Walls

Consequences

Phana's POV

I left immediately after class, stopping only to get a pink milk. I ran directly to the Moon and Star practice area, slowing down just enough to fix my hair and calm my heart. I hid the pink milk behind my back, hoping to make up for this morning by surprising Yo with his favorite drink, but when I walked around the corner I saw Forth with his arm around my Yo.

"Ai'Pha, what are you doing here? Isn't this your lunch break?" Forth asked.

Yo barely glanced at me. He looked at the ground, looked up at Forth, and looked down at the ground again.

"I was checking on the freshmen, you know, just to make sure they're doing okay," I said, trying to sound unconcerned.

"Checking on the freshmen?" Forth questioned. "You only have 30 minutes for lunch and your faculty is all the way across campus."

"I'm the Campus Moon," I replied stiffly. "It's my responsibility."

"Sure," Forth said. "Well, we've got to go. N'Yo is hungry."

My eyes followed them as they walked away. When my phone beeped, I knew I had to get back to class. I got in my car and drove away feeling hopeless. Watching Forth with his arm around my Yo had almost killed me. I hated watching them together. I hated the way Forth made Yo smile. I hated the way Yo looked at Forth instead of at me. But most of all, I hated myself for not being in Forth's place. I ran to class, making it back just in time to take my seat before the professor began the lecture.

"Pink milk, Pha?" Kit asked, questioning my beverage choices.

"It was for N'Yo," I replied, sounding pathetic.

"Why isn't he drinking it then?" Beam asked. "Don't tell me he refused to take a drink from you."

"I didn't give it to him," I said, keeping my eyes trained on the professor. "He went to out to lunch."

"You didn't even get to see him?" Kit asked, sounding sympathetic.

"I saw him. When I arrived he was leaving with Ai'Forth," I said. I couldn't help the way I choked on the last word. "The pink milk was behind my back, so I just pretended like I was there to see how the freshmen were doing."

"Loser move, Pha," Beam said with his usual straightforward opinions. "If you don't get your head out of your ass, Ai'Forth is going to steal that nong before you ever have a chance to tell him how you feel."

"What was I supposed to do?" I asked, angry at the way Beam scolded me.

"You could have told them the truth," Beam looked at me like I was clueless. "Tell N'Yo that you wanted to apologize for leaving him this morning. Give him the pink milk. Make sure Ai'Forth knows that you're staking a claim."

"Beam's right," Kit said. "Ai'Forth is your friend. If you had told him from the beginning that you had feelings for N'Yo, he would have backed off."

"I didn't even know he was my Nong Wayo," I said through clenched teeth. "How could I have told Ai'Forth to back off?"

"Come on Pha," Beam said with a groan. "It was so obvious. I'm your best friend and I love you like a brother, but sometimes you are a massive moron."

"Listen," Kit said, stepping in before I decide to murder Beam, "it isn't too late. N'Yo isn't Ai'Forth's boyfriend yet, so you still have a chance."

"You're right," I said, feeling a tiny ray of hope.

"If you stop acting like a coward and finally start being honest," Beam said, stopping my smile before it can even start.

I've messed up so many times and I know I'm going to lose my last chance if I don't do something fast. I do the only thing I know to do right at that moment, I text my dad and ask him to reserve a practice room at uncle's music store so that Yo can practice.