The week of the exams arrived like a heavy storm — inevitable, exhausting, and filled with nervous energy.
The school corridors were unusually silent; even the chatterboxes now whispered, eyes buried in notes, pens twirling in shaky fingers.
Aria sat at her desk in the classroom early that morning, flipping through her revision book for the hundredth time. Her pencil tapped lightly against the desk — a rhythm of anxiety.
Ethan walked in, carrying two cups of coffee from the vending machine.
"You look like you didn't sleep at all," he said softly, handing her one.
She gave a tired smile. "Maybe because I didn't."
He chuckled. "I knew it. You probably revised the whole syllabus three times."
"Four, actually," she muttered.
Ethan laughed quietly and ruffled her hair, earning an annoyed glare from her. "You're impossible," she said, brushing her hair back.
"Yeah, but I make great coffee."
She rolled her eyes but took a sip anyway. It was sweet — the way she liked it.
---
When the bell rang, everyone filed into their seats, and the invigilator distributed the question papers. The sound of flipping pages echoed like thunder.
Aria glanced at her paper, her mind blank for a moment — then slowly, everything she had studied started coming back. She took a deep breath and began writing.
From across the room, Ethan's eyes flicked up to look at her for a second. Seeing her so focused made him smile. He mouthed a silent, "You got this," before going back to his own paper.
Hours passed, and when the final bell rang, relief flooded the room. Students stretched, yawned, and exchanged looks of exhaustion and triumph.
Ethan turned to Aria as they stepped out of the classroom. "How was it?"
She sighed. "Tough. But I think I did okay. You?"
He smirked. "I did great… thanks to your notes."
She smiled softly. "You're welcome. But next time, study on your own."
"Next time?" he teased. "You mean in college?"
"Maybe," she said, hiding her smile.
---
The next few days went by in a blur of subjects, sleepless nights, and countless coffee cups. Ethan and Aria studied together whenever they could — in the library, at home, even during lunch breaks under the old oak tree behind the school.
On the third day, after their math paper, Aria collapsed onto the grass behind the school, groaning. "My brain is officially broken."
Ethan dropped beside her, lying on his back and staring at the sky. "Mine too. I think I saw numbers dancing in front of me."
She laughed, turning to look at him. "You always joke, even when your marks are on the line."
He smiled faintly. "If I don't laugh, I'll cry."
They both laughed together — the kind of laughter that eased the tension of the whole week.
As they sat in silence, Aria noticed the way the light breeze moved through Ethan's hair, how calm he looked even after such a tiring day.
"Ethan," she said softly. "Are you scared?"
He turned to her, his expression thoughtful. "Of exams?"
She shook her head. "No. Of… what happens after?"
He looked at her for a long moment, then replied, "Maybe a little. I mean… this place, our friends, everything we've been used to — it's all going to change soon."
Aria's gaze softened. "Yeah. Change is scary."
He smiled faintly. "But you'll be there, right? Wherever we go next?"
She nodded. "Of course."
Their fingers brushed lightly between them, and neither of them pulled away.
---
The last exam came faster than either of them expected — literature. Aria's favorite subject, Ethan's least.
The morning of the test, Ethan arrived at Aria's house with a small folded piece of paper. "What's that?" she asked suspiciously.
"A cheat sheet," he said proudly.
Her eyes widened. "Ethan!"
He laughed. "Relax. It's not for cheating. It's a quote — for luck."
He handed it to her, and she read it aloud:
'Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow.'
Aria smiled. "Romeo and Juliet."
He nodded. "Yeah. I figured it fits. This is our last paper, after all."
Her chest tightened. "Don't make it sound sad."
"Okay," he said, grinning. "Then let's ace it and make it sweet instead."
---
After the exam, when the bell rang for the last time that week, the entire class erupted in cheers. Papers were thrown into the air, laughter filled the halls, and teachers smiled at the joyful chaos.
Ethan and Aria stepped out together, the afternoon sunlight warm on their faces.
"We actually did it," Aria said in disbelief.
"Of course we did," Ethan said, smiling proudly. "We're a team, remember?"
Aria looked at him — her partner through every class, every fight, every laughter-filled lunch.
She nodded softly. "Yeah. A team."
They walked toward the school gate, watching their friends hugging, taking photos, and crying. Aria's eyes grew misty, realizing this was it — the end of high school.
Ethan noticed and quietly slipped his hand into hers. "Hey," he said gently. "Don't cry. We've got a whole new chapter waiting for us."
She looked at him, smiling through her tears. "You always know what to say."
"Of course," he said, grinning. "I'm your boyfriend, remember?"
She laughed and wiped her tears. "Yeah, I remember."
As they walked home that evening, their fingers remained intertwined — a silent promise that this ending was only the beginning.