The morning light filtered through the curtains as Shawn reached for his phone, still feeling the weight of the previous night. His thumb hovered over the screen, searching for a distraction from the awkwardness that lingered in his mind. He opened Instagram, hoping to lose himself in something, anything.
But then, his eyes froze on the screen, his thumb paused mid-scroll.
There it was.
Amber followed him back.
A single, simple notification- but it hit him like a punch to the gut.
Shawn's face flushed with embarrassment as he stared at the notification. He had no idea why, in the heat of the moment, he had clicked "Follow" on her account. It had been late, he had been thinking about her and before he knew it, his thumb had moved on its own. But now, seeing her name there, a knot formed in his stomach. He couldn't believed it. Was he overthinking it? Did it mean something more, or was it just a casual click?
The uncertainty twisted inside him. He ran a hand through his messy hair and sighed. There was nothing to be done now. It wasn't like he could take it back. Still, a part of him wanted to read more into it, find meaning in a click. He hated how much power it suddenly seemed to hold over his morning.
Shaking his head at himself, he begam preparing for school. The morning routine felt oddly mechanical, as though his mind was still caught somewhere between the reality of what had happened and the normality of his everyday life. He grabbed his backpack, checked the time. Late. Great. He was going to be late if he didn't get moving. He threw on a hoodie, grabbed his backpack, and slipped his phone into his pocket, but not before checking the notification again. Still there. Still real.
"Focus," he muttered to himself as he tucked his phone int o his pocket.
Meanwhile, across town, Amber was waking up to a new day, her phone in hand as he slowly opened her eyes. Her first instinct was to check her notification. Her fingers swiped over the screen in a practiced motion. The moment she saw Shawn's name pop up as a new follower, her heart skipped a beat.
Had he really followed her? She could hardly believe it. Amber's finger hovered over his profile for a moment, wondering if she should message him, but her hesitation held her back. She didn't want to seem too eager, but curiosity was undeniable.
There it was- the familiar feeling of nervous excitement building in her chest. Shawn hadn't messaged her yet, but she couldn't help but scroll through his pictures, looking for something she hadn't noticed before.
Amber smiled to herself, wondering what exactly this "follow" meant, and more importantly- what would happened next.
As the morning unfolded, both of them couldn't shake the thought of the other, each unsure of what small digital gesture really meant, but unable to ignore the connection that had quietly begun to grow.
One simple action. Two hearts unsure. And a silent question hanging in the space between then:
What now?