Diana tapped her fingers anxiously on her desk, her eyes flicking to the clock on the wall. It was nearly time. Today was the day. She could feel a restless energy building inside her, nerves tightening her stomach. Meeting up with people… going to someone's house… It had been so long since she'd done anything like this, and she wasn't sure what to expect.
Finally, the bell rang, a sharp sound that cut through her thoughts. She exhaled, standing up quickly and grabbing her bag. She looked over at Daniel, who nodded, sharing a brief, reassuring smile with her. Together, they stepped out of the classroom, their steps falling into sync as they moved through the crowded hallway.
"Meet us at the gates," Luna had said earlier that day. Diana and Daniel made their way toward the school entrance, weaving through groups of students who were lingering by lockers or chatting on their way out. The sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, casting warm patches of light on the tiled floor, and outside, the air was alive with chatter and laughter.
As they neared the gate, they scanned the area, eyes searching for a familiar face. Eventually, Diana spotted Ava first—a tall figure leaning casually against the gate, her blonde hair catching the afternoon sun. She was looking in the opposite direction, seemingly lost in thought, but as soon as she spotted Diana and Daniel, she straightened up and waved, a bright smile breaking across her face.
The crowd near the gate was thick with students streaming out, so Diana and Daniel had to weave through a maze of bodies, squeezing past backpacks and dodging bursts of laughter. Ava seemed to take notice of their struggle and pushed her way through the crowd to meet them halfway.
"Hey!" Ava greeted, her voice raised a bit to be heard over the noise. She looked relaxed and confident, but Diana noticed her glancing over her shoulder as if checking for someone.
Diana glanced around, noticing someone missing. "Where's Luna?" she asked, trying to look past Ava into the shifting crowd.
Ava's brow furrowed, and she turned her head. "What do you mean? She's right he—" She stopped mid-sentence, glancing around in confusion. Then she looked behind her and tilted her head down. "Oh…"
Ava scooted aside, and there, almost comically hidden behind her tall frame, was Luna, looking both uncomfortable and annoyed. She was shifting her weight from one foot to the other, arms crossed tightly, her gaze flicking around the crowded entrance like she couldn't wait to be somewhere else.
"Let's go somewhere with fewer people," Luna muttered, her tone deadpan. She didn't wait for a response, turning on her heel and starting to walk away from the school grounds with brisk, purposeful steps.
Ava sighed and followed, flashing a small, apologetic smile at Diana and Daniel. "Come on, or we'll lose her," she said, rolling her eyes. Luna had an uncanny ability to slip through crowds, disappearing almost as soon as she moved. If it weren't for Ava's tall figure to mark the path, Diana was sure she and Daniel would have lost sight of Luna in an instant.
As they made their way through the throng of students, the noise began to fade behind them, and the air grew cooler as they moved away from the gates and into the quieter streets. Finally, the crowd thinned, and they stepped onto a peaceful stretch of sidewalk, the noise of school now a distant hum.
Luna glanced over her shoulder, her expression unreadable. "How long are you guys staying?" she asked, her voice cutting through the quiet.
Daniel thought for a moment, then shrugged. "We both have to be home by 8," he replied, glancing at Diana to confirm. She nodded, giving him a slight smile.
Ava, on the other hand, grinned and said, "I dont have a time."
Luna seemed to process this, her gaze flickering between each of them as if calculating something. After a brief pause, she nodded to herself, then turned back towards the path ahead. "Alright," she said simply, her tone decisive. "Let's go."
"It's a five-minute walk," Luna said, her tone as even as ever. She turned her head slightly, signaling for them to follow her. Without another word, she started down the sidewalk, her steps quick and precise, as if she knew exactly where she was going and didn't want to waste a single second.
Diana, Daniel, and Ava fell in line behind her. As they walked, the sounds of the school began to fade into the background—the faint shouts and laughter of students, the clang of lockers, and the buzz of chatter all softened until it felt like a distant echo, something from another life.
The world around them shifted, taking on a quieter, almost surreal quality. The street was lined with tall, leafy trees that cast dappled shadows over the pavement, their branches swaying gently in the breeze. The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves, creating shifting patterns of light and shadow that danced across their faces and backpacks.
Diana felt a strange lightness in her chest, an unfamiliar sensation that made her heart beat a little faster. The farther they walked from school, the more she felt like they were entering uncharted territory—a world separate from the hallways and classrooms, from the routine of bells and assignments. She glanced around, noticing how different everything looked, as if she were seeing it all for the first time.
The houses they passed were quiet, their windows glinting in the sunlight. Some had gardens filled with autumn flowers—pops of burnt orange and deep purple that seemed almost too vibrant against the pale blue sky. Diana could smell freshly cut grass from one of the lawns, mingling with the faint scent of woodsmoke drifting from a chimney somewhere nearby. It was grounding and strange at the same time, like a reminder of normal life in a moment that felt anything but ordinary.
She felt slightly light-headed, a pleasant sort of dizziness that made her smile without fully knowing why. The unfamiliar landscape seemed to blur at the edges, as if she were in a dream, and the houses, trees, and sidewalks all passed in a gentle haze. They'd left behind the rigid structure of school and were now wandering into something softer, something unknown.
Daniel walked beside her, his posture a little more relaxed than usual, though his eyes kept darting around, taking in the surroundings. She could feel his quiet curiosity mirroring her own, both of them trying to take in every detail of this unfamiliar path.