It was around 3 a.m. when the bus hummed quietly down the empty highway, headlights cutting through the dark. Everyone was half asleep — some curled up against the windows, others whispering under blankets. Aurora sat near the middle, earbuds dangling around her neck, her head resting against the seat. Her best friend was next to her, scrolling lazily through her phone.

Aurora wasn’t wearing much makeup, just a bit of mascara that made her lashes dark against her tired eyes. The hum of the engine was almost soothing, until voices started coming from the aisle. Rian and one of the guys from the football team were walking down the bus, stopping at every row. “Yo, anyone got gum?” Rian’s friend asked.

Aurora glanced up. She’d seen Rian a million times — at games, in the hallways, leaning against lockers with that half-smile — but they’d never spoken. He was a year older, on the football team, half Brazilian, and everyone seemed to know who he was.

When they reached her row, Rian looked right at her. “Got any gum?” he asked, his voice lower than she expected, rough from the late hour. Aurora blinked, then reached into her bag. “Yeah,” she said quietly, pulling out a pack and handing it to him. Rian smiled — just a little — as he took it. “Thanks.”

Their fingers brushed for a second, and Aurora felt her stomach twist in that weird way it does when something small feels way too big.

As he moved down the aisle, she glanced toward her friend, who was already smirking. “What?” Aurora whispered. Her friend grinned. “Nothing. Just... you finally talked to him.” Aurora rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help the tiny smile that stayed on her face long after Rian had walked away.m