JUNE MET APRIL

The spot.

The engine hummed softly as June pulled out of the parking lot and the evening air flowed through the open windows of his gold Toyota Corolla Sedan. As they cruised through the streets, the familiar beat of Ganiru's Stay Awake began to play on the radio. June reached over and turned up the volume, April smiled and glanced at him.
"You like Ganiru?" she asked, slightly surprised.
June laughed, nodding.
"Yeah, I do. He's such an authentic artist. His music... it just hits differently, you know?"
They exchanged a grin before both began to sing along, letting the melody carry them through the streets. April found herself relaxing more than she expected, her earlier nervousness slowly evaporating. The car ride felt easy and light.
Soon they turned off the main road, heading down a quieter path. The city's sounds faded as the trees thickened. After a few minutes, June slowed the car and pulled into what seemed like an abandoned lot.
The car came to a halt in front of an old, weathered basketball court. The court was surrounded by stairs, most of them overtaken by creeping vines and fallen leaves. The paint on the ground had faded, cracked in some places, the hoops stood tall, but rusted. The entire place looked like it hadn't seen life in years.
April looked around, her brows furrowing in curiosity. "What is this place?" she asked, stepping out of the car.
June shut his door and walked around to the back, popping open the trunk with a grin.
"This, my friend, is The Spot."
He reached inside and pulled out a crate of drinks, balancing it easily in his arms. April followed him, her eyes still scanning the abandoned court in awe. She couldn't help but wonder how he'd ever found this place. It was like a hidden gem, long forgotten by everyone else but preserved somehow, as if waiting for moments like this.
"How did you find this place?" she asked, her voice filled with amazement as they made their way further into the court.
June just smiled mysteriously, leading the way, the sound of their footsteps echoing softly across the empty space.
June set the crate of drinks down near one of the staircases, brushing away a few dried leaves to make space. He looked up at April with a grin, his eyes glinting in the fading sunlight.
"I found this place by accident." he finally admitted, sitting down on the steps. "I was driving around one day with my friend Kai we needed some air, and we stumbled upon it. It's quiet, away from everything. Figured it'd be a good spot to unwind, you know?"
April walked over to the court, running her hand along the chipped paint of one of the rusted hoops. The air here felt different, almost as if time had slowed down, leaving the stress of school, work, and everything else far behind. She took in a deep breath, the fresh smell of earth and overgrown grass filling her lungs.
"It's... peaceful," she said softly, still looking around in wonder.
"I don't think I've ever seen a place like this. You must come here a lot, huh?"
"Yeah," June said, cracking open a drink and offering one to her.
"Whenever I need to clear my head, I end up here. It's like my secret hideaway."
April accepted the drink, sitting down beside him on the steps. The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a while, sipping from their cans as the sky began to shift into hues of orange and purple. She watched as the sunlight filtered through the leaves. There was something calming about the emptiness of the space; how it felt like it was just them, with no obligations, no noise, just the distant chirping of crickets as night slowly crept in.
"So, what do you usually do when you're here?" April asked, tilting her head toward him.
June shrugged, leaning back on his elbows.
"Mostly just sit, think, sometimes I shoot hoops." He pointed to the ball that had been lying by the side of the court.
"I'm no pro, but it's fun. Clears the mind."
April laughed, shaking her head.
"I haven't played basketball since high school. I wasn't very good at it then either."
"Who said you need to be good?" June teased. "It's just about having fun. Want to give it a shot?"
April hesitated, then looked at the ball. She hadn't planned on playing basketball when she dressed up earlier, but something about the carefree atmosphere of the place made her feel like she could loosen up a bit.
"Alright, fine!" she said, standing up and walking over to the ball. She bent down to pick it up, feeling the worn texture beneath her fingers.
"But don't laugh if I miss. I'm serious."
June laughed. "No promises."
April lined up her shot, aiming for the hoop, and tossed the ball. It sailed through the air, a little too high and bounced off the rim with a hollow clang. She groaned, covering her face with her hands.
"Told you!" she laughed, turning around to face June, who was grinning widely.
"Hey, at least it hit the rim!" He said, grabbing the ball and dribbling it toward her.
"Here, try again."
They spent the next few minutes goofing around, shooting hoops and laughing whenever one of them missed terribly. The atmosphere grew lighter with each playful jab, the tension of the day melting away. April felt herself loosening up in a way she hadn't in a long time, the weight of work and school temporarily forgotten.
After a while, they both collapsed back onto the steps, panting and out of breath. The sky had darkened considerably, stars beginning to twinkle faintly above them.
"Okay," April said between breaths, "this spot is officially cool. I get why you come here."
June smiled, staring up at the stars.
"Told you. Sometimes you just need to escape for a bit, right?"
April nodded, leaning back and letting the cool night air brush against her skin. It felt like she had been running for so long—between her job at The Fashion Vault and school, everything had felt so overwhelming lately. But here, under the stars, with the quiet of the court and June's easy presence, she felt a strange sense of calm.
"You ever feel like..." April hesitated, unsure if she should say what was on her mind. She didn't usually open up to people easily, but something about this moment felt right.
"Like you're always trying to keep up but no matter what, you're falling behind?"
June turned to her, his eyes softening.
"Yeah," he said after a moment. "I feel like that all the time."
April looked at him, surprised by the honesty in his voice. "Really?"
"Yeah." He glanced down at his hands, fiddling with the empty drink can.
"Everyone else seems like they've got their stuff together, you know? And I'm just... trying to keep up."
April nodded.
"I get that."
They sat in silence for a while, the quiet of the court surrounding them. It wasn't awkward, it was comforting, like they both understood something unspoken about each other.
"Well," June said after a while.
"at least you're not alone in that."
April smiled. "Yeah. I guess not."
The silence between them stretched on, comfortable and easy, as the stars continued to twinkle overhead. April found herself leaning back, tracing the faint outline of constellations. She hadn't realized how nice it would be to just sit in a space where there were no expectations, no noise from the world outside—just this old, forgotten court and the company of someone who, unexpectedly, seemed to get her.
June stretched his legs out in front of him, tapping his fingers against the empty can. Then he turned to her, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Alright, random question." he said, breaking the silence.
"If you could be any superhero, who would you be?"
April raised an eyebrow, laughing at the sudden shift in conversation. "Where did that come from?"
"Just popped into my head." June said with a shrug. "I'm curious."
April thought for a second, biting her lip.
"Hmm... probably Spider-Woman. You know, she's got the whole balance of being powerful but still trying to live a normal life. I feel like that's kinda relatable."
June chuckled.
"Yeah, I get that. Plus, she gets to swing around the city, which is pretty cool."
"And what about you?" April asked, turning the question back to him.
"Me?" June tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"I'd probably be... Nightwing. Not as flashy as Batman, but he's strong, smart, and doesn't need superpowers to be a hero. He just makes do with what he's got."
"Ah, the classic 'cool but brooding' type. " April teased, nudging him lightly.
"Hey, nothing wrong with a little brooding." June shot back with a grin.
April laughed, feeling more at ease with every passing minute. She liked this side of June; the easygoing, slightly nerdy guy who didn't mind throwing random questions into the air.
For a moment, their conversation slowed again, and April glanced at him curiously.
"So... how'd you end up here, at school? What's your story?"
June exhaled slowly, leaning his head back to stare at the stars.
"Ah, the backstory question," he mused.
"Well, I guess it's not too complicated. I grew up not too far from here, always kinda knew I'd go to school close to home. I've got two younger sisters, so I wanted to stay nearby and help out where I could, especially after my dad passed away."
April's expression softened.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
June gave a small, sad smile.
"It's alright. It's been a few years now. My mom's strong though, and my sisters are tough, so we managed but yeah, I've been balancing school, work, and family stuff for as long as I can remember. Guess that's why I come to places like this, you know? It's the only time I get to just... breathe."
April nodded, her heart aching a little for him. She hadn't expected that depth from him; he seemed so laid back, but there was clearly more to him that met the eye. She was about to say something when June shifted, sitting up a bit straighter.
"But hey, enough about me." he said, shaking off the heavier topic.
"What about you?"
April hesitated, not used to talking about herself so openly but there was something about the night, the quiet and the way June seemed genuinely interested that made her feel like she could share a little more than usual.
"Well," she started slowly, "I had to take on a job at the fashion vault to help cover school expenses. My parents help where they can, but it's not always enough. Plus, I figured, why not start learning how to be independent now, you know?" She smiled wryly. "But it gets tough sometimes; between the stress of exams and work piling up, it feels like I'm always behind."
June nodded, understanding all too well.
"It's like we're all in this constant race no one told us about."
"Exactly!!!" April agreed, looking down at the drink in her hands.
"But it's not all bad. I'm learning to handle it. And... honestly, nights like this make it a little easier."
June glanced over at her, his expression softening. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Me too."
They sat in silence again but this time it was filled with a quiet understanding. They didn't need to say anything more, just being there was enough.
After what felt like an eternity, the night began to cool even further and June stood up, stretching his arms above his head.
"We should probably head back before it gets too late," he said, glancing at the time on his phone.
April sighed, not ready to leave the calm of the court but knowing he was right.
"Yeah, probably a good idea."
They gathered their things and June carefully packed up the crate and tossed the empty cans into a nearby trash bin. As they made their way back to the car, April stole one last glance at the court, feeling like she had found something special there; not just in the place but in the company she kept.
"Thanks for bringing me here." she said as they reached the car.
June smiled as he unlocked the door.
"Anytime."

June drove with one hand resting on the wheel, the other drumming lightly on the console as the cool night air flowed through the window. The roads were quieter now, the rush of the city finally calming down. April sat beside him, the soft sound of the radio filling the comfortable silence between them. Every now and then, he caught her stealing a glance at him and he couldn't help but smile. There was something about the night, the simplicity of it, that made everything feel... right.
As he pulled up in front of her apartment building, June parked the car and turned to her.
"Well, here we are." he said, trying to sound casual but unable to hide the slight reluctance in his voice. He didn't want the night to end just yet.
April unbuckled her seatbelt and smiled.
"Thanks for tonight. I really needed it."
"Anytime," June replied, his gaze softening as he met her eyes.
"And I mean it—if you ever need to escape again, you know where to find me."
April laughed lightly.
"I'll hold you to that."
She opened the door, stepping out into the cool night air. She hesitated for a moment before leaning down to the open window.
"Goodnight, June."
"Goodnight, April." he said, his voice warm.
With a final smile, she turned and headed up the steps to her apartment. June watched as she disappeared inside, feeling a strange mix of calm and excitement wash over him. He sat there for a second longer, replaying the evening in his head before finally shifting the car into gear.
As June drove home, the quiet streets lit by street lights passing in a steady rhythm, he couldn't help but feel a sense of serenity.
There was something about April; her laugh, her honesty, the way she seemed to let her guard down just a little tonight, that left him feeling lighter. It wasn't just the old court or the random questions; it was the connection they had started to build. It felt like the beginning of something, though he wasn't sure what just yet.
Smiling to himself, he glanced at the rearview mirror, the city fading into the distance as he drove deeper into the night  the memory of tonight already replaying in his mind, knowing that whatever came next, it would be worth it.