Sophie sat in her room, the dim light of her desk lamp casting a warm glow over the scattered notes and textbooks. Despite their productivity earlier, her mind was elsewhere—circling back to the moments she spent at Claire's house.
The framed photo lingered in her memory. It was from their eighth-grade trip to the state fair. They'd worn matching floral headbands, laughing so hard their cheeks hurt. That was the Claire she missed—the Claire who made life feel like an endless summer.
A knock on her door startled her.
"Come in," Sophie called.
Her mom entered, holding a mug of tea. "Thought you could use this."
"Thanks," Sophie said, taking the mug gratefully.
Her mom sat on the edge of the bed, studying her daughter with a knowing expression. "You've been quiet lately."
Sophie hesitated. "It's just... school stuff."
"Hmm," her mom said, unconvinced. "Is this about Claire?"
Sophie's eyes widened. "How do you—"
"You used to talk about her all the time. Then one day, you stopped. I figured something happened, but I didn't want to push."
Sophie set the mug down, the warmth of the tea doing little to calm her racing heart. "We just... grew apart."
Her mom gave her a gentle smile. "That happens sometimes. But it doesn't mean you can't find your way back to each other."
"It's not that simple," Sophie murmured.
"Nothing worth having ever is," her mom said before standing up. "Just think about it, okay?"
The next day at school, Sophie spotted Claire sitting on the quad, her attention fixed on her phone. For a brief moment, Sophie considered walking over, but her feet stayed rooted to the ground.
"Sophie!" Jason's voice cut through her thoughts.
She turned to see him jogging toward her, his face lit up with his usual easy grin.
"Hey," Sophie said, grateful for the distraction.
"Did you hear? The Winter Gala theme got announced," Jason said.
"Oh? What is it?"
"Masquerade," Jason said dramatically, spreading his arms wide. "It's going to be epic."
Sophie chuckled. "You've got your mask picked out already, don't you?"
"Obviously," Jason said. "What about you? You're going, right?"
Sophie hesitated. She hadn't thought about the gala at all.
"You have to go," Jason urged. "It's senior year. Last big event before we all scatter to the winds."
"I'll think about it," Sophie said, though she wasn't entirely convinced.
Jason grinned. "That's a yes in my book."
In history class, Sophie and Claire resumed their project work. The initial awkwardness had faded further, replaced by a tentative rhythm of cooperation.
"I was thinking we could include a timeline," Claire suggested, tapping her pen against her notebook.
"That's a good idea," Sophie said. "Maybe we can split it into sections—politics, culture, and technology."
Claire nodded. "You take culture, I'll handle politics. We can split technology later."
Sophie smiled faintly. "Look at us, actually working together without bickering."
Claire laughed softly. "It's almost like old times."
Almost, Sophie thought, but didn't say.