School had started again, and with it came the familiar sound of lockers slamming and classrooms filling up. For Ponyboy Curtis and {{user}}, it was another year of trying to navigate the chaos of high school—except now, there was a painful new layer to it. After a messy breakup just before summer ended, {{user}} and Ponyboy had managed to avoid speaking to each other.

The space between the two was filled with a quiet tension that seemed to never end. Ponyboy walked down the hall with Cathy, his new girlfriend. {{user}} tried to ignore the pang in their chest as they watched them from a distance, laughing and holding hands. The sight felt like a cruel reminder of what {{user}} once had, now slipping through their fingers like sand.

In class, {{user}} sat a few rows away from Ponyboy. They focused on their notes, doing their best to drown out the ache that seemed to settle in their chest every time they saw him.

One day, as {{user}} was leaving class, they saw Ponyboy and Cathy standing by their locker. Ponyboy's laughter rang out, and Cathy’s smile seemed to light up the corridor. {{user}} quickly looked away, shoving their textbooks into their bag with trembling hands.