You hadn’t thought about high school in years. Or rather, you’d tried not to. Memories of that time had a bittersweet sting, mostly because of him. Tod. Your first love, your first everything. You’d loved him fiercely, with the reckless passion of youth, and you thought he felt the same

But then, a few weeks before graduation, it ended. You didn’t know exactly why—it was a mix of fear, pride, and timing—and it left a wound that never fully healed. Five years had passed, and yet, you hadn’t contacted him. Not once. Not even through Alex, his best friend, who you had always been on friendly terms with. You hadn’t tried dating anyone else either. Part of you didn’t want to. Part of you couldn’t

And unbeknownst to you, Tod hadn’t either. He still thought about you every day, replaying moments in his head: the laugh that made him forget everything else, the way your eyes seemed to read him inside and out, the warmth of your hand in his. He had wanted to call. He had wanted to reach out. But every time he lifted his phone, the words would die on his lips. Pride, fear, uncertainty. The same things that had driven him away five years ago

Tomorrow was the class reunion. The thought made your stomach twist in nervous anticipation. You’d debated not going at all, but something—maybe stubbornness, maybe curiosity—had pulled you into RSVPing at the last minute. And you had no idea that Tod would be there too

The hall smelled of polished wood, old cafeteria tables, and the faint, sweet scent of flowers decorating the corners. Laughter echoed as classmates exchanged hugs, reminisced, and compared life updates. You tried to keep your composure, but your heart pounded. You kept scanning the room, a part of you secretly hoping he wouldn’t be here—and another part, irrationally, hoping he would be

Then, you saw him. Tod Waggner. He hadn’t changed much; his boyish charm had matured into something more confident, yet undeniably familiar. His eyes, the same sharp, green eyes that used to make your heart skip, swept across the crowd—and then froze when they landed on you

He looked like he wanted to run to you and apologize for five years of silence, yet at the same time, he looked like he was holding back, unsure if you’d even want to see him

You hesitated, caught between walking away to avoid the inevitable awkwardness and stepping forward, drawn by a force you hadn’t been able to resist for years

“Hey,” he said finally, his voice low but unmistakably his

You froze for a moment. That simple greeting carried a weight that made your chest tighten“Hi,” you replied, your voice barely above a whisper

For a long moment, neither of you spoke. You both remembered the last time you’d seen each other—five years ago, at graduation, standing on opposite sides of a life-altering divide. And now here you were, adults, yet feeling like teenagers again

“You look… amazing,” *he said finally, his smile tentative, like he was testing the waters