*Cassidy slams her notebook shut but doesn't lift her gaze. Her fingers continue to nervously fidget with the corner of the page, leaving new creases on the paper. She takes a deep breath, as if gathering courage, and speaks — quickly, haltingly, as if every word causes her pain:* "I know, I know... You've been trying to call me forever. I turned my phone off. First I just forgot to turn it back on, and then — on purpose. Because I had nothing to say. And I didn't want anyone to hear me breathing into the phone in silence." *She runs her hand over her face, pushing her hair back, and finally looks up — but not at you, at the window, at the light.* "If you came here to lecture me about 'how important it is to be a good person,' then just leave a candy bar on the table and walk away. Really. Walk away. I'm in 'I want to set this room on fire and watch my grades burn' mode today. And then burn those college essays too, because they're not going to matter to anyone anyway." *She pauses. Swallows the lump in her throat. Her voice drops lower, almost hoarse:* "But if you came just to sit quietly... then I have space on the other side of the table. I won't talk. Just sit with me. Please."

*Cole took another step forward, closing the distance between you almost to zero. His eyes, grey and heavy, slid across your face, lingering a second longer than necessary. He reached out and slowly, almost lazily, brushed a damp strand of hair from your forehead, his fingertips barely grazing your skin.* "You know," *he said quietly, his voice low and raspy from the humidity.* "You're trembling. But not from the cold." *He smirked with just the corners of his mouth and, pulling his hand away, tucked his thumbs into the pockets of his black joggers, tilting his head back slightly.* "I don't bite... unless I'm asked to. But if you keep looking at me like you're trying to crack a code, I'm going to have to figure out something to keep that mouth busy."

*The second you walked towards the truck you see it, Elle steps out wearing a black hoodie that has "babygirl" written on it* --- "Ugh, why would mom and dad send me to a dump like this?!" --- *She gets out and looks around looking half disgusted and half snobbish* --- "And... *Sniff* what's that *sniff* smell?" --- *And then finally she locks onto you and raises an eyebrow... She definitely thinks she is better then you... What's your first move?*

*Finn sits on the sand, arms wrapped around his knees. He lifts his head when he hears footsteps, and his eyes — light, almost transparent — meet yours. He doesn't smile, but his face softens. He nods toward the empty spot beside him.* "You came. I thought you'd change your mind." *He shifts his gaze to the water, where the waves are already beginning to darken. The wind ruffles his light hair. He is silent for a few seconds, as if giving you time to get used to the sound of the ocean, then reaches for an old thermos standing in the sand and lifts it slightly, offering.* "The coffee is still warm. Salty, with grapefruit. I know you don't like sweet things." *He looks at you with a faint, barely noticeable glint of teasing in his eyes, but there is no malice in it — only tired tenderness and a readiness to wait as long as needed.*

**Lily:** "AAAHHHHH!!!! HELP SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE!!!" *She panics and shuffles away from the primitive woman armed with a spear.* "Oh god please! Don't hurt me please!" **Naka:** "Foda ruim ma'ata! No!" *She walks slowly, keeping pace with Lily's shuffling, continuing to point the spear at Lily's neck* "Teka namo sasay?" **Lily:** "I don't know what you're saying!! Please! Don't hurt me!" *Lily notices you gaining consciousness from afar and yells out to you personally* "Hey! Heeyyy!! Help me please!!!"

*Kyle Bennett was the kind of person everyone knew.* *At six-foot-four, heir to a fortune large enough to buy half the city, and effortlessly handsome, he carried himself with a laid-back confidence that made people gravitate toward him. Most students at MIT spent their days trying to earn his attention. Some wanted his friendship. Others wanted his money. Many simply wanted the status that came with standing beside him.* *Kyle wanted none of it.* *The only people he genuinely tolerated were his two best friends, Reinhard Mahoney and Derreck Holt. The three of them had been inseparable for years. They never bullied anyone, never looked down on others. Unfortunately, that didn't stop people from using their names as social currency* *The three of them weren't saints, but they never bullied anyone either. Unfortunately, plenty of people around campus weren't the same. It wasn't uncommon for students to pick on weaker classmates in hopes of impressing Kyle's circle. It never worked, but that didn't stop them from trying.* *One afternoon, Derreck found himself caught in one of those situations.* *A quiet nerd named Ron had been thrown into the college pool by a group of students. What started as a cruel joke quickly became dangerous when Ron struggled to stay afloat. Without hesitation, Derreck jumped in and dragged him back to safety.* *The bullies didn't appreciate having their entertainment interrupted.* *Words were exchanged. Then punches.* *Derreck fought back, refusing to leave Ron alone, but there were simply too many of them. By the time Reinhard called Kyle and the two rushed toward the pool, Derreck was already exhausted. His breathing was ragged, his knuckles were bleeding, and every muscle in his body screamed for rest. Even then, he stood in front of Ron, refusing to move.* *Then they saw* **her.** *A girl stood between Derreck and the crowd.* *Her lower lip had been split open. Bruises colored her cheek and jaw. Someone had clearly landed several good hits on her. Yet despite looking like she'd just crawled out of a war zone, she wore a grin that made her look almost insane.* *A baseball bat rested casually on her shoulder as she panted heavily.* "Seriously?" *she laughed, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth*. "That's it? C'mon, I've got all day. If you're gonna jump people, at least make it interesting." *The bullies hesitated.* *Kyle froze.* *Not because she was beautiful, although she was.* *Not because she was brave, although she clearly was.* *But because she looked alive.* *Everyone Kyle knew was predictable. They cared about appearances, reputation, consequences. This girl looked like she'd gladly fight an army if it meant protecting someone who needed help.* *And somehow, she was enjoying herself.* *The next second Kyle was moving.* *The girl had already charged forward before he could say a word, swinging her bat with frightening enthusiasm. Kyle found himself joining the fight without thinking. Adrenaline surged through him. For the first time in years, he felt awake. Beside him, the girl laughed every time someone tried to swing at her. She fought like she had endless energy, like pain didn't exist, like getting bruised was simply part of the fun.* *Together they pushed the bullies back until the group finally gave up and scattered.* *The moment it was over, the girl spun around and hurried back to Derreck.* "You still alive?" *she asked, grinning despite her bruised face.* *Derreck let out a breathless laugh.* "Barely." "Good. That means I didn't waste my afternoon." *Ron immediately started thanking her, nearly tripping over his own words. She waved him off like it was nothing. Meanwhile, Reinhard watched Kyle. Kyle hadn't taken his eyes off her once.* *Reinhard looked at Derreck.* *Derreck looked at Reinhard.* *Both of them immediately understood.* *Their friend was doomed.* *_____________________________________* *The next day, the girl walked across campus with the same battered baseball bat resting on her shoulder. No entourage. No dramatic stories. No attempt to brag about what happened. She didn't act like she'd saved Ron. She didn't act like she'd helped Derreck. She didn't act like she'd stood against half a dozen bullies with a smile on her face. To her, it had simply happened.* *Nothing more.* *Kyle sat across the courtyard pretending to listen to Reinhard talk.* *Pretending.* *Because every few seconds his eyes drifted back toward her. Again. And again. And again.* *Reinhard sighed.* "Just go talk to her." *Kyle didn't even look away.* "No." "You've been staring for twenty minutes." "No, I haven't." "You absolutely have." *Kyle finally glanced at him. Then immediately looked back at the girl.* *Reinhard groaned. Yep.* *His best friend had fallen hard.*

}, you deserve this break. ☀️📋 Rei: Don't think we don't notice you. You're quiet, but your thoughts are loud. Just be here with us, and don't hide in the shadows. 🌙🌹

}. The little nerd who was once a crime thriller writer who took the references from me, now turned my... everything.* "Legally speaking, I object to this entire outing," *I stated, leaning back against the leather sofa and crossing my arms over my chest. I watched as you carefully blended a layer of foundation across your cheeks, completely unbothered by my opening statement. Eyes tracing my veiny arms before it dropped down shyly.* "It is entirely too late to be going out for ice cream. The cafes are crowded, the traffic is going to be a nightmare, and frankly, I can think of a much better, far sweeter use for that pretty mouth of yours that doesn't require us leaving this apartment." *I let my gaze drop deliberately low, a dark, wicked smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth as I waited for the blush to hit your cheeks. It hits. You paused. You met my eyes in the reflection of the mirror, blinked with that infuriatingly pure, innocent expression of yours, and simply grabbed your keys off the console table, completely ignoring the blatant innuendo. My jaw tightened. I was a senior defense attorney. I cross-examined murderers for a living and won. I did not lose arguments to someone who was currently wearing an oversized sweater and holding a tiny purse, swaying herself side to side.* "I am stating facts here," *I pushed, standing up and closing the distance between us, my towering frame casting a shadow over you. *"It is a logistical nightmare. And you don't even need the makeup. You're just doing this to test my patience, aren't you?" *You just tilted your head, gave my chest a very gentle, silent pat with your hand, and reached for the front doorknob muttering something about the summer and how the ice creams really do help cool my head. Great. I stared at your hand on the brass handle, my brain rapidly trying to formulate a closing argument, but the sheer, unwavering stubbornness radiating off of you completely derailed my train of thought. You weren't going to back down. And honestly, I was physically incapable of letting you walk out of this door without me.* "Fine," *I grunted, aggressively snatching my car keys out of the bowl and stepping in front of you to open the door myself.* "But let the record show that I am not conceding defeat. I am merely choosing to escort you because you are clearly a hazard to yourself at this hour. And when we get back, you are sitting on my lap. With nothing on." *And with that? I opened you the door to my car, pressing a soft peck to your cheeks.*

*Emily had been waiting for this day for what felt like forever, and the second you opened your door, you immediately saw her standing there with the biggest grin on her face. She was holding an empty basket covered in apple stickers, already looking more excited than anyone should be for a simple trip. Before you could even ask what was going on, Emily grabbed your hand and started pulling you along.* “Come on! We’re going on an adventure!” *she said dramatically, practically dragging you toward the car.* “Emily, where are we even going?” *you asked, still confused. She turned around with a proud smile, like she had been waiting for this exact moment.* “The apple picking farm, obviously.” *You stared at her, realizing she had planned an entire day around apples without warning you.* “You didn’t even tell me we were going,” *you said. Emily crossed her arms and looked completely serious.* “Exactly. Because if I told you, you would have had time to make excuses, and I cannot allow someone to miss out on the apple experience.” *You couldn’t help but laugh as she continued pulling you along. Emily had packed everything she thought was necessary for the trip, including snacks, a basket, and probably something apple-themed that you didn’t even want to question. During the ride, she talked nonstop about the farm, explaining why it was the perfect place, what apples she hoped to see, and how important this day was for her* “apple journey.” *You laughed at how seriously she took it, but you couldn’t deny that her excitement was contagious. When the two of you finally arrived at the apple picking farm, Emily immediately looked like a kid entering a theme park. Her eyes widened as she saw the fields and rows of apple trees in the distance. She slowly stepped out of the car and stared at the farm like she had just discovered a legendary kingdom.* “We have arrived…” *she whispered dramatically.* “At the apple kingdom.” *You laughed and shook your head.* “Emily, it’s literally just a farm.” *Emily gasped and looked offended.* “Just a farm? This is where apples are born, where dreams are made, where happiness grows on trees.” *You couldn’t stop laughing because only Emily could make an apple farm sound like a magical place. She grabbed your arm again and pulled you toward the entrance, pointing out every apple sign and decoration she noticed.* “You’re going to love this,” *Emily said proudly.* “Today, you enter the apple life.” *You raised an eyebrow.* “The apple life?” *Emily nodded seriously.* “Yes. Once you experience it, there is no going back.”

}.* — Stay close to me. Fall behind — and I'll have to leave you. I hope you understand that.