Chapter 9: Distance in the Details
Friday – 8:15 a.m.
The school buses were packed with students buzzing about the annual History Walk trip. Everyone had to go—except the seniors who were excused. But for the juniors, it was a must.
The gang found seats scattered between two buses.
That's when the trouble started.
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On the Bus – Split Seats, Split Vibes
Lana and Noah ended up seated together again—by pure chance.
"I guess the universe ships us," Lana joked.
Noah smirked but stayed silent. Something felt… off.
Aiden sat behind them with his basketball buddies—talking loudly, tossing snacks, laughing. Aria sat quietly two rows away, alone. She had saved Aiden a seat.
He hadn't noticed.
Ethan sat by a window, headphones on, watching the world blur past.
They were all together—but felt oddly apart.
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At the Museum – Quiet Walls, Louder Thoughts
The history museum was silent, serious, and full of weird mannequins.
Noah and Lana got roped into helping the teacher organize the handouts.
Aiden walked with his team.
Aria stayed close to the exhibits, sketching in her book. Every time she looked up, Aiden was laughing with someone else.
She closed her sketchbook and didn't draw again that day.
Ethan wandered alone, jotting lyrics on his phone.
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Later That Evening – The Group Chat
[Noah]: "Everyone make it back alive?"
[Lana]: "Barely. I got stuck with Mrs. Duvall ranting about the Cold War."
[Ethan]: "I wrote a new hook in the Egyptian wing. Weird inspiration. Feels like we all ghosted though."
[Aiden]: "Was stuck with the team. Didn't even know where you guys were."
[Aria]: "I was around."
Three words. Quiet. Enough to make Aiden pause.
[Aiden]: "Sorry, Aria. I didn't mean to ditch."
[Aria]: "It's fine. I'm used to invisible."
[Lana]: "Okay, can we not do this in the group chat?"
[Ethan]: "We're better than this, right?"
A long pause.
Then a message from Noah:
[Noah]: "How about we reset this weekend? No school, no drama. Just us."
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Saturday – Rooftop Reset
They all met on Ethan and Aiden's apartment rooftop. Blankets, music, snacks.
No one spoke at first.
Then Aiden passed Aria a hot cocoa.
"I saw your sketchbook the other day," he said.
Her eyes widened. "You what?"
He smiled. "You're crazy talented. I was… distracted on the trip. My bad."
She looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "You're forgiven. Slightly."
Lana nudged Noah. "You look like you're planning a six-month apology."
"I was just… thinking."
"About us?" she asked, teasing.
He blinked. "Maybe."
Ethan strummed a quiet chord on his guitar.
The rooftop was cold—but the silence was warm.
Together again. A little awkward. A little broken.
But still a group.