The bus started moving, and I barely registered the city passing by. Ten minutes later, I drifted off into a much-needed nap. Excited squeals and chatter gradually faded as we drove further away from the familiar tall structures of the city. Outside, green trees blanketed the horizon, and the mountain peaks glimmered faintly in the early sun. I remember Jia talking with Arlo beside her, their laughter and conversation fading into the rhythmic hum of the bus, while Seven had gone quiet, like a dove sitting still in a storm.
When I fluttered my eyes open, the world seemed… different. Someone was in Jia’s seat. Brown hair brushed my face, rigid muscles outlined beneath a gray hoodie, silver piercings dangling from one ear. My head was—shock—resting on their shoulder.
My eyes widened. Heart
