The gymnasium buzzed with laughter and conversation as Annie Stones stood on the edge of the crowd, her fingers wrapped around a glass of sparkling water. She had spent the first hour of the reunion catching up with familiar faces, exchanging polite smiles and "What have you been up to?" stories with people she hadn't seen in ten years. It was all so pleasant, yet surreal—like stepping into a time capsule, where everyone had aged but the setting hadn't.
Despite the easy chatter and shared memories, Annie couldn't shake the feeling that she was waiting for something—or someone.
"Looking a bit lost over there," Emma teased, slipping beside her with a plate of finger foods. "You okay?"
Annie smiled, but there was a trace of nerves in her expression. "Yeah, just... thinking."
"Thinking about a certain someone?" Emma said with a playful smirk, her eyes scanning the crowd as if she could read Annie's mind.
"Maybe," Annie admitted, her eyes trailing off toward the far side of the gym where a group of former classmates stood in a tight circle, their conversation animated. Calix Wood hadn't shown up yet, or at least, she hadn't seen him. She wasn't even sure why she cared so much, but the anticipation of crossing paths with him again had lingered with her since she opened the invitation weeks ago.
Emma followed her gaze, raising an eyebrow. "Still waiting for Calix, huh?"
Annie shrugged. "I don't even know if he'll show up. It's not like I'm here just for him."
Emma gave her a knowing look. "Sure, you're not. But just in case, why don't we take a little walk around the room, you know, see if anyone new's arrived."
Annie laughed, rolling her eyes. "Subtle."
But she agreed, and together, they wove through the crowd, exchanging hellos with classmates and glancing at the occasional high school photo on display. There was a surprising warmth in these interactions—a comfort in revisiting the past without the pressures that had once defined them. The person who had been class president was now running a startup. The quiet girl from their math class was traveling the world as a photographer. Time had changed them all, and yet, somehow, the bonds that tied them to their high school days still held.
And then, just as they rounded the corner toward the refreshment table, Annie's breath caught in her throat.
There he was.
Calix Wood.
He stood on the far side of the room, deep in conversation with a couple of old friends. His hair was slightly shorter than she remembered, though still carrying that casual, slightly messy look he had always worn so well. He looked relaxed, leaning against a table with one hand in his pocket, his smile as easy as ever.
Annie froze, her heart doing an unexpected somersault in her chest. In that moment, it felt as though no time had passed at all. She was back in high school again, watching him from across the room, wondering if he'd ever notice her. But this time, they weren't teenagers anymore, and the stakes were different.
"Bingo," Emma whispered beside her. "Told you he'd show."
Annie swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. She hadn't expected to feel this nervous. What was she supposed to say? How did you even begin to reconnect with someone you hadn't spoken to in years?
Emma nudged her. "Come on. It's now or never. Go talk to him."
"I don't even know what to say," Annie muttered, but her feet were already moving toward him, as if they had a mind of their own.
As she walked, memories of their high school interactions flashed through her mind—their banter in chemistry class, the quick smiles they shared in the hallway, that unspoken connection that had never gone beyond subtle flirting. Back then, she had always felt a little invisible, like Calix saw her but never truly noticed her.
But now, as she crossed the gymnasium floor, she wondered if things could be different.
Calix looked up just as she approached, his smile widening in recognition. "Annie Stones," he said, pushing off the table and stepping toward her. His voice had that same warm, easy tone she remembered. "I was hoping I'd run into you."
Annie's heart skipped a beat at his words. He was hoping to run into me?
"Calix," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady despite the butterflies in her stomach. "It's been a long time."
"Yeah, way too long," he said, his eyes scanning her face as if he was trying to reconcile the Annie he remembered with the woman standing in front of him. "You look great, by the way. Time's been good to you."
Annie laughed, a little awkwardly. "Thanks. You too. I almost didn't recognize you without the crazy hair."
Calix grinned, running a hand through his slightly neater haircut. "Yeah, I had to grow up at some point. But it's good to see you, Annie. I always wondered what you were up to."
Annie raised an eyebrow. "You wondered about me?"
"Of course," he said, his tone casual but sincere. "You were one of the smartest—and nicest—people I knew in high school. I figured you were out there taking over the world."
She smiled, her nervousness fading. "Not quite. But I've done okay."
They stood there for a moment, the noise of the reunion fading into the background as they caught each other's gaze. It felt strange, this mix of familiarity and newness, like they were rediscovering each other after all these years. Annie could sense the same easy charm that had drawn her to Calix back in high school, but now there was something else—an openness, a depth to him that hadn't been there before.
"What about you?" Annie asked, genuinely curious. "What have you been up to since high school?"
Calix shrugged, though there was a glimmer of pride in his eyes. "I'm working in construction management now. Nothing glamorous, but I love it. Gets me outdoors, working with my hands, you know?"
"Sounds perfect for you," Annie said, and she meant it. Calix had never been the type to sit behind a desk for too long.
He smiled, and for a moment, neither of them said anything. It was one of those silences that wasn't awkward, just full of potential.
"So," Calix finally said, glancing around the room, "did you come here with anyone, or...?"
Annie shook her head. "Just Emma. We figured it'd be fun to see everyone."
"Good," he said, his eyes lingering on hers. "Because I was hoping we could catch up, just the two of us. You know, really talk."
Annie's heart raced again, but this time it wasn't nerves—it was excitement. This was it, the moment she had been hoping for since she first opened that reunion invitation.
"I'd like that," she said softly.
Calix smiled, the kind of smile that made her wonder why they had never explored this connection before. "Great. There's a quiet spot outside by the courtyard. How about we get out of here for a bit and catch up?"
Annie hesitated for only a second before nodding. "Lead the way."
As they walked toward the exit, Annie felt a sense of anticipation rising in her chest. This wasn't just about old memories anymore. It was about where they were now—and where they might be headed.