**CHAPTER SIX – Abel’s POV**

Abel slid his phone into his pocket and shut the door to the cab with an annoyed sigh. The ride home from the café had been the longest fifteen minutes of his day, not because of traffic or distance, but because of the emotional residue clinging to him like sweat after a tough workout. He’d just had what was officially the most annoying date of his life with none other than Silvia, the Instagram model turned fashion student who had more followers than common sense.

He hadn’t even planned the date; it was Silvia’s idea. She had suggested coffee and “deep conversation” at a trendy café downtown. What Abel had hoped would be a laid-back evening turned out to be an exhausting episode of self-glorification and endless scrolling. She spent more time adjusting filters on her photos than looking him in the eye. She talked about herself like she was pitching a documentary name-dropping designers she once greeted at a fashion show, gushing over how people "just naturally gravitated to her aura."

The kicker? She barely let him speak, and when she did, her responses were always somewhere between a yawn and a vague “oh wow.”

So yes, he was irritated. He was also hungry, mentally drained, and in dire need of some peace and quiet. As he reached the front of the house he shared with Kelvin, all he wanted was a cool drink and maybe some alone time.

But the moment he opened the door and stepped into the living room, he realized peace would have to wait.

Kelvin was pacing furiously. The kind of pacing that meant something had gone terribly wrong.

“Bro?” Abel called cautiously as he set his keys on the table.

Kelvin turned to face him, his jaw tight, his brows furrowed in a storm of frustration. “She made me wait for fifteen minutes, Abel. Fifteen! On the first day!”

Abel blinked. “Wait, who?”

“Linda!” Kelvin snapped, throwing his backpack on the couch. “That girl Coach Daniel assigned to tutor me. Can you believe it? I got there early before four. I waited. She didn’t show up until 4:15. No text. No call. Nothing.”

Abel whistled low and tossed himself onto the couch. “That’s rough. But hey, maybe something came up?”

“She said she had to run errands,” Kelvin scoffed. “For her dad or something. Like I care! This is my future we’re talking about! If I don’t get my grades up, I’m off the team. No scouts. No pro league. No dream.”

Abel leaned forward and opened a bottle of water. He took a sip and watched Kelvin, who was still pacing like a lion in a cage. “Okay, I get it. You’re mad. I’d be mad too. But you didn’t exactly ask to be tutored. This was Coach Daniel’s idea. And you’re not paying her or anything, right?”

Kelvin turned to him with a scowl. “So she can waste my time because it’s free?”

“No, man, that’s not what I’m saying.” Abel leaned back, calm as ever. “I’m just saying… maybe don’t crucify her just yet. You don’t know what really happened.”

“She gave an excuse, that’s what happened.”

“And maybe it’s legit.” Abel raised a brow. “I mean, your dad’s not the kind to call you up for help at the last minute, but not everyone has it that easy.”

Kelvin grunted and dropped into a chair, his body language tense. “She didn’t even look sorry, bro.”

“Did you let her explain?”

“I didn’t need to. I told her what I thought and left.”

Abel sighed. “Okay, and how did that help?”

There was silence.

Kelvin stared at the floor, still fuming but slowly realizing his anger was spinning in circles. Abel could see it his best friend’s frustration wasn’t just about Linda being late. It was about the pressure building in his chest like a balloon ready to burst. The expectations. The stakes. The fear of failure he masked with arrogance.

Abel understood. He’d seen it in Kelvin before, even back in high school when Kelvin would miss a shot and blame the ball.

“Look,” Abel said softly. “You’ve got a lot riding on this. I get that. But maybe chill a bit, yeah? Maybe she really had something important to do. She still showed up, didn’t she? That says something.”

Kelvin didn’t respond immediately, but his posture relaxed just a little.

Abel continued, “You’re stuck with her, so maybe you guys need to actually… talk. Like adults. Clear the air.”

Kelvin scoffed. “Easier said than done.”

“Only if you keep acting like the world revolves around you.”

Kelvin shot him a glare, but it lacked real venom. Abel smiled and took another sip of water.

A moment passed. Then another.

Kelvin leaned back, sighing loudly. “I just don’t have time for stress, bro.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here.” Abel grinned. “To be your unpaid therapist.”

Kelvin chuckled just a little. It was a start.

But despite the minor mood shift, Abel could tell Kelvin was still worked up. The anger hadn’t left; it had just taken a seat in the corner of the room, quiet for now, but ready to spring up again.

Abel hated seeing his friend like this so pent-up, so rigid. He thought about Linda. He didn’t know her, had never met her before Kelvin mentioned her name yesterday. But he was curious now. She had made Kelvin react this strongly, and that said something.

Maybe she wasn’t the problem.

Maybe they just got off on the wrong foot.

Abel picked up his phone, scrolling through his contacts instinctively. He paused when he realized what he was trying to do *reach out to Linda*.

But of course, he didn’t have her number.

He didn’t even know her last name properly. All he had was the first name: Linda. And he only knew about her because of Kelvin.

He leaned back, thinking.

Maybe he could message someone from her department.

Maybe.

But even as the idea crossed his mind, he realized something else—he was already invested. Not in the drama, but in the outcome. If Linda was going to help Kelvin get through this, he wanted it to work. Not just for the grades, but because his friend needed stability. Someone calm. Someone consistent. And strangely, Abel had a gut feeling that Linda could be that person—if Kelvin let her.

But first, someone had to build the bridge.

And right now, they didn’t even have the blueprints.

Abel sighed and looked over at Kelvin, who was scrolling mindlessly through his phone, still frowning.

Maybe tomorrow would be better.

Maybe.

But only if someone swallowed their pride first.

Abel tries to calm Kelvin down.