Chapter 6: Old Friends, New Feelings

The crisp evening air brushed against Annie Stones' skin as she stepped outside the reunion hall, her senses still humming from the night's events. She had come to the reunion expecting nothing more than a trip down memory lane, but now, as the evening wound down, she couldn't shake the growing sense of something new blossoming inside her.

Standing beside her, Calix Wood was more than just an old friend. Tonight, it felt like the past had only been a prelude to whatever this was—something neither of them had been ready for before, but now, with years of growth behind them, it felt undeniable.

She glanced at him, studying his face in the dim light of the streetlamp. Calix had aged well, better than she remembered. His jawline was strong, more defined than it had been in high school, with a light dusting of stubble that gave him a rugged, yet relaxed appearance. His dark brown hair, once messy and unkempt during their school days, was now neatly trimmed, though a few rebellious strands still fell across his forehead. There was an ease in the way he carried himself, a quiet confidence that made it hard to look away.

His eyes—those same warm, amber-brown eyes that had always seemed to sparkle with mischief back in high school—now held a depth she hadn't noticed before. They were still playful, but there was something else there, something that hinted at the years they had spent apart and the experiences that had shaped him into the man he was now.

Annie wasn't sure when it had happened—when she had started seeing him as more than just a classmate from her past. Maybe it had been the way he had looked at her during the reunion, or the easy, open conversations they had fallen into, as if no time had passed at all. Or maybe it was the way he was looking at her now, as if she was something new, something worth discovering.

"What?" Calix asked, catching her gaze and flashing that familiar, crooked smile.

Annie blinked, realizing she had been staring. "Nothing. Just... thinking."

"About?"

"About how different you look," she said, her voice soft. "In a good way, I mean. You're still you, but... not. Does that make sense?"

Calix chuckled, his smile widening. "Yeah, I get it. You've changed too, you know."

Annie raised an eyebrow, curious. "Oh? How so?"

He paused for a moment, his gaze drifting over her. "Well, for starters, you're even more beautiful than I remember."

Annie felt a flush rise to her cheeks, the compliment catching her off guard. She had always been self-conscious about her appearance in high school—tall, with a slender frame, her auburn hair always pulled back into a ponytail. But now, as an adult, she had grown into her features, her wavy chestnut-brown hair falling freely past her shoulders, framing her face in a way that softened her sharp cheekbones. Her green eyes, once full of youthful ambition, now carried a calm confidence, though they still sparkled with the curiosity that had driven her to leave town all those years ago.

"Thank you," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're not so bad yourself."

They shared a quiet laugh, the moment feeling strangely intimate, as if they were seeing each other for the first time.

Calix shifted his weight, his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket. "It's funny, isn't it? How we spent all those years together in school, and yet... it feels like I'm just now getting to know you."

Annie nodded, her thoughts echoing his. Back in high school, they had moved in different circles—she had been the driven one, always focused on her studies, while Calix had been the easygoing guy who got along with everyone but never seemed to take anything too seriously. They had shared classes, exchanged friendly smiles in the hallway, but that was where it had ended.

Now, though, things felt different. The weight of their shared history had somehow shifted, creating room for something new to grow.

"I was thinking the same thing," Annie admitted. "It's strange, isn't it? How time changes everything. I never thought we'd end up here, like this."

"Yeah," Calix agreed, his voice low. "But I'm glad we did."

His words hung in the air between them, charged with a meaning that neither of them had fully voiced yet. Annie could feel her pulse quicken, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of the emotions swirling inside her. She had come to the reunion expecting nostalgia, a chance to reconnect with old friends, but she hadn't expected this. She hadn't expected to feel this pull toward Calix, a man who had once been little more than a familiar face in the crowd.

But now, as they stood there under the soft glow of the streetlight, the distance that had once separated them felt insignificant.

"So," Calix said, breaking the silence, "what do we do now?"

Annie hesitated, unsure of what to say. She wasn't ready to put a label on whatever was happening between them, but she couldn't deny the way her heart fluttered every time he looked at her, or the way his presence made her feel more alive than she had in years.

"I don't know," she said honestly, her eyes meeting his. "But I think I'd like to find out."

Calix smiled, and this time, it wasn't just playful—it was something more, something that made Annie's heart skip a beat.

"Me too," he said softly. "Me too."

They stood there for a moment longer, the world around them fading into the background as they shared a quiet, knowing look. It was as if the years of missed opportunities, of paths that had never quite crossed, had finally led them to this moment.

And for the first time in a long time, Annie wasn't worried about what came next. She wasn't thinking about the future, or the past, or all the reasons why this might not work.

All she knew was that right now, standing there with Calix, everything felt right.

Whatever had started between them, whatever old feelings were now becoming something new, Annie was ready to see where it would lead.

And from the way Calix was looking at her, she could tell he was ready too.