Crossing paths.

Anaya stood in front of her locker, staring at the cute picture of herself and her best friend Zoey — a photo they took back in kindergarten. Now, here they were, finally in their last year at Cedar Ridge High School. She smiled at how far they had come, and the excitement of being a senior slowly crept in.

Her eyes shifted to the scriptures pinned inside her locker door. They made her smile again, reminding her of how much they’d kept her going. Lost in thought, she was startled by the loud screams echoing down the hallway.

Of course, it was because of the school’s star soccer player, Ethan Harper. Not only was he the captain of the team — a title he’d held for four years straight — but he wasalso undeniably handsome. The way girls screamed for him, asked for autographs, and whispered about his abs said it all.

Ethan loved soccer with all his heart, but he hated the fame that came with it. All he wanted was some peace and quiet.

“Girls will always be girls,” whispered Tayla Mackenzie into Anaya’s ear. “I really don’t get why they scream whenever they see him. Is it the abs?”

“Oh my gosh, Tayla, you scared me!” cried Anaya, slamming her locker shut.

“Sorry, friend. But you also have to stop staring at that picture so much. You’re giving off ‘mom nostalgia’ vibes like, ‘Oh, you girls have grown so much, I can’t believe you were just babies yesterday,’” Zoey mimicked in a playful voice.“It’s true, though. I can’t believe this is our last year here. Next year, we’ll be going our separate ways to chase our dreams. It makes me so sad,” sighed Anaya.

“Relax, Anaya. That doesn’t mean our sixteen-year-old friendship will end. We’ll be besties until we die — even in heaven. Our kids will grow up like sisters, just like we did.”

“That actually makes me feel better.”

“I got you, my precious Anaya,” Zoey said, patting her shoulder as they headed to class.

The two had been inseparable since birth, raised together by their mothers in the same neighborhood. Their dreams, however, would eventually take them apart: Anaya wanted to become a physiotherapist, while Zoey had her eyes set on accounting. This would betheir last year of spending every day together, and they were determined to make it unforgettable.

The first period of the day began with the usual noise of students catching up with their friends. Anaya and Zoey entered their Math class, sitting side by side. On Anaya’s other side was Steven Williams — the “science nerd.” He wasn’t bad-looking, but most people found him boring because of how much he lived and breathed science. Anaya, however, enjoyed his company. Both of them were top students, and they bonded over academics.

“Smith, how are you? It’s been long since I last saw you,” Steven said.

“Hey, Williams. I guess I just needed a break,” she replied.For some reason only they knew, they always called each other by their surnames.

“I hope you’re ready to compete for the last time,” Anaya teased.

“Of course,” Steven chuckled. “But I could really use some help this year — especially in History. I need a good score to get into my university of choice.”

“I’d love to help, Williams. I could use some of your help in Chemistry, too. Oh, by the way, guess what? I’ve already applied to Oxford.”

“No way! Me too!”

“Ugh, why are we always into the same things?” Anaya groaned.

“We’re just the class nerds. Same brains, different versions.”

“This is frustrating. It’s like there’s another me walking around.”

“OKAY STUDENTS,” Mr. Acres interrupted loudly. “I KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT TO CATCH UP ON, BUT IT’S MY TIME NOW. SAVE EVERYTHING FOR BREAK TIME!”

And just like that, the two nerds were silenced.

By lunch, Ethan Harper sat with his friends.

“I can’t believe this is our final year,” he admitted.

“Oh, come on, it’s just school,” teased Max.

“Not just school, Max. This year decides everything — and if I mess up, Brooklyn FC might not even notice me next season,” Ethan said, glancing at his teammates.

“Bro, you’re their captain! They’d be crazy to ignore you,” Theo reassured.

“Still… every practice counts. I can’t afford to slack even for a moment,” Ethan said.

“Relax, man. You’re amazing on the field. Let the rest happen as it will,” Max encouraged.

“Forget about Brooklyn bro. When are you hosting a party? Throw one and you’ll have tons of girls around!” Max smirked.

“How many times do I have to say this, Max? I’m born again now. I don’t do that anymore. In fact, you should come to church with me and receive Jesus.”

“Boring! This is our last year, man. One last party before we’re out,” Max insisted.

“Respect my boundaries, Max. Or else…”

“Or else what? You’ll ditch us to hang out with weird Jack and his rat?” Max laughed.

The group burst out laughing as Jack proudly showed off his pet rat, completely unbothered. Ethan shook his head, sighing.

By the end of the day, after the bell rang, Anaya hurried out of her Health Science class. She was rushing to meet Zoey at the gate — Zoey hated waiting. But on her way, she collided with Ethan, who was heading to the soccer field. His bag slipped from his shoulder, and Anaya’s books scattered across the floor.

Both knelt down quickly to gather their things.

“Sorry, I didn’t see you. I was in a rush,” they said at the same time.

They looked up, realizing they’d spoken in unison, and both smiled. Ethan stood, grabbed his bag, and ran off to the field — punctuality was a must for a captain.As Anaya collected the last of her books, she noticed Ethan had dropped his Nike black wristband. She picked it up and raised her head to call after him, but he was already too far. With a sigh, she slipped the wristband into her bag and rushed to meet Zoey, feeling a flutter of curiosity she couldn’t quite explain.