Chapter 1

Claire Mendoza had always lived a simple life.

She was the type of student teachers adored, organized, quiet, consistently top of her class. Her notebooks were neat, her schedules followed to the minute, and her circle of friends remained unchanged since middle school. She loved the comfort of routine. It gave her a sense of control in a world that was always rushing to spin off its axis.

As she walked into her senior year of high school, nothing felt different. The same squeaky doors, the same posters half-ripped on the walls, and the same seat she always took beside the window and she frequently look outside to pass time in her boring class. She didn’t expect anything to change and in a way, she didn’t want it to.

Until one day she walk in as usual and didn't expect anything.

It was a humid Monday morning when the principal entered the classroom with a girl trailing behind him. Claire barely looked up from her journal until the murmurs around her grew louder.

“This is Kris Reyes,” the principal said, gesturing toward the girl who stood awkwardly at the front. “She transferred here from Ridgeview Academy. I expect all of you to welcome her properly.”

Claire finally looked up.

Kris was...different.

Not in the way new students usually were,... shy, withdrawn, anxious. Kris looked calm, maybe even bored. Her uniform didn’t quite fit right, and her backpack had a worn strap that kept slipping off her shoulder. Her black hair was tied loosely in a ponytail, with messy strands falling over her cheek. But what stood out the most were her eyes it's sharp, thoughtful, like she’d seen something too big for her age.

“Hi,” Kris said simply. “I’m not great at introductions, but... I’m here.”

Some students giggled. Others whispered.

Claire didn’t.

She just kept looking, not even realizing she had stopped writing mid-sentence.

Kris ended up seated just one row behind her.

The first few weeks passed slowly. Claire stuck to her usual group, but she couldn't help noticing Kris more and more.

She wasn’t like the other students. She didn’t care about fitting in. She didn’t laugh at shallow jokes or pretend to be impressed by popularity. She wasn’t rude just… detached. Like she had already been through a world that didn’t require pretending.

It intrigued Claire.

One afternoon, as Claire sat by the garden eating her sandwich alone (her friends were busy in a club meeting), Kris walked by.

“You always eat here?” she asked, nodding toward the bench.

Claire looked up, surprised. “Sometimes.”

Kris didn’t wait for an invitation. She sat down beside her and pulled out a lunch box that smelled like garlic rice and fried egg.

They sat in silence for a while.

“I thought you’d be one of the students who'd avoid me,” Kris said without looking up.

Claire raised an eyebrow. “Why would I avoid you?”

“I don’t know. People tend to avoid the new girl. Especially when they find out she used to go to some fancy private school.”

Claire tilted her head. “So why’d you transfer?”

Kris paused. “My dad’s company went bankrupt. Couldn’t afford the tuition anymore.”

Claire nodded slowly. She appreciated the honesty.

“I like it better here, though,” Kris added. “Feels real.”

Claire smiled for the first time. “It is real. Too real sometimes.”

That was the beginning.

In the weeks that followed, Claire and Kris grew closer.

They started walking home together. At first, it was just casual conversation, complaints about teachers, homework, or cafeteria food. But soon, it became more personal.

Claire found herself opening up about things she’d never told anyone. Her dreams of becoming a writer. Her fear of failure. Her parents' silent pressure to always be perfect.

Kris, in return, shared bits of her past, how the sudden fall of her family’s fortune turned her life upside down, how people treated her differently now, and how she was trying to find herself outside of wealth and expectations.

Claire liked that about Kris. She didn’t sugarcoat things.

One afternoon, as they walked under the golden hue of sunset, Kris asked, “Do you ever feel like you're just... stuck? Like everyone expects you to be one thing, and you’re scared to become anything else?”

Claire thought for a moment. “Every day.”

Kris smiled. “Glad I’m not the only one.”

...----------------...

By the time graduation neared, they were inseparable.

They shared playlists, exchanged books, and even studied together. Though Kris often got distracted, Claire would patiently pull her back to focus. In return, Kris taught Claire how to loosen up, to laugh at herself, and to find beauty in being imperfect.

Then came graduation night.

There was music, lights, and a bittersweet air hanging over everyone as they said goodbye to their high school years.

Claire stood by the gate, waiting for her parents, when Kris approached her, slightly out of breath.

“Hey,” Kris said, brushing her hair back. “Can we talk?”

Claire nodded, feeling her heart flutter unexpectedly.

They walked toward the old basketball court, now empty and quiet. Kris seemed nervous a rare sight.

“I’ve been meaning to say this,” she began, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. “I don’t know what happens next. You’re amazing, Claire. You’ll get into your dream college, chase your goals, make something great out of life.”

Claire blushed but said nothing.

“But before we go separate ways…I have something to tell you” Kris took a deep breath. “I like you. A lot. I don’t know when it started maybe from the first time we talked. But I need to say it. I don’t want to leave this chapter without you knowing.”

Claire’s eyes widened. For a second, she was speechless.

Then, a soft smile formed on her lips. “I like you too.”

They shared their first kiss under the moonlight and stars.

It wasn’t perfect Kris bumped her head trying to lean in, and Claire laughed nervously but it was theirs.

A real moment. Unscripted. Honest.

They made plans for college hoping to enroll in the same university.

Claire got into her dream school, her hard work paying off.

Kris didn’t.

She failed the entrance exam.

She wasn’t surprised. “I’ve never been a fan of studying,” she said, trying to laugh it off. “Guess it caught up with me.”

They tried to stay strong. “It’s just distance,” they told each other believing that it would work out. “We’ll make it work.”

And for a while, they did.

Despite being in different cities, they talked every night. Sent each other photos. Said “good morning” and “good night” like a ritual. Sometimes they videocall and studied “together” from miles apart.

But life, as it often does, became harder.

In their third year of college, things began to fall apart not because of a fight, but because of silence.

Claire was overwhelmed with internship work and projects. Kris was struggling to keep up with part-time jobs and classes. Messages became shorter. Calls were missed. Birthdays were forgotten.

One evening, after three weeks of barely speaking, Kris called.

Claire answered, tired and drained.

“Hey,” Kris said.

“Hey.”

They were quiet for a moment.

“I miss you,” Kris finally said.

Claire sighed. “I miss you too. But it’s hard.”

“I know.”

“I don’t want to lose you,” Claire whispered.

“Maybe we need a pause,” Kris said gently.

Claire’s heart sank.

“A pause?” she echoed.

“Not a goodbye,” Kris added quickly. “Just a pause. Until we’re both ready. Until we’re not dragging each other through this mess.”

Claire didn’t respond right away. But deep down, she knew it was true. They were growing, but in different directions. And love, as beautiful as it was, couldn’t be the glue holding broken schedules and silent gaps together.

“Okay,” she said, tears forming in her eyes. “But promise me one thing.”

“Anything.”

“When we’ve figured ourselves out... when we’ve become who we’re meant to be...”

“If we’re still meant for each other,” Kris said softly, finishing her sentence, “we’ll meet again.”

They didn’t say “goodbye” that night.

Just a quiet, hopeful “See you again someday.”

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