CHAPTER 21: GOOD MORNING
There were some messages people expected.
Family group chats.
School announcements.
Kai sending something stupid at two in the morning.
Normal things.
Predictable things.
Then there were messages that quietly became part of your day without permission.
The kind you didn't notice until they weren't there.
Liora realized this on a Tuesday morning.
Not because anything dramatic happened.
But because she woke up and instinctively checked her phone before getting out of bed.
Then immediately paused.
"...When did I start doing that?"
She stared at the screen.
A new notification waited.
Rowan
good morning
A simple message.
Two words.
Nothing special.
Yet a small smile appeared anyway.
Liora
it's 6:30
Three dots appeared almost immediately.
Rowan
exactly
Rowan
that's morning
Liora
you're insane
Rowan
i've been told that
Liora laughed softly.
Then tossed her phone aside and got ready for school.
The conversation ended there.
Brief.
Easy.
Normal.
At least that's what she told herself.
The school hallway buzzed with life as students flooded toward their classrooms.
Final-year anxiety was spreading rapidly.
Everyone was talking about university applications.
Future plans.
Graduation.
The terrifying concept of adulthood.
Kai looked particularly offended by adulthood.
"I've decided."
"No," Mira replied immediately.
"You don't even know what I'm going to say."
"I don't need to."
Kai pointed dramatically.
"After graduation, we all live next door to each other."
Jaden didn't even look up.
"That's not how life works."
"It should be."
Liora smiled.
The familiar argument continuing around them.
For a moment, everything felt exactly as it always had.
Then her phone vibrated.
A tiny sound.
Barely noticeable.
Yet somehow she noticed instantly.
She didn't check immediately.
Not because she didn't want to.
Because Mira was already watching her.
"You looked down."
"Oh my god."
"You did."
"I hate all of you."
Kai nodded.
"As you should."
The conversation dissolved into laughter.
And the moment passed.
Mostly.
That afternoon, the friend group remained after school to work on a project.
Or at least that had been the original plan.
Actual productivity lasted approximately twelve minutes.
"Focus."
"We are focused."
"No, you're not."
Mira and Kai were somehow arguing about whether penguins had knees.
"They do."
"Prove it."
"Google it."
"I refuse."
Jaden looked exhausted.
Evren looked unsurprised.
Liora laughed so hard she nearly dropped her pen.
For a second, she reached for her phone.
Pure instinct.
Because she knew Rowan would find this ridiculous.
Then stopped.
The realization felt strange.
Not because she reached for her phone.
Because she had immediately thought of telling him.
The thought lingered for a moment.
Then disappeared beneath another wave of chaos.
Thankfully.
The project session ended shortly before sunset.
The group left together.
Walking their usual route.
Talking about nothing important.
One of those conversations people never remember later.
Yet somehow miss anyway.
Mira walked ahead.
Kai continued arguing about penguins.
Jaden pretended not to know them.
Liora fell into step beside Evren.
For a while, neither spoke.
The comfortable silence between them remained unchanged.
Years of friendship had made conversation optional.
Then Evren glanced toward her.
"You seem happier lately."
The comment surprised her.
"Happier?"
"Maybe."
He shrugged.
"Just seems like it."
Liora thought about that.
Was she?
Maybe.
A little.
Nothing huge.
Nothing life-changing.
Just...
things felt lighter recently.
She didn't know why.
Or maybe she did.
Before she could answer, Kai nearly walked into a signpost.
The entire group erupted into laughter.
The conversation ended there.
That night, rain tapped softly against her bedroom window.
The city lights shimmered beneath dark clouds.
Everything felt quiet.
Comfortable.
Liora sat at her desk sorting photographs.
A habit she had neglected recently.
Stacks of Polaroids covered the surface.
School festivals.
Classroom memories.
Friends.
Pieces of time frozen forever.
A notification appeared.
Rowan
how was your day?
Simple.
As always.
Yet without thinking, Liora immediately typed back.
Liora
kai spent thirty minutes arguing about penguin knees
A few seconds later:
Rowan
sounds important
Liora
apparently it was
Rowan
who won?
Liora
nobody
Liora
we all lost
The reply came with surprising speed.
Rowan
fair
The conversation continued.
One topic became another.
Then another.
Then another.
Nothing serious.
Nothing emotional.
Just talking.
Hours seemed to pass strangely fast whenever that happened.
Eventually, the room grew darker.
The rain outside became heavier.
The city settled into sleep.
Yet the conversation continued.
At some point, Liora looked at the clock.
10:47 PM.
She blinked.
Had that much time really passed?
Apparently.
Her phone buzzed again.
Rowan
you should sleep
Liora laughed.
Liora
you're literally still awake
Rowan
that's different
Liora
how
A pause.
Then:
Rowan
because i said so
Liora rolled her eyes.
Liora
that's not how logic works
Rowan
i'm choosing to ignore that
Another laugh escaped her.
The kind that came naturally.
Without effort.
Outside, thunder rumbled somewhere far away.
Inside, her room glowed softly beneath the warm desk lamp.
Eventually she placed her phone down.
The conversation finally ending.
For the first time that day, silence returned.
Liora stretched.
Closed her eyes briefly.
Then glanced toward the screen one last time.
And smiled.
Because tomorrow morning—
without realizing it—
she already knew there would probably be another message waiting.
And somehow, that thought felt familiar.