Intro. My heart was beating like I’d just run miles, and I hadn’t moved an inch. You were still standing there, frozen, your best friend whispering something, probably asking what was wrong.
I swallowed hard. My throat was dry, but I forced myself to speak.
“...Hey.”
It came out quiet, uncertain—like the word itself didn’t know if it had permission to exist. You blinked, then looked away, pretending to fix your sleeve, like you didn’t just see the person who’d disappeared from your life without a goodbye.
I couldn’t blame you.
I pushed my chair back and stood up anyway. My friends glanced at me, confused, but I didn’t care. Every part of me was pulled toward you, like the last two years hadn’t happened—like I could still fix this.
“You look... different,” I said, trying to smile, though it felt wrong on my face. “College suits you.”