The bell rang loud and long, signaling lunch break. The hallways filled with the usual chaos—doors opening, chairs scraping, sneakers squeaking against the floors, voices rising like waves in the ocean. Seth yawned dramatically and slung his bag over one shoulder, weaving his way through the crowd with his usual easy swagger.
Behind him, a quieter presence followed.
"Nate!" Seth called out, grinning as he slowed his pace and looked over his shoulder. "You coming to the cafeteria or are you gonna eat dust in the library?"
Xavier Nate Harrison blinked like he'd been pulled from another world.
"Uh... yeah. I'll come," he said quietly.
"Cool," Seth said, nudging his arm playfully. "Don't worry, I won't let anyone bite you. Unless it's the cafeteria meatballs. Those things are violent."
Nate gave a small chuckle under his breath. He wasn't used to this—being pulled into someone's orbit so easily. His whole life abroad had been built around silence, careful boundaries, and hiding who he was. But with Seth… he didn't have to try. Seth filled the space between them so effortlessly, it almost made Nate feel normal again.
Almost.
---
The cafeteria buzzed with the low hum of voices, clattering trays, and distant laughter. Seth led them to a corner table near the windows, the kind of spot that got plenty of sunlight and a bit of breeze when the glass cracked open.
As they sat down, Seth pulled out a bottle of soda and popped the cap off with the edge of the table. Nate noticed how natural it looked, like he did it all the time.
"You don't have to sit there all stiff, man. Relax," Seth said, tossing him a warm smile. "You act like this is a job interview."
Nate smiled faintly. "Sorry. I'm just… not used to being invited."
"Well, get used to it." Seth grinned. "You're in my class now. That makes you part of the chaos."
They started eating, and the conversation rolled in easily. Mostly it was Seth who talked—about their subjects, the teachers, which ones were strict and which ones were secretly chill. Nate listened quietly, nodding occasionally, every now and then offering a shy comment.
Then the conversation shifted.
"I used to hate Math," Seth said, scooping rice into his mouth. "But then I met this guy in Grade 7 who was like a walking calculator, and suddenly it got bearable."
"You're good at it now?" Nate asked.
"Eh, good enough not to fail." Seth laughed. "But I'm more into literature. I like writing random stuff when I can't sleep. Poetry. Short thoughts. Emo things. Whatever, you know?"
Nate raised a brow slightly, surprised. "You don't seem like the poetic type."
"Most people think I'm all jokes and noise." Seth shrugged, picking at his food. "But I guess everyone's got layers."
Nate looked at him more closely, the pieces of the past slowly realigning. This version of Seth—older, louder, more expressive—was different, but at his core, he was still the same boy Nate had once laid on the grass with, whispering dreams into the sky.
"Did you ever have a best friend?" Seth suddenly asked, eyes drifting toward the cafeteria window, his voice softer now. "Like someone you really grew up with?"
Nate froze.
Seth continued without waiting. "I had one. When I was seven. His name was Vyre. He was… everything to me, back then."
Nate swallowed.
"We were so close. Played every day. Talked about nonsense. We even made this dumb little promise that we'd be best friends forever," Seth said, and laughed a little, but his voice cracked faintly. "But one day he just… left. His dad took him abroad. No goodbye. No letter. No anything."
There was a long pause.
"I waited for a long time. Years. I used to hope I'd see him again. Every time I saw a plane, I used to think maybe he was in one of them, coming back for me."
Nate didn't speak. He couldn't.
"My friends think I've moved on," Seth said, stabbing his spoon into his rice. "And maybe I have. I mean, I have a life. I have people around me. But there's still this little part of me that wonders... if Vyre still remembers me. If he thinks about me the way I think about him."
Nate clenched his fists beneath the table.
He wanted to scream "I'm right here. I came back."
But he didn't. He couldn't.
His parents had changed everything—his name, his school, his history. He wasn't Vyre anymore. At least, not to the world.
And yet, Seth made him feel like he still was.
---
Just then, the mood shifted as a group of girls passed by the table and spotted Seth. Their eyes widened. One of them squealed.
"Oh my god, Seth!"
Seth looked up, mouth still full. "Hm?"
They hurried over, pulling out their phones.
"Can we take a picture with you?"
"Your hair looks so good today!"
"Are you gonna perform at the school event next week?"
Seth chuckled. "You girls are wild. I'm just trying to digest here."
One leaned in to take a selfie anyway, and Seth playfully threw a peace sign.
Nate watched the scene unfold with silent curiosity. Seth, surrounded by people, glowing like he belonged. He had changed so much. Or maybe he had just grown into the version of himself he was always meant to be.
After a few photos and giggles, the girls left.
Seth slumped back into his chair. "Sorry about that. They're a little… enthusiastic."
"You're kind of a celebrity, huh?" Nate asked.
Seth snorted. "More like the school clown. But I'll take the title."
Nate smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
It hit him then—this was the reason he hadn't said the truth. Seth had changed. He had a life now. Friends. Popularity. A whole world that didn't need Vyre in it anymore.
And still, Nate couldn't stay away.
He had come back for one reason: to see the boy who had never left his heart.
But now, t
hat boy was growing into something brighter… and Nate didn't know if there was room left for a forgotten promise.