The final exams were only a week away. The air around school had changed — quieter, heavier, filled with the sound of pages flipping and pens scribbling.
Students were more serious than ever, buried in notes and textbooks. Even the talkative ones now whispered formulas and definitions instead of gossip.
For Aria and Ethan, the pressure of exams didn't scare them much — but the thought of these being their last exams together in high school made every day feel a little more precious.
That afternoon, as the sun streamed through the classroom windows, Aria was bent over her notes, her brows furrowed in concentration. Ethan sat beside her, spinning his pen between his fingers.
"You know," he said after a minute, "you make the cutest face when you're thinking hard."
Aria looked up from her notebook, narrowing her eyes. "I'm trying to memorize dates for history, Ethan. Not entertain you."
He grinned. "You're doing both."
She sighed and shook her head, hiding the smile tugging at her lips. "Focus, Cross."
"Yes, ma'am," he replied dramatically, pretending to salute.
Later that day, after school ended, Aria was about to go home when Ethan caught up to her.
"Hey," he said, slightly out of breath, "you want to study together today? I'm seriously falling behind in literature, and you're the only one who understands Shakespeare without going crazy."
Aria chuckled softly. "So that's why you suddenly want to study with me?"
"Well," he said with a smirk, "that and… I like studying with you."
Her cheeks warmed. "Fine," she said. "My place at seven?"
He nodded eagerly. "Deal."
---
When evening came, Aria's room was softly lit by the warm glow of a desk lamp. Her books were spread out across the table, and a faint scent of vanilla from a candle filled the air.
Ethan arrived a little late, carrying a bag of snacks. "Peace offering," he said, showing her a pack of her favorite chocolate cookies.
She smiled. "You're forgiven."
They settled side by side at her desk. For a while, the only sound in the room was the turning of pages and the scratching of pens. Ethan leaned forward, squinting at a line in his book.
"Why does Shakespeare make everything so complicated?" he groaned.
"Because he's brilliant," Aria said, not looking up from her notes.
"Or maybe he just liked watching people suffer," Ethan muttered.
Aria laughed softly. "You're impossible."
He turned to her with a playful grin. "But you like me this way."
She froze for a second, her heart skipping a beat — the same words he'd said months ago. Their eyes met, and for a brief moment, the world felt still. Then she quickly looked back at her notes.
After an hour, Ethan stretched, leaning back in his chair. "Okay, brain officially fried."
Aria closed her notebook too. "We've done enough for today. Maybe a short break?"
He nodded. "Deal."
They moved to sit on the floor near the window, sharing the cookies. Outside, the night was quiet, the sky dotted with faint stars.
"Remember when we used to complain about homework in first year?" Aria said softly.
Ethan chuckled. "Yeah. And now we're complaining about exams. We've grown, huh?"
She smiled. "A little. But you still act like a kid sometimes."
"Only around you," he said, his voice low and teasing.
Aria looked at him, trying to hold back a laugh. "You can be so annoying sometimes."
He leaned closer. "You don't mean that."
Her heartbeat quickened, but she didn't move away. "Maybe I do."
He smirked. "Then why are you blushing?"
Before she could reply, her mother's voice echoed from downstairs — "Aria! Dinner's ready!"
Aria quickly stood up, her face red. "I—I'll go bring food for both of us."
Ethan smiled as she rushed out. "Sure, girlfriend," he whispered to himself with a grin.
---
A while later, they sat cross-legged on the floor, sharing plates of pasta and laughing about old memories — from the time Ethan had accidentally set fire to his science experiment, to the day Aria had fallen asleep in art class and woken up with doodles all over her hand.
"Do you ever think about what it'll be like… after this?" Aria asked quietly.
Ethan looked at her. "After high school?"
She nodded.
He was silent for a moment, then said softly, "It'll be strange not walking to school with you every morning. Or sitting next to you in class."
Her chest tightened. "Yeah. Strange and… kind of sad."
"But we'll still see each other," he said quickly. "We'll go to the same university. Remember our promise?"
She smiled faintly. "Right. Together, no matter what."
He held out his pinky finger. "Promise again?"
Aria laughed softly, wrapping her pinky around his. "Promise."
They sat there for a while, hands still linked, the quiet hum of night surrounding them.
When it was time for Ethan to go home, he packed up his books and turned to her. "Thanks for the study session. And the cookies. And… for being my favorite distraction."
Aria blushed. "You're welcome. Now go home before I fail math because of you."
He laughed and leaned slightly closer, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You won't. You're too smart for that."
She felt her breath hitch as he whispered softly, "Goodnight, Aria."
"Goodnight, Ethan," she murmured back.
He left, and the room felt suddenly quiet. Aria sat on her bed, staring at her open notebook but unable to read. Her heart was still racing from the way he'd looked at her — the same way he always did, like she was the only thing in the room that mattered.
When her phone buzzed, she smiled even before checking it.
Ethan: Don't stay up too late, okay? Sweet dreams, genius.
Aria: Only if you promise to sleep early too.
Ethan: Deal. Goodnight, my distraction.
She chuckled softly and lay back on her pillow, her cheeks still warm. Outside, the stars glittered faintly — the same stars that had watched them grow from childhood friends into something far deeper.
Exams were coming, but tonight, all she could think about was him.