Aleena walked home from school, and she couldn't escape the haunting sound of her name being called over her shoulder. It was a voice she hadn't heard all day – Shane's voice. Aleena had deliberately avoided Shane throughout the day, a painful effort to distance herself from her best friend. The ache of unrequited feelings had become too much to bear, and Aleena had decided to stop seeking out Shane's company. Even though Shane had made several attempts to engage with her, making eye contact and appearing as though he wanted to talk, Aleena had sidestepped her at every turn. Just seeing Shane had already begun to hurt deeply.
 
"Aleena!" Shane's voice carried as he ran to catch up with Aleena, who walked with her head down.
 
Aleena quickened her pace, clutching her books tightly, trying to ignore the turmoil churning within her.
 
"Aleena!" Shane called again, his hand catching Aleena's shoulder, forcing her to turn around.
 
"Shane," Aleena breathed, her emotions already spiraling out of control in Shane's presence.
 
"Hey! Where have you been all day? I have something really important to tell you, and I've been trying to talk to you, but you seemed like you were avoiding me," Shane said with a tinge of hurt in his voice.
 
Aleena felt her resolve begin to crumble as she gazed into Shane's earnest eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm very busy right now."
 
"Too busy to listen to me for ten minutes?" Shane asked, his disappointment palpable.
 
It was then that Aleena truly looked at Shane and noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the puffiness that could only come from crying. In that moment, Aleena's resolve wavered further. Seeing Shane looking so worn out tugged at her heartstrings.
 
"On Friday, Daisy threw a birthday party," Shane began, and Aleena's heartache intensified at the mention of the girl Shane loved. She didn't like where this was going, and she wondered how she could endure listening to Shane talk about Daisy when every fiber of her being rebelled at the thought of Shane being with someone else.
 
"And I thought it was a good time to confess... Aleena..." Shane's voice quivered with heartbreak, and Aleena's chest ached in response. "She said she never saw me that way. I was only her friend. She loves someone else. She's been avoiding me all day. Aleena... It hurts so much."
 
Aleena stopped in her tracks, staring at Shane with blank disbelief. Shane's face was contorted in pain, and Aleena's chest felt like it was about to burst.
 
After weeks of Aleena waiting and yearning, after standing in the rain for an hour, thinking Shane would at least remember to text her, she felt heartbroken and disappointed. And now, the boy who had ignored her for weeks, the one who pushed her aside to be with Daisy, came running back to Aleena the moment he was rejected. Aleena's patience had worn thin.
 
"It hurts? It hurts?" Aleena's voice took on a hysterical edge as she pushed closer to Shane, making the other boy take a few steps back.
 
"It hurts that the girl you've been pining after for weeks, maybe years, said she does not have feelings for you? It's time to grow up, Shane! People get hurt, they don't love you back, it's just the way the world works!" Aleena's voice grew louder with each sentence.
 
Shane widened his eyes, staring at Aleena in shock. "Aleena, why are you saying this? You're my friend; you should know how much it hurts."
 
Aleena's eyes filled with anger and frustration. "Yes, Shane. I know very well how much it hurts, considering I've been in love with you for 4 years!" she yelled.
 
"I've had to listen to you talk about Daisy, how perfect she is, watch you pine after her, all while you ignore me for her, leave me waiting to walk home with you, even though you already left to walk with her. Never calling me, never even trying to reach out to me, never seeing me." Aleena took a deep breath, trying to prevent herself from breaking down completely in front of Shane.
 
"So yes, Shane, I know how much it hurts," she gritted.
 
Shane looked dumbfounded, staring at Aleena with his mouth slightly agape. "Aleena, you what?" he asked, his voice strangled.
 
Aleena's anger deflated as quickly as it had flared up, leaving him feeling resigned more than anything. She knew her feelings toward Shane were hopeless, like a wishful dream she couldn't shake, no matter how much she tried.
 
"I know you're never going to see me like that. There's no need to tell me," Aleena muttered, her voice tinged with sorrow. "I just wish you would have treated me like a friend, if nothing else."
 
With that, she turned and walked away, yearning for Shane to chase after her, to deny what she had just said. Aleena hoped that Shane would grab her arm, whispering that she was wrong. But Shane just let Aleena walk away, his eyes fixed on Aleena's retreating form.
 
"This is better. Now I can move on," Aleena whispered to herself, trying to convince her heart, even though it refused to listen and continued to break with each step she took.