The last school bell rang, and Jake could barely focus on anything except the thought of Brielle waiting for him by the front gates. She stood there, leaning against the rail with her usual confidence, her long hair catching the golden light of the afternoon sun.

“Finally,” she said when he walked up, flashing that smile that always made him forget what he was about to say. “You ready?”

Jake nodded, adjusting his backpack. “Yeah. Matcha time, right?”

“Obviously,” Brielle grinned, looping her arm through his like it was the most natural thing in the world. “You promised me after last week’s math disaster.”

“Hey,” Jake said, pretending to defend himself. “I wasn’t that bad.”

“You called a triangle a ‘three-sided stick,’ Jake,” she teased, laughing as they started walking.

Jake groaned but couldn’t help laughing too. “Okay, fair.”

The matcha café was only a short walk away, one of those trendy little spots with pastel green walls and hanging plants everywhere. The moment they stepped inside, the smell of fresh tea hit them, and Brielle’s eyes lit up.

“This place is so cute,” she said, pulling out her phone. “We’re definitely taking a picture later.”

Jake rolled his eyes with a smile. “You and your pictures…”

“You love it,” she shot back, already ordering two iced matcha lattes with oat milk. When the drinks came out, perfectly layered and Instagram-worthy, Brielle squealed softly and held hers up to admire it.

“Cheers,” Jake said, tapping his cup against hers.

They sat by the window, watching cars pass as they sipped their drinks. Brielle started telling him about her day—how her English teacher gave her an A on her essay, how her best friend embarrassed herself during gym—but Jake was only half-listening, too busy watching the way her eyes lit up when she laughed.

“You’re staring,” she said suddenly, smirking.

Jake almost choked on his drink. “What? No, I was just—”

“Mm-hmm,” Brielle teased, leaning closer. “Admit it. You like me more than matcha.”

Jake grinned. “Yeah… I guess I do.”

She smiled at that, and for a moment, everything felt easy. Just two kids, after school, sipping matcha and forgetting about the world.

“Next time,” Brielle said, twirling her straw, “we’re trying the strawberry matcha.”