Where It Almost Began

Sixteen is a funny age.

You're old enough to think you've figured life out and young enough to be completely convinced you're right.

Kiara and Aarush think so, anyway.

They know who they are.
They know what they want.
They know where they're headed.

Mostly.

It all starts with a section shuffle.

One choice made on impulse.
One choice made out of convenience.

Neither of them thinks much of it.

After all, it isn't a life-changing decision.
It's just another classroom.

Or at least that's what they tell themselves.

The trouble with life-changing decisions is that they rarely feel life-changing at the time.

One minute they're sitting beside someone because of a seating arrangement. The next they're measuring their lives in shared memories.

And before they realize how little time they actually have, they're being asked what comes next.

About dreams.
About ambition.
About where home is.
About who gets to come with them when they leave.

This is a story about growing up, making choices, and only later understanding what they cost.

This is where it almost began.