Crossing States

Chapter 5

The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the busy campus as students rushed between classes and activities. Luca, as usual, walked with his head down, his mind preoccupied with the upcoming midterms and the endless pages of reading he needed to finish. His hands gripped the straps of his backpack as he wove through the crowd, barely paying attention to the faces that passed him by.

That's when it happened—an accidental shoulder bump that almost knocked his bag off his shoulder. Luca stumbled back, muttering an apology before looking up to see who he had bumped into. His breath caught in his throat.

It was "Ethan".

Time seemed to freeze for a moment, the noise of the bustling campus fading into the background as Luca stared at the boy—no, the young man—standing in front of him. Ethan had changed so much. He was taller, broader, his face more defined, his confident smile catching the attention of anyone nearby. But there was no mistaking those familiar green eyes. Eyes that had once shared a thousand adventures with Luca.

Ethan blinked, his mouth parting in shock as recognition set in. "Luca?" His voice was a mix of surprise and disbelief, like he couldn't believe the person in front of him was real. "Oh my God, is that you?"

Luca opened his mouth, but no words came out. His heart was pounding, his mind racing to make sense of the situation. Of all the people he thought he'd bump into today, Ethan was the last person on his mind. He had imagined what it would be like if they ever saw each other again—maybe some random message on social media, a chance meeting at a high school reunion years from now. But not here, not like this.

"Yeah... it's me," Luca finally managed to say, his voice a little shaky.

Ethan's grin spread wide across his face. "I can't believe it! What are you doing here? Are you—wait, do you go here? This is crazy!"

Luca nodded, his throat tight. "Yeah, I'm a freshman. You?"

"Same!" Ethan replied, laughing in disbelief. "Man, what are the odds?"

There was a moment of silence that followed Ethan's burst of excitement, a pause that stretched a little too long, filled with the weight of everything left unsaid. Both of them stood there, staring at each other, unsure of what to say next. The memories of their childhood flooded Luca's mind—climbing trees, building forts, whispering secrets in the dead of night. And yet, looking at Ethan now, all of that felt so far away, like it had happened to different people.

Ethan shifted his bag on his shoulder, his smile faltering just slightly as he picked up on the awkwardness in the air. "Wow, it's been a long time, huh?" he said, his voice softer now.

"Yeah," Luca replied, forcing a small smile. "A long time."

Ethan's eyes flickered with something that looked like guilt or maybe nostalgia. "I've thought about you, you know. About us. What happened after I moved away."

Luca's stomach twisted. He had thought about it too—too much, probably. But now, standing here face-to-face with Ethan, it felt more complicated than he'd imagined. He didn't know how to bridge the gap between the boy Ethan had been and the confident, outgoing guy standing in front of him now.

"Yeah... I thought about it too," Luca admitted, though his voice lacked the enthusiasm of Ethan's. He didn't know why, but something in him felt guarded, like he wasn't ready to let Ethan back in so easily.

Ethan, noticing the hesitation in Luca's tone, scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Look, I know it's kind of weird seeing each other again after all these years. I mean, we used to be best friends, and now..." He trailed off, searching for the right words. "I guess a lot has changed, huh?"

Luca nodded slowly. "Yeah, a lot."

They both stood there, the once easy bond between them now tangled with years of silence, with all the things they hadn't said. Ethan seemed eager, hopeful even, to pick up where they left off, but Luca wasn't sure if he could. He didn't know if the person standing in front of him was the same Ethan who used to share his deepest secrets, the one who had promised they'd always be friends. And deep down, Luca couldn't shake the feeling that he had been abandoned, left behind when Ethan's life took off in a new direction.

Ethan, sensing the tension, forced a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. "You know, we should catch up sometime. It's crazy that we've been here all this time and didn't even know it." His smile was genuine, but there was an undercurrent of uncertainty in his eyes, like he was waiting for Luca to either accept or reject the olive branch he was offering.

Luca hesitated. His mind raced with memories of their friendship, of all the things they used to share, and all the ways it had slipped away. Part of him wanted to say yes, to reconnect and let the past be the past. But another part of him—the part that still ached from the years of silence—wasn't so sure.

"Yeah, maybe," Luca said quietly, offering a small, tentative smile. "It's... good to see you again, Ethan."

Ethan's smile brightened at the words, but there was still an unspoken tension between them, the weight of all the unresolved feelings from the past lingering in the air.

"You too, man. It's really good to see you," Ethan said softly, his eyes searching Luca's for some sign that they could rebuild what they once had.

With an awkward wave, Ethan turned and walked away, leaving Luca standing there, his heart heavy with confusion. He watched Ethan disappear into the crowd, his mind swirling with conflicting emotions. Seeing Ethan again had stirred something deep inside him—old memories, old feelings—but he wasn't sure if he was ready to face them just yet.

As Luca walked back to his dorm, he couldn't help but wonder: Was this a chance to reconnect, to rebuild what they had lost? Or was the past best left in the past?

∧( 'Θ' )∧∧( 'Θ' )∧∧( 'Θ' )∧∧( 'Θ' )∧