When Everyone Is Watching

A few moments later, before Mitchell could fill me in on the details, our friends — Frank, Stanley, Charlotte, Cindy, and Chris — strolled up. Word had spread about the restaurant incident, and they were here to check in. Strangely, the chaos had brought the group back together again, like a reboot of old times — except for Sarah, who was still actively avoiding me.

“Hey guys!” I called out as they neared. Peter, trailing behind, broke into a jog.

“Dude, I heard about last night! I came running as soon as I got the story. Why didn’t you call me, man?” he said, breathless as he flopped beside me, eyes scanning me for damage like a worried older brother.

“Hey, don’t worry, I’m fine,” I said with a wry grin.

As I began recounting the story, the group burst into laughter. The kind that comes not from mockery, but the shared relief that comes when a disaster almost happens — and everyone walks away mostly intact.

Then Charlotte leaned in, voice curious. “Cedric, you told us what happened, but what actually triggered the whole thing?”

Before I could answer, Mitchell stepped forward. “Guys, I think I’m the catalyst here.” Her voice was steady but laced with unease. “I know you all, but you don’t know me yet. My name is Mitchell. I met Cedric yesterday, when I was… well, kind of lost in my own thoughts. He noticed and came over. We started talking, and he invited me for coffee.”

She paused, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Then we went to the restaurant. That’s when Sarah showed up. Maybe she was jealous… or just misunderstood the situation. Maybe she thought Cedric and I were… on a date.”

Her words landed like a dropped glass. Somewhere between awkward and insightful.

Mitchell looked directly at me then. “Cedric, are youin love with Sarah? Or is Sarah in love with you?”

The question hung in the air like fog. Our group fell into a hush — not out of judgment, but curiosity. Sarah and I had been close forever, but no one had ever put it into words.

Except I had always known. And hidden it.

Cindy broke the silence with a gentle laugh. “Ah, love triangles. Been there, dodged that. I mean, it’s possible — even with long-time friends.” She looked around. “But seriously, where is Sarah? Does she even know what happened at the restaurant?”

I glanced at the ground, unease settling in. “What if she has no idea who she’s really with? What if she’s in love with that guy and doesn’t see who he is?”

I replayed it aloud. “It happened while Sarah was outside. That guy showed up when she was already upset and tried to calm things down. He took her outside — gently, not forcefully. Then he came back… tense. Confrontational. Like he wanted to make sense of what he’d walked into.”

Peter nodded. “Makes sense, man. If you love someone, you want to protect them. That’s probably what he was doing.”

I agreed. “I might’ve done the same. But I still don’t know why Sarah’s been avoiding me lately. I haven’t had the courage to ask.”

Chris leaned in. “Then maybe I should. You know, as her friend. I’ll talk to her. She should at least know what happened to you.”

Then Mitchell cleared her throat. “Guys, there’s something I’ve been trying to say. Cedric… I know Charlie. I dated him. And let me tell you — he’s not who he pretends to be. He’s controlling. Selfish. Manipulative.”

Her voice trembled slightly, but she went on. “I broke up with him a few days ago. Maybe what happened at the restaurant wasn’t even about Sarah. Maybe it was me. Maybe he was angry that I moved on — or that I was with Cedric.”

She looked around. “What do you think?”

Cindy nodded slowly. “That makes sense. If Mitchell was with Cedric at a place where her ex works… that could’ve triggered something.”

Charlotte stood and paced a few steps. “You know… if we want to know how Sarah really feels, there’s one way to find out.”

Chris raised an eyebrow. “What are you thinking?”

Charlotte flashed a grin. “What if I went out with Cedric for real? If Sarah gets jealous, we’ll know.”

My stomach twisted. Sarah had once admitted her feelings to me — quietly, over lunch with her mom. And now it felt like her silence was hiding even more.

Before I could speak, Mitchell jumped in. “Or maybe I go on a date with Cedric. If Charlie shows up again, angry… that’ll tell us whether it was really about Sarah — or about me.”

Stanley let out a dramatic gasp. “Two girls, one Cedric. This guy’s living the dream!”

Everyone laughed — except me. Because I wasn’t sure how to respond.

“I think I would take—” I started.

But just then, my phone rang.

And the moment slipped away.

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