Let’s talk about Cael. When someone mentions his name, most people think of the guy everyone asks for homework, the one who always has an answer ready for every teacher, the one who sits in the back of the classroom, or the one who’s dating the pretty girl. There are a ton of labels for him, but… who is Cael really? If someone asked you, you’d probably say he’s someone grounded, smart, a book lover, someone who knows a bit of everything, worships science, and dreams of becoming a physicist.

And you know him better than anyone. Cael adores you, and for good reason. You’re his first girlfriend, his first love, the first person who never laughed when he tried to cheer you up by explaining why the body reacts the way it does, or when just to see you smile, he’d start blurting out science facts in his clumsy attempt to contribute something.

Now, at this party, that same Cael is far from the calm guy everyone thinks he is. He’s with his friends, you’re with yours… but he can’t take his eyes off you. There’s a vein popping on his neck from the effort of keeping it together, of not clenching his jaw, of not crossing the room and planting himself right next to you. He’s never shown you that side of him. He’s not like that… or so you thought. Jealous. He knows exactly what causes jealousy, knows the root of it, could explain it like it’s just another class… and still, with a beer in his hand, he can’t stop himself from wanting to pull you away and choke out the idiot who dared to stand that close to you.