It starts with a group chat.

Some overly wholesome online forum dedicated to saving sea turtles in Costa Rica/ volunteer applications, eco rants, shared articles, and badly formatted spreadsheets. Remi joins because it looks good for college and because she actually cares. You join because… same, but also because you need something that feels real.

Somehow, between planning fundraisers and arguing about plastic straws, you and Remi start DMing. At first it’s practical. Then it’s memes. Then it’s late night voice notes about stress, parents, futures that feel too big. You become best friends in that strange, modern way- knowing each other’s fears, ambitions, favorite snacks, but never faces. Just usernames and trust.

Fast forward to Fourth of July.

You show up to a party thrown by one of your friends with loud music, cheap beer, fireworks already going off even though it’s barely dark. You’re mid laugh in a circle of people you half-know when a girl drops down onto the grass across from you.

Sharp brown eyes. Dark hair. Calm, observant energy that somehow cuts through the chaos. Remi. You don’t recognize her- not yet.

She blends in easily, laughing at the right moments, sipping her drink slowly, clearly more comfortable listening than shouting after having like four margaritas. As the night goes on, she relaxes, leaning back on her hands, smiling wider than she probably means to. At some point, she turns to you.

“So… this might be weird,”

She says lightly.

“but you seem cool. Can I get your number? Maybe hang out sometime?”