Chapter 108 – Dreams Under the Stars

It was a cool spring night, the kind that made the whole town feel alive. The streets of Rosehill were buzzing with weekend energy—laughter from open cafés, music from passing cars, and the distant sound of waves crashing near the lake. But for Ryan, Anna, Ben, and Savannah, the night was about something simpler: a walk, a little fresh air, and some freedom from everything heavy.

They'd ended up at their usual spot—a small clearing just past the lake, hidden behind a row of trees where the sky opened wide and the stars came alive.

Ben dropped onto the grass dramatically. "This is it. Retirement from high school stress. No tests, no teachers breathing down our necks, no more cafeteria food that tastes like rubber."

Savannah snorted. "We still have another year, genius."

"Let me dream," Ben muttered, folding his arms behind his head.

Anna sat next to him, a little notebook in her lap. She was sketching something absentmindedly—no doubt some poetic metaphor that would later turn into one of her short stories.

Ryan was in his wheelchair beside Savannah, who sat cross-legged and leaned against one of the big trees.

"It's kind of crazy," Anna said after a moment, her pencil pausing. "How far we've come this year."

"Yeah," Savannah agreed. "Feels like a lifetime ago we were just figuring each other out."

Ben rolled over dramatically. "Okay, okay, new rule. No emotional flashbacks. It's a night for the future, not the past."

Anna grinned. "Fine then. Let's talk about the future. What are you gonna do, Mr. Big Shot?"

Ben sat up, brushing grass off his shirt. "Basketball, obviously. I'm going all in. College, scholarships, whatever it takes. I want to make it. Play at the next level. Maybe even overseas."

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "You've got the heart for it, man. Just keep working."

Ben nodded, a rare serious expression on his face. "I will."

Savannah tilted her head thoughtfully. "I want to be an architect."

Ben blinked. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling. "Designing homes, spaces people love. Places that feel like they belong to someone."

Ryan smiled at her. "That fits you."

Anna nudged her foot. "You're the only one who color-codes her notes and organizes everything like it's a blueprint."

Savannah laughed. "What about you, Anna?"

Anna looked down at her notebook. "I want to write," she said softly. "Books, maybe screenplays. Stories that matter. I want to make people feel the way good books make me feel—like I'm not alone."

Ryan looked at her for a long moment. There was so much about her he'd loved—her words, her strength, her quiet fire—and hearing that now, it all just made sense.

"That's perfect," he said.

Ben leaned toward Ryan. "Okay, Coach. What about you?"

Ryan didn't even hesitate. "I want to coach. High school, maybe college one day. Not just basketball, but people. I want to be the kind of guy who sees something in a kid and helps them bring it to life. Like Coach Daniels did for me."

The group went quiet again, but it wasn't heavy. It was the good kind of quiet—the kind that sits between people who understand each other.

"Look at us," Savannah said after a beat. "We've been through some wild stuff, huh?"

"Yeah," Ben said. "But we're still here. Stronger."

Ryan looked up at the stars. "We're not done yet either."

They all looked up too, the night sky stretching above them like an endless possibility.

And for a while, they didn't need to say anything more.

They just sat there, together, dreaming about the future.