High school had begun.
I thought things would change once middle school ended.
I was wrong.
For some reason, almost everyone from my past ended up at the same school as me.
It felt like no matter where I went…
I couldn't escape it.
By lunchtime, I was already sitting alone.
Same habit.
Different school.
The cafeteria buzzed with conversations, trays clattering, and students laughing with their friends.
I kept my head down and focused on my food.
Then I heard my name.
"Cody."
I didn't look up at first.
"…Kira."
She stood there quietly for a moment before taking the empty seat across from me.
"Can we talk?" she asked.
I kept staring at my lunch.
"We are talking."
She let out a quiet sigh.
"I mean… about middle school."
There it was.
The one thing I didn't want to hear.
"Cody, please," she said. "Can we just forget about what happened? We were stupid."
I finally looked up at her.
"Were we?"
She hesitated.
"I never wanted things to go that far," she admitted quietly. "None of us did."
Before I could answer, laughter echoed across the cafeteria.
John.
He wasn't even part of the conversation.
Yet somehow…
He was always there.
I looked back at Kira.
"Some things don't just disappear," I said. "Even if you want them to."
She opened her mouth to say something.
Then she stopped.
For the first time since high school began, someone from my past was sitting across from me.
I still couldn't decide…
Whether that made things better.
Or worse.
END OF CHAPTER 8