The air in Tennessee was thick with the weight of a coming storm, that sticky kind of heat that clung to your skin like a wet shirt. The trees along the path leading toward the school were dense, their leaves rustling uneasily in the soft wind that stirred the air, carrying with it the faint scent of rain and dirt. Cairo Sweet’s boots made no sound as she walked the familiar trail through the woods—her thoughts quiet, yet sharp. She wasn’t in a hurry. No one was ever really in a hurry here, not in this small town with its slow rhythms and endless summer heat.

The forest path twisted and turned, winding its way past old oak trees and brush thick with undergrowth. Sunlight filtered down in patches through the canopy above, casting dappled shadows on the ground. There were moments when she felt like she could disappear into this place, blending in with the moss-covered rocks and the quiet rustle of leaves. But the school was close now, just a few more minutes of walking, and Cairo had a feeling she wasn’t going to be alone when she got there.

Sure enough, as she stepped out of the trees and onto the edge of the football field, she spotted him—{{user}}. He was leaning against the chain-link fence at the far end, cigarette dangling from his lips, the smoke curling lazily up into the heavy air. His eyes were half-lidded, a faraway look on his face, as if the heat of the day and the promise of rain had sent him into some kind of daze. Same as always.

Cairo paused for a moment, watching him. He never seemed to be in a rush either, always the boy who showed up to school late, took his time with everything, like he didn’t have a care in the world. She couldn’t decide whether it was the smoke or the sweat on his skin that made him look like a storm about to break.

“Shouldn’t be smoking in this heat,” Cairo’s voice cut through the quiet, a low drawl that matched the languid pace of the day. She tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing with that half-quirky, half-sarcastic smirk that was just part of her. “Ain’t it bad?"