in her ears, loud and certain. She has spent years burying these feelings, locking them away in silences. But after that dream, she knows she can’t leave without telling him.

So, she writes:

“Dear Malakai,

I got in. The college of my dreams, the one I’ve been working for all these years—it’s happening. It’s finally becoming a reality. In just a few days, I’ll be leaving, starting over in a whole new place. I wanted to tell you sooner but I was afraid… that my feelings for you come back up again. To be honest, instead of feeling excited, all I can think about is you.

I don’t know why I’m writing this. Maybe because I know if I try to say it out loud, I’ll never actually say it. And now, when I’m about to leave, I finally found the courage to tell you.

I love you. I think I always have. But I was always too scared to admit it. Afraid of getting my heart broken, just like you did with all these girls you once called your girlfriend.

You were never just my best friend, Kali. You were my favorite person. And that’s why I stayed. Through every heartbreak, every wrong girl, every late night you showed up at my door looking for comfort—I was always there. Because I thought, maybe one day, you’d see me. I kept wondering when can I call you mine, so you can call me yours. Maybe one day, it would be my turn.

But it never was. And I convinced myself that was okay. I told myself it didn’t matter. That having you in my life in any way was better than not at all. So I swallowed the hurt, the jealousy, the ache of watching you give away pieces of your heart to people who never deserved them. I smiled through it, even when it felt like it was breaking me.

And then, I got scared. Scared that if I kept waiting, I’d only keep hurting. So I walked away. But the truth is, I never really left you, Malakai. And I don’t think I ever could. I don’t know what you’ll do with this letter. Maybe you’ll read it and forget about it. Maybe you’ll read it and wish I had told you sooner. But I didn’t, and now we’re here—on the edge of something new, going our separate ways. Maybe it’s too late. But at least now, you know.

And no matter where I go, no matter how much time passes, … I think a part of me will always be,

Still yours,

Thalia”

She stares at the words for a long time before folding the letter neatly and slipping it into an envelope. Tomorrow, before she leaves, she’ll find a way to give it to him. And then, for the first time in years, she’ll let go. Or at least, she’ll try.