FOREVER & ALWAYS CHAPTER 3: A SHIFT IN PARTNERS

The teacher’s voice was a distant hum until his name snapped Jared to attention. "For your next project," Ms. Reyes announced, "you'll be working in pairs, two students selecting a subject to present next week." Jared leaned back in his chair, a familiar, easy confidence settling in. He and Jaden. It was just how things worked.

Then his name came again. "Jared… with Ashley."

Jared blinked. Ashley? He knew the name, the face – quiet, always organized. Not Jaden. He glanced across the room, expecting Jaden's usual eye-roll, the familiar signal of shared exasperation.

But Jaden wasn't looking.

"Jaden… with Taki."

Jared watched as Jaden gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. No fuss. He simply turned towards Taki, who was already beaming, and started talking. The knot in Jared’s stomach tightened. He was the only one who seemed to have misread the situation.

"Jared?"

He turned to see Ashley, a polite smile on her face. "Yeah?" he managed.

"We're partners," she stated. "You really don't remember me? We've had a few classes together."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Uh, right. Sorry. I'm Jared."

"I'm Ashley. Call me Ash, it's easier," she offered. "For the project… I was thinking environmental conservation." She began outlining her thoughts, clear and well-reasoned. Jared nodded along, half-listening, half-watching Jaden and Taki. They were already deep in conversation, heads close, a steady stream of easy laughter carrying across the room.

He looks… comfortable. The thought rankled.

Lunchtime. Jared headed straight for their usual table. Jaden arrived a moment later, sliding into the seat opposite. The air felt heavy, stretched thin.

"So, you're not bothered by the pairing?" Jared asked, his voice deliberately flat.

Jaden looked up from unwrapping his sandwich, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Should I be?"

"Just… moved on," Jared murmured, picking at his food. "No big deal."

"It's just a school project, Jared," Jaden said, a hint of something unreadable in his tone. "We're still friends."

Before Jared could push further, Ashley approached with her tray. "Mind if I join you guys?"

Jared glanced at Jaden, who merely shrugged. "Uh, sure," Jared said, making space. He focused on Ash, engaging with her project ideas, conscious of Jaden across the table. He caught Jaden's eyes a few times, a quick flicker before looking away.

Then Taki showed up. "Hey, Jaden! Mind if I—"

"No, sit down," Jaden cut him off smoothly, gesturing to the empty seat beside him.

Jared's expression hardened. He stared at Taki, a silent, pointed message. Ash, sensing the shift, turned to Taki. "Hi, I'm Ashley."

"Oh, I'm Taki," he chirped, oblivious, as he settled in. "I'm Jaden's partner."

The rest of lunch was Taki's ceaseless chatter and Jaden's easy replies. Jared tried to engage with Ash, but his attention was elsewhere, tethered to the conversation beside him. He felt a familiar possessiveness stir, sharp and unwelcome.

Afternoon classes dragged. Jared's phone was under his desk.

Jared: hey

Jared: u busy after school?

Jared: wanna play games?

No response. He tried again.

Jared: everything alright?

Jared: u seem kinda… off today

Still nothing. He pocketed the phone.

The final bell was a cue. Jared was out the door and heading straight for Jaden's street. He pushed open the familiar door without knocking. "Jaden?" he called out.

Jaden looked up from the couch, where he was on his phone. He seemed surprised. "Jared? What's up?"

"Wanna play some games?" Jared asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

Jaden's lips quirked. "Sure. But you know you're going to lose."

"Oh, we'll see," Jared retorted, grabbing a controller.

They settled in. The familiar sounds of their game filled the room, but Jared’s focus was fractured. He missed combos, pressed the wrong buttons.

"Ha! Told you," Jaden crowed, his character delivering a final blow. "You're really off your game today."

"Just distracted," Jared muttered.

"Distracted by what?" Jaden asked, his eyes sharp. "Your new partner?"

Jared met his gaze. "Maybe. She's smart. We've got a lot of ideas."

Jaden's jaw tightened, his eyes dropping back to the screen. "Good for you," he mumbled. "At least someone's happy with their partner."

"Are you not?" Jared asked, his voice low.

Jaden didn’t look up immediately. "He's fine," he said after a beat. "A bit much, though. Talks too much."

A small smile touched Jared's lips. "Oh yeah? Sounded like you guys were having a blast earlier."

Jaden finally looked at him, rolling his eyes. "Please. I was being polite. What was I supposed to do? Sit there looking bored?"

"You could've looked a little less excited," Jared countered, a relieved chuckle escaping him.

"You looked like someone stole your lunch money," Jaden shot back, but a faint smile was starting to break through.

They played another round. Jared, still out of sync, lost again. Jaden cheered. "See! Told you! You're letting other things mess up your game."

Jared pulled out his phone. He saw the notification.

Jaden: by the way… sorry for not replying earlier. my phone died. and yeah… i was a bit surprised too. didn’t know what to say.

Jared looked up at Jaden, who was now meticulously examining his controller, avoiding eye contact, a faint blush on his cheeks.

Jared: it's okay. i get it.

Jared: but just so u know… nothing changes us. we're still best friends.

Jaden's phone buzzed. He picked it up, read the message, and then looked at Jared. This time, the smile was genuine, warm, and familiar.

Jaden: you too, dummy. always.

Jaden: now stop being soft and let's play another round. i'll even let you win this time… maybe.

To be continue...

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