Chasing Sunset

Chapter 2: Assigned Together

By Monday morning I had managed to convince myself that Friday afternoon meant nothing.

The sunset

The hill

The quiet conversation with Kael

None of it meant anything

It was just a project

Just two rivals working together because our teacher decided that putting the two most competitive people in the class in the same group was somehow a good idea

That's all

At least that's what I told myself as I walked through the school gates

The campus was already bustling with life.

Students filed through the pathways, rushing to their classrooms while others lingered under the covered walkways, completing last minute homework.

The morning sun cast pale gold lights over the school buildings

I adjusted my bag on my shoulder as I made my way to our classroom

Mira caught up to me half way

"You look tired"

"I am"

"Were you up late?"

"Project"

Her eyebrows shot up

"The project with Kael?"

I gave her a warning look

"Don't."

She grinned

"I didn't say anything."

"You were about to."

"I was just going to ask how it went"

"Fine"

"Just fine?"

"Fine"

She studied my face

"Why are you smiling?"

I stopped smiling immediately

"I wasn't"

"You were"

"No"

"Elara"

"I said no"

Mira laughed as we entered the classroom

I took a seat at my desk

Unfortunately Kael was already there

He lounged back in his chair, one ear bud in his ear, scrolling through his phone

He pulled it out as he noticed me

"Morning"

I dumped my bag on my desk

"Morning"

He looked surprised

"That's it?"

"What?"

"No insult?"

"It's too early"

He smiled

"Fair"

I pulled out my notebook

"Did you finish the outline?"

He unlocked his phone

"I sent it last night."I didn't check."You didn't reply"

"I was sleeping"

"At nine?"

I looked at him

"Are you monitoring my sleeping schedule?"

He laughed

"No"

"Good"

"Although now that you mention it-"

"Don't."

He raised both hands

"Okay"

I tried not to smile

I failed

Luckily Mira was busy talking to another classmate and didn't notice

Our first classes flew by

By recess our group had gathered in the library.

There were six of us in total but somehow Kael and I ended up doing most of the planning

I sat at one end of the table with my notebook open while Kael sat across from me

Our other group members were discussing possible filming locations

"The library could work"

"Too ordinary"

"What about the garden?"

"Too bright"

Kael shook his head

"Not if we shoot during late afternoon."

I looked at him

He looked back

"The garden could work" I admitted

He nodded

"Exactly" I hated when he was right

"Then we'll use it for the second scene"

He wrote it down

Our fingers briefly touched when I reached for the same pen

I pulled my hand back immediately

"So-" Mira said from beside me

I looked at her

She was smiling

"What?"

"Nothing"

I knew that look

I ignored her

We continued planning

Our story was taking shape

The main character would spend the day searching for a place where they once experienced an important memory

Every location would trigger a different piece of the past

The final scene would take place at sunset

The character wouldn't actually find what they were searching for

They would understand that some moments weren't meant to be repeated

They were meant to be remembered

It was simple

But emotional

And for some reason I wanted it to be perfect

Maybe because the story felt strangely personal

During lunch we went outside

The cafeteria was crowded so our group sat under a large tree beside the gym

I opened my lunch as Kael sat across from me

"You're quiet" he said

"I'm eating"

"You usually argue while eating"

"Maybe I'm tired of arguing with you"

He looked offended

"That's unfortunate"

"Why?"

"Because arguing with you is the highlight of my day"

I looked at him

"That's sad"

He smiled

"Probably"

I shook my head and continued eating

After a moment he asked "What made you choose communication?"

I looked up

The question caught me off guard

"Why?"

"I'm curious"

"You?"

"Yes, me"

I smiled faintly

"I like stories"

"That's it?"

"Not exactly"

I looked around the campus

Students were laughing near the gym

Someone was practicing with a camera near the auditorium

A group of dancers rehearsed under the covered court

"I like the idea that one story can make someone feel something they've never experienced"

Kael listened

"When I was younger I thought stories were just entertainment

Now I think they're memories that belong to people you've never met"

He was quiet for a moment

"That's a good way to put it"

I looked at him

"What about you?"

"Film"

"I know that"

"Then why ask?"

"I want to hear you say it"

He smiled

"I like making things"

"That's vague"

"Buildings

Videos

Music

Anything"

He looked towards the auditorium

"I like starting with nothing and ending with something people can see"

I nodded slowly

Maybe we weren't as different as I thought

The bell rang

Everybody began returning to their classrooms

Our next class was practical media and our teacher allowed us to work on our festival project

Kael connected his laptop to the projector

"We need a storyboard"

"I already started one"

He looked at me

"Of course you did"

I placed my notebook on the desk

He moved beside me

We leaned over the same page

For the next hour we worked on each scene

The classroom grew quiet as everyone focused on their assignments

Outside the windows clouds had gathered

The sunlight disappeared

Then rain began tapping against the glass

I looked outside

"I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow"

"Why?"Our first filming day." Kael nodded

"We can postpone"

"No"

He looked at me

"We have three weeks"

"Exactly"

"You don't have to be perfect"

"I know"

He raised an eyebrow

"Do you?"

I frowned

"What does that mean?"

"You care too much about getting everything right"

I crossed my arms

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing"

"Then?"

He looked at me

"You just don't have to carry everything yourself"

For some reason I didn't know how to respond

He turned back towards the storyboard

"I'll handle the camera tomorrow"

I looked at him

"Really?"

"Really"

"And the editing?"

"I'll do it"

"I'll write the narration"

"Obviously"

I smiled

"Bossy"

"Controlling"

"Annoying"

"Competitive"

I paused

He smiled

"See? We're back to normal"

I laughed

I didn't even realize I had laughed until he looked at me

His expression softened for a moment

Neither of us said anything

Then someone called my name from across the classroom

I looked away

The rain continued falling outside

By the time classes ended the storm had become heavier

Students gathered under the covered walkways waiting for the rain to slow down

I checked my phone

My father had messaged

I'll pick you up in thirty minutes

Thirty minutes

I could wait

I sat on one of the benches near the lobby and opened my notebook

A few minutes later someone sat beside me

Kael

"You waiting for someone?"

"My dad"

He nodded

"I'm waiting for my driver"

I looked at the rain

"Looks like we're stuck"

"Looks like it"

For several minutes we sat quietly

The rain blurred the view outside

Cars moved slowly along the road beyond the school gates their headlights reflecting against the wet pavement

I liked rain

It made everything quieter

"You know" Kael said

"We've been doing this for years"

"Doing what?"

"Competing"

I smiled

"You're just realizing that?"

"No"

He looked ahead

"I'm wondering why"

I turned towards him

He didn't look at me

"Maybe because neither of us knows how to lose"

"Maybe"

"Or maybe because we're both stubborn"

"Definitely"

He laughed softly

I smiled

Then he said

"Do you remember the science fair?"

I groaned

"Don't remind me"

"You built that volcano"

"It was supposed to erupt"

"It did"

"After the judges left"

He laughed

"And I won"

"You barely won"

"I won"

"You had better materials"

"You were the one who forgot the baking soda"Because you distracted me!"How?"

"You kept talking"

"You've never been able to concentrate around me"

I looked at him

"That's not true"

He smiled

"It is"

Before I could answer my phone buzzed

My father had arrived

I stood

"I have to go"

Kael nodded

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow"

"Don't be late"

"I won't"

I walked towards the entrance

Then stopped

I looked back

He was still sitting on the bench

For a second our eyes met

He smiled

I smiled back

Then I left

The next morning the sky was clear

Our group met early to begin filming

The first location was the school garden

Morning sunlight filtered through the leaves creating patterns over the grass

Kael stood behind the camera

"Ready?"

I nodded

Our actor moved into position

"Action"

The scene began

For the next few hours we worked

Retakes

Adjustments

Different camera angles

Lighting problems

Background noise

Every thing that could go wrong seemed determined to go wrong

At one point our actor forgot his lines for the fifth time

I covered my face with my hands

Kael laughed

"Don't give up."I'm trying"

"We can fix it"

"You always say that"

"Because it's true"

Eventually we finished the scene

Then we moved to the library

By afternoon everyone was exhausted

I sat on the floor beside my camera bag drinking water

Kael dropped down beside me

"Still alive?"

"Unfortunately"

He laughed

"You're dramatic"

"I'm tired"

"I know"

He handed me a bottle of water

I looked at it

"You bought this?"

"You've been drinking mine all day"

"I drank it once"

"Three times"

I smiled

"Thank you"

He nodded

The afternoon light began turning golden

I checked the time

"We need the final scene"

Kael looked towards the window

"Sunset?"

"Sunset"

We packed everything and headed towards the hill behind the school

The walk felt different this time

Maybe because we knew what the final scene represented

Maybe because the story had started feeling real

When we reached the top the sun was already low

The sky stretched above us in shades of gold and orange

Kael set up the camera

I stood beside him

For a moment we simply watched

"It's beautiful" I whispered

He nodded

"Ya

I raised my camera

But before I took the picture Kael spoke

"Wait"

I looked at him

He pointed towards the horizon

"Look"

The sun was disappearing behind a layer of clouds

The light passed through the gaps creating long golden rays across the sky

I lowered my camera

For once I didn't take a picture

I just watched

Maybe some moments were better when you didn't try to keep them

When the sun finally disappeared the world seemed quieter

Kael packed the camera

"Good day"

I nodded

"Good day"

We started walking back

Our shoulders brushed once

Neither of us moved away

I didn't know when things had started becoming different between us

There hadn't been a dramatic moment

No sudden realization

No impossible declaration

Just little things

A smile

A shared joke

A bottle of water

A quiet walk

A sunset

And maybe that was how feelings began

Not loudly

Not all at once

But quietly

So quietly that you didn't notice them growing until they were already there

I wasn't in love with Kael

Absolutely not

He was still my rival

Still the most irritating person I knew

Still the person I wanted to beat every time we competed

But as we walked down the hill together I caught myself smiling

And for the first time I wondered if maybe being his rival wasn't such a terrible thing after all