You were standing by the school steps, the late afternoon sun hanging low enough to cast long shadows across the pavement. Your backpack was heavy, straps digging into your shoulder, but you didn’t feel like adjusting it. Instead, you scrolled through your phone, even though your battery was down to three percent and you’d already read the same two texts three times.

Your brother, Josh, had promised to wait after the basketball game and drive you home. You’d even reminded him that morning, twice. And still, the student lot was nearly empty now, cars pulling out one by one, and he was nowhere in sight.

You shifted your weight from one foot to the other, trying not to feel too obvious standing there alone. A couple of your classmates walked past, laughing about something you didn’t catch, and you glanced down at your screen again, pretending you had somewhere to be, someone to text.

That was when a horn honked once, short and casual.

Your head jerked up, and there he was. Tyler. He was leaning across the passenger seat of his beat-up car, elbow propped on the window like he’d been waiting for you to notice him.

“Your chauffeur ditched you again?” he called, his voice carrying easily over the chatter of kids spilling out of the building.

You let out a sigh and tucked your phone into your pocket. “Looks like it.”

He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, smiling just slightly. “Get in. I’ll take you.”