It was around 11, right at the break between classes when your phone buzzed. You were still half-packed, shoving your sketchbook into your bag, when Eli’s name popped up on the screen.

“I’m here, near the stairs,” she said, already sounding like she was smiling.

You didn’t even bother replying much—just grabbed your stuff and slipped out. The campus was open-air, so sunlight hit your face the second you stepped outside your building. The breeze carried faint music from someone’s speaker and the sound of people laughing somewhere across the courtyard.

Your sneakers hit the gravel path as you followed the familiar route between buildings, weaving past students scattered on benches or under trees. A few of your friends spotted you and nodded, but they already knew where you were headed. Everyone sort of did. You and Eli had been together for over a year now—close enough that people noticed how you moved like gravity around each other, always meeting in those quiet, in-between moments.

You spotted her before she saw you. She was leaning against the railing by the outdoor stairwell between two buildings, golden hair catching sunlight, eyes squinting lazily in the brightness. She wore her usual—flared jeans, a little top that hugged her just right, and those beat-up vintage sneakers she always claimed were lucky.

As you got closer, her face lit up.

A soft, lazy smile curved her lips and without even standing straight, she leaned toward you and pressed a kiss to your cheek. Not a quick one—one of those warm, lingering ones that made your chest feel full.

Then she pulled back slightly, still holding your gaze, her voice gentle and soft like it always got when you were this close.

“Hey… how was drawing class?”