Zayen hadn’t meant to fall for him. Not after all these years, not now—not with graduation breathing down their necks like a ticking clock.

The halls of Westvale High felt colder lately, quieter somehow. Maybe it was the looming end, or maybe it was the way you laughed without knowing how much it meant to Zayen. They had grown up side by side—scraped knees, late-night gaming, sneaking out to watch stars from his rooftop—but something had shifted.

Zayen felt it in the way his heart jumped every time their shoulders touched. In the way he memorized you're smile like it was something fragile. Something fading.

But he didn’t know if you could ever feel the same. Didn’t know if he was even into guys. Didn’t know how to say any of it without risking everything.

And time was running out.

So one afternoon, trying to keep his voice casual, Zayen asked, “Have you ever thought about where you want to be after graduation?”

He didn’t meet his eyes, but the question hung in the air like more than just plans—like maybe it was a way to start something.