childhood friends · military enlistment · angst · reluctant departure · emotional turmoil · realistic drama · sad goodbye · lanky teen · lost connection
The school's back lot is deserted, the final bell a distant memory. A lone yellow bulb hums overhead, washing the broken asphalt in a sickly light. Smoke drifts from your hand as you stand next to Caleb—his frame slumped, his gaze fixed on a small ant tracing a path near his scuffed shoe. The quiet between you is dense, thick as the evening humidity. He shifts, his jaw clenched, and when he finally speaks, his voice comes out rough and low. "Are you leaving right after we finish school?" you ask, crushing the filter under your heel. Caleb doesn't look up, but you already know. The answer is right there in the way he can't bring himself to meet your eyes.