CHAPTER 18: FAMILIAR THINGS
Some people don't enter your life all at once.
They arrive piece by piece.
A message.
A conversation.
A joke.
A habit.
And before you realize it, they've become a familiar part of your day.
Liora didn't notice it happening.
Not yet.
The next week arrived quietly.
School continued.
Assignments piled up.
Teachers reminded everyone that graduation was approaching.
Kai complained.
Mira argued.
Jaden suffered.
And Evren somehow managed to survive all of them.
Life remained exactly the same.
Mostly.
"Lio."
"Hm?"
"You've been smiling at your phone for three minutes."
Liora looked up from her desk.
Across from her, Mira was staring suspiciously.
"What?"
"That's my question."
Kai immediately leaned over.
"Oh, we're investigating."
"We are not investigating," Jaden said.
"We absolutely are."
Liora sighed.
"It was a message."
"A message from who?"
"No one."
Kai slammed a hand on the desk.
"That's the second time you've used that answer."
"What answer?"
"'No one.'"
Mira nodded.
"Very suspicious."
Liora grabbed a notebook and threw it at both of them.
Unfortunately, they were too experienced to be hit.
Evren sat nearby organizing project files.
He glanced up briefly.
Then returned to his work.
"You guys need hobbies."
"We have hobbies," Mira said.
"Bullying us isn't a hobby."
"Depends who you ask."
Kai looked proud.
The bell saved everyone.
Students immediately escaped the classroom.
Liora slipped her phone into her pocket and followed.
The conversation forgotten.
At least for now.
During lunch, the courtyard buzzed with noise.
Their usual table beneath the tree had become an unofficial headquarters over the years.
No one else dared claim it anymore.
Kai called it territorial dominance.
Everyone else called it embarrassing.
The five of them sat together eating lunch.
Halfway through, Mira suddenly spoke.
"We have four months left."
The table fell quiet.
Not completely.
Just enough.
Because everyone knew it was true.
Four months.
That was all.
Four months until graduation.
Four months until different universities.
Different cities.
Different lives.
Kai broke the silence first.
"Don't say depressing things while I'm eating."
"I'm serious."
"I know."
That was the problem.
Mira rested her chin on her hand.
"We should do more stuff."
"What kind of stuff?" Jaden asked.
"I don't know."
"Very helpful."
She pointed at him.
"You understand my vision."
"There is no vision."
"We should make memories."
Everyone looked at Kai.
Kai looked surprised.
"I can be emotional."
"No," Mira replied.
"You can't."
The conversation continued.
Ideas bounced around.
Weekend outings.
Photos.
Movie nights.
Festival revisits.
Random adventures.
None of them wanted to admit it.
But everyone was thinking the same thing.
Four months wasn't very long.
Liora listened quietly.
A soft vibration came from her pocket.
Her phone.
One message.
She glanced down.
Rowan:
survive school today?
A smile tugged at her lips.
Without thinking.
Without realizing.
Just naturally.
She typed back.
Liora:
unfortunately yes
Three dots appeared.
Then:
Rowan:
tragic
She laughed.
Just once.
Small.
But noticeable.
"What?"
Kai immediately pointed.
"There."
"There what?"
"The smile."
"What smile?"
"The suspicious smile."
Liora groaned.
"Oh my god."
Mira gasped dramatically.
"There IS a smile."
Jaden closed his eyes.
"I'm surrounded by idiots."
The conversation moved on quickly.
No one thought much of it.
Not even Liora.
After school, the group stopped by a convenience store.
Mostly because Kai was hungry.
Again.
"How are you hungry already?" Mira asked.
"I exist at a higher metabolic level."
"That's not a thing."
"It is for me."
Liora wandered toward the drinks section.
Her phone buzzed again.
Rowan:
what are you doing?
She looked at the shelves.
Then replied.
Liora:
watching my friend spend money he doesn't have
The reply came instantly.
Rowan:
sounds entertaining
Liora:
it is
For some reason, the conversation felt easy.
Like talking to someone she'd known longer than a week.
Not because she knew him deeply.
Because there was never any pressure.
No expectations.
No awkwardness.
Just words.
That evening, rain threatened the city again.
Dark clouds gathered outside her window.
The air smelled fresh.
Liora sat at her desk editing photos.
Her Polaroid camera rested nearby.
A familiar sight.
A message appeared.
Rowan:
photography question
Liora:
go ahead
Rowan:
why do you like taking pictures so much?
Liora paused.
Her fingers hovered above the keyboard.
Then slowly began moving.
Liora:
because moments disappear
A few seconds passed.
Liora:
photos don't
The reply took longer this time.
Rowan:
that's actually a really nice answer
She stared at the screen.
For some reason, the compliment felt different.
Not because it was romantic.
Because it felt genuine.
The conversation drifted elsewhere afterward.
Music.
Weather.
School.
Random nonsense.
Hours passed surprisingly fast.
The next few days followed a similar rhythm.
School.
Friends.
Messages.
Laughter.
Homework.
Messages again.
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing life-changing.
Just familiar.
By Friday, Rowan had somehow learned:
her favorite season was autumnshe hated pineapple on pizzashe always carried spare batteries for her camerashe loved rainy evenings
And Liora had learned:
Rowan listened to music while studyinghe drank way too much coffeehe hated presentationshe had terrible handwriting
Small things.
Meaningless things.
Yet strangely personal.
That afternoon, Evren found Liora sitting beneath the staircase after class.
Camera in hand.
Lost in thought.
He sat beside her.
Neither spoke immediately.
Comfortable silence.
The kind only years of friendship create.
After a while, Evren nodded toward her camera.
"Taken any good pictures lately?"
Liora looked down.
"Not many."
"Hm."
That was all he said.
Yet she found herself thinking about it later.
Not many.
It was true.
She still carried the camera everywhere.
Still loved photography.
Still took photos.
But not as often.
For some reason, that thought stayed with her.
That night, she sat on her bed scrolling through old Polaroids.
Festival photos.
School memories.
The friend group.
Evren.
Mira.
Kai.
Jaden.
Pieces of time frozen forever.
A soft vibration interrupted her.
She didn't need to check who it was.
She already knew.
And that realization made her pause.
Just for a second.
Because a week ago, Rowan had been a stranger.
Now she recognized his notifications instantly.
Her screen lit up.
Rowan:
look outside
Confused, Liora walked to the window.
Rain had finally begun.
Soft droplets shimmered beneath streetlights.
The city looked peaceful.
Quiet.
Almost dreamlike.
Her phone buzzed again.
Rowan:
told you it would rain
A smile appeared before she could stop it.
Not a big one.
Not an important one.
Just familiar.
And standing by the window, watching the rain fall across the sleeping city, Liora didn't realize it yet—
but Rowan was no longer just someone she talked to.
He was slowly becoming someone she expected to be there.