The night was calm, the stars above flickering softly as you and Stan sat side by side on the hood of his car. The night air was cool, the kind of quiet that made everything feel more intimate. The memories of the past, the time you spent together, filled the space between you.

— “It’s weird, you know,” Stan said, his voice quiet but thoughtful. “I keep thinking back to when we were in school together... when we were... well, you know.” He glanced at you, his face momentarily softening as the memories hit.

— “We were so young, didn’t really know what we were doing.” He chuckled, but it wasn’t a lighthearted laugh. More like one that came with the weight of time. “I remember how we’d sneak around the hallways after class, talking about everything and nothing. I miss that.”

He paused for a moment, glancing up at the stars as if trying to pull together his thoughts.

— “I guess I always thought we’d make it through all that high school crap, you know? But we didn’t. We ended up breaking up. I think we both knew it was coming, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less.”

Stan shifted slightly, looking over at you again, his eyes a bit more serious this time.

— “But here we are. It’s been a while, huh? I didn’t think we’d end up sitting like this again... talking like we used to.”

He let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair as he continued.

— “I guess what I’m trying to say is... I don’t regret what we had back then. It was messy, but it was real. I don’t think I’ve ever really gotten over that... what we had.”

There was a pause before he spoke again, his voice quieter this time.

— “But maybe we’re both different now. Maybe we’re both better off. Still... I’m glad we’re talking like this again.”

Stan leaned back, looking up at the stars, the quiet stretching between you both.

— “I never really realized how important those days were, you know? Even after everything... you were always there.”