What we thought we knew

Prologue

The late summer sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the quiet hill behind the middle school. Kaylee and Connor sat together on the grass, knees brushing as they leaned back, watching the last days of their middle school years fade away. It was their spot—hidden from the rest of the world, where they'd spent hours talking about everything that mattered and things that didn’t. They had grown up together, bound by a shared birthday and a friendship that felt like home.

Connor shifted, pulling at a few blades of grass and tossing them aside. “Can you believe we’re starting high school next week?”

Kaylee sighed, her gaze fixed on the horizon. “Nope. It feels weird, doesn’t it? Like everything’s about to change.”

“Yeah.” Connor paused for a moment, thoughtful. “Everyone’s always talking about high school like it’s supposed to be this big deal. Relationships, dating, the whole thing. I just don’t get it.”

Kaylee snorted softly. “Right? People are acting like if they don’t find someone by 30, they’re doomed to be alone forever. It’s ridiculous.”

Connor smirked. “Well, if that’s how it works, I guess we should have a backup plan.”

Kaylee turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow. “A backup plan?”

“Yeah,” he said, his tone casual but serious. “If neither of us finds someone by the time we’re 30, we get married. Easy solution.”

For a second, Kaylee stared at him, waiting for the punchline. But Connor didn’t crack a grin. The suggestion seemed so… Connor. Practical, logical, with that hint of humor underneath.

“You’re actually serious?” she asked, half-laughing.

Connor shrugged, tossing another handful of grass aside. “Why not? We get along better than anyone else. You know everything about me, and I know everything about you. It wouldn’t be so bad, right?”

Kaylee tilted her head, considering it. There was a certain comfort in the idea, the thought of always having someone, no matter what. She and Connor were best friends—no awkwardness, no drama. Just two people who understood each other in a way no one else did.

“Alright,” she said, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Deal. But only if we promise to stay best friends no matter what. Even if one of us gets married before then.”

Connor grinned, holding out his pinky. “Pinky promise.”

Kaylee rolled her eyes but linked her pinky with his. “Pinky promise.”

As their fingers curled together, a warm breeze stirred the grass around them, and for a moment, the weight of the future didn’t feel so heavy. It was just a silly pact between two kids who couldn’t imagine life without each other. But somewhere deep inside, Kaylee knew that if the years ahead didn’t go as planned, Connor would still be there. That was all she needed.

The sky darkened, and the stars began to peek through, marking the end of another day. Neither of them spoke of the pact again, but it lingered in the back of their minds like a quiet assurance—an unspoken promise for the future.