It was a normal, typical Tuesday. The chemistry class with Miss Garington had just ended, and Adelynn Outwood stepped out of the classroom to take a breath of something that didn't smell like NH?. She took a deep one, enjoying the mix of overly sweaty sweatshirts, sandwiches, and electronic cigarettes in the air — after the ammonia, it almost smelled like expensive perfume.

  "Finally..." she mumbled under her breath, checking the time. It was the lunch break.

  "Hey, Lyn! You coming...?" Stephany from the same year, called out to her, already heading toward the cafeteria to grab something to eat.

  "Go ahead. I'll catch up! I just need to put the smock away." she replied, having had enough of wearing it all day. Besides... her clothes smelled now, too.

  "Alright! Don't take too long!" Stephany called back, not bothering about her own study clothes — probably using them to her advantage to scare away the rest of the students in the queue and get ahead.

  "I won't! Buy me a chocolate cupcake!" she called after her, afraid they would sell out before she got there. That she had to get a locker at the other end of the university this year...! She sighed, raising her hand to untie her hair, which had been in a ponytail for hours, finally letting the blood flow back to her scalp. The second year was a bit hard... It wasn't that she hadn't expected it — after finishing high school and choosing her career path, she knew better — but still... she had hoped the classes would be a little lighter.

  "Well, at least it's not medicine..." she thought, looking at the medical students sleeping on a bench at the very start of the semester, already worn out by a flood of new duties and upcoming exams. In an instant, she felt much better. She didn't regret choosing pharmacy at all.

  She quickly passed a few corners and corridors, already having memorised the quickest route, even though the building had changed this year, and, without much concern for dignity, tossed her lab jacket into the locker, making sure it wouldn't make the rest of her clothes smell, pushing it as deep as possible with her foot. She reached for the sweater, she had brought from home that day and pulled it on. Finally... nice, cosy... and only slightly smelly. She would definitely need to wash her hair later that day... Well, the antiperspirant would have to do for now. She took the bottle from the highest shelf, floral-scented, spraying it until it made her cough.

  "Better..." she finally relaxed, grabbing her bag again and heading toward the stairs. She moved quickly, almost skipping down them, glancing at her phone to check the time and how much of her break she still had left after wasting it like this.

  Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice. She instinctively turned around, her eyes widened slightly as she blinked, recognising the familiar posture. Her heart skipped a beat.

  "Theo. " she said, before she even caught herself in surprise.

  The tall guy with half-long, half-cut black hair, who had been chatting with his friends by the corner, widened his eyes a bit as well when he heard the familiar voice, looking at her. He couldn't quite believe his own eyes. A crooked, almost cheesy smirk appeared on his lips.

  "Lynnie... is that really you? " he looked her up and down, taking in her appearance. She had certainly grown up since the last time he had seen her.

  She was watching him freeze as well. She couldn't quite believe it. It was him. Her first love, Theo Marlow, standing right there. He had been a friend of her older sister, Charlotte, whom she had known for as long as she could remember. There was a five-year age gap between them, so she had never really had a chance — only lingering around when they were younger. Eventually, they had lost touch when his and her sister's group of friends fell apart. She hadn't really seen or heard from him since then. It had already been a few years since she had last seen that smile. The kid she had been back then was gone. She was a grown woman now, in a white sweater and casual jeans. Her long, curly hair was a bit messy, loosely falling down her back, and she looked at him with a soft, shy smile. Suddenly, growing back the expression she hadn't had on her face for years.

  "What are you doing here...? " she asked, getting closer, keeping bag on her shoulder.

  He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, with a bit of a growing smirk, as soon as she approached him. "I could ask you the same thing. Last I remembered, you were still a little gremlin in junior high."

  His friends looked at her with a hint of curiosity, but her eyes were fixed solely on him. For a moment, she almost forgot about being cautious in their presence.

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  "Really funny. " she rolled her eyes slightly "I'm in my second year of pharmacy. You're still studying...?" she asked, feeling her heart skip a beat out of old habit. Some things seemed like they were never going to change.

  He let out a small chuckle, amused by her eye roll.

  "Yeah, I'm still studying. But I'm in my last year now. Almost done with this whole college thing. " he pushed himself off the wall, taking a step closer, still unable to hide a bit of amusement. "Pharmacy, huh? I remember you were always pretty smart in science subjects. Guess you were destined for that path. "

  She watched him with the same curiosity, taking in his different, slightly older appearance now. His hair was longer, but less frivolous. His eyes were still the same familiar shade of green she had dreamed about for so many nights. And he seemed to have faint dark circles under them — probably from studying. Every student has them sooner or later, rushing to finish something late at night, right before a deadline.

  "Well, I like chemistry... What do you study? " she asked, unable to stop herself from wondering. Since he had lost touch with her sister, she hadn't known anything about his life. Her mind was spinning in circles.

  He noticed her inquisitive gaze and couldn't help but feel a little smug about it.

  "I'm studying mechanical engineering. It's pretty interesting stuff, you know? Lots of math and physics are involved. " he took another step closer, drifting even further into her personal space, tempted by old habits as well. "But I bet it's not as fascinating as mixing chemicals in a lab all day, huh? "

  She suddenly felt self-conscious for a moment, subtly checking that her clothes didn't smell too strongly beneath the floral scent.

  "Ahh... so physic. " she said, wrinkling her face at the thought of that. Not really jealous of that. She had never been much of a fan and was glad to have it behind her. But yeah... he had always seemed almost unfairly good at it. "Well, it must be hard. "

  He laughed, the sound warm and familiar, like an old song she hadn't heard in years.

  "Hard? Yeah, sometimes. But so is memorizing the entire periodic table and pretending to care about organic synthesis. " his eyes sparkled with playful challenge. "Though I bet you'd ace my thermodynamics exam if I asked nicely. "

  "Why would I do that? You're the older one — shouldn't you lend me your notes? " she huffed, unable to resist calling him out on his age. It had always been the one thing she had on him, her small defense when she was younger, delivering the familiar old jab.

  "Old? " he feigned offense, placing a hand on his chest. "I was eighteen when you used to hide behind Charlotte's couch just to sneak a peek at me. How old were you then? Twelve? " his grin turned wicked as he leaned in slightly, clearly enjoying the familiar reunion banter. "And yeah, notes. Sure. But nothing's free, kiddo. " he tapped her forehead with one finger — just like he used to when she was little. "Interest accrues. With... penalties. "

  "I am not a kid." she said, glancing at him, forcing herself to keep her dignity now, even as an unpleasant pang tightened in her chest. "I have to go. I've got my next classes on the other side of the building. See you around, grandpa. " she added, giving him a small wave.

  "Grandpa? " he barked a laugh, throwing his head back. "Ouch. And here I was about to invite you for coffee after class. " he stepped aside with a mock blow, letting her pass.

  She stopped at that, turning around on one leg. "Coffee? " she asked, with flaring up curiosity and sudden excitement tightening in her chest — it had been a long time. And she actually... got to miss him. A lot.

  He shrugged, trying to look nonchalant.

  "Yeah, coffee. You know, to catch up. We haven't seen each other in years, kid – excuse me, young woman. " he smirked at the last part, still finding great amusement in messing with her. But there was a serious look in his eyes this time, hidden behind the teasing mask. "But I understand if you're too busy. Wouldn't want to mess up your schedule for some old guy, right?" he added, looking in her eyes.

  She watched him in quiet disbelief, not really sure if this was actually happening. He said it almost... like he was missing her too. And like he would be sad if she dismissed his offer. Not that she ever would. Not really able to.

  "I... I would like to. I am free today. After the biology classes..." she said, I couldn't help but feel happy about that.

  His smirk softened into a genuine smile. He tried to play it cool, but her agreement actually filled him with a warm kind of nostalgia. "Alright then, coffee it is. I know a place not far from here that has some good espresso. Meet you in the front plaza by the main building after class?"

  "Yeah. " she nodded gently, maybe a little too quickly. "I'll be there at four."

  He nodded in return, his gaze lingering on her a little longer than necessary.

  "See you then, sunshine." he couldn't help but let the term slip. It was a nickname he had used for her when she was younger — one that had always given away his soft spot for her, despite their age difference.

  "See you!" she waved at him again, smiling as she headed back in her direction. Well... she was sure he just wanted to catch up with her, probably ask about her older sister. Or maybe tease her about high school and things like that. She wasn't really expecting anything from the coffee. Just an older-friend kind of catch-up, that's all. But... she was happy. She missed him. It was nice to see and hear him again.

  Theo watched her go, his gaze following her until she disappeared back into the crowd of students. He had to admit, it was jarring to see how much she had changed. The little girl who used to cling to his arm and beg him to play with her was gone. In her place stood a confident young woman, with a grace and poise he couldn't help but admire.

  Yes, he wanted to catch up and hear about her sister. But he couldn't deny the joy he felt at seeing her again. It was... unexpected. He would never have guessed they would meet here like this. He shook his head, trying to push those thoughts aside.

  It was just a coffee, right?