BETWEEN US

The Three Of Us

Chapter Two

Solène’s POV

By Sunday afternoon, I had already decided that the weekend was ending far too quickly.

I was sitting outside a small café with Élodie and Chloé, watching people pass by while Chloé stirred her drink for what had to be the tenth time.

“You’re going to make it cold,” Élodie said.

Chloé looked down at her cup.

“I know.”

“Then why are you still stirring it?”

“I don’t know.”

Élodie gave me a look.

“She’s nervous.”

“I am not.”

“You’ve been stirring the same drink for five minutes.”

Chloé stopped.

“Okay. Maybe a little.”

I laughed.

“What are you nervous about?”

“Tomorrow.”

“School?”

“Final year,” she corrected. “It sounds so serious.”

I nodded.

“It does.”

Élodie leaned back in her chair.

“Honestly, I’m more worried about what happens after.”

“University?” I asked.

She nodded.

“Exactly. We’re going to spend this whole year pretending everything is normal, and then suddenly we’re supposed to know what we’re doing with our lives.”

Chloé sighed.

“I don’t even know what I want to study yet.”

“Neither do I,” I admitted.

Élodie looked at me.

“You?”

I shrugged.

“I have ideas. That’s about it.”

For a moment, none of us said anything.

It was strange how quickly everything was changing.

We had spent years talking about the future like it was something far away. Now it was sitting right in front of us.

Chloé reached across the table and placed her hand over mine.

“Whatever happens, we’re staying friends.”

I smiled.

“Obviously.”

Élodie put her hand over ours.

“Even if one of us becomes famous.”

“That’s very specific,” I said.

“I have plans.”

We all laughed.

For the rest of the afternoon, we stopped talking about the future.

We walked around Lyon, took pictures, complained about school, bought snacks we didn’t need, and laughed over things that probably wouldn’t have been funny to anyone else.

By the time we finally said goodbye, the sun was beginning to disappear behind the buildings.

Tomorrow was Monday.

Tomorrow was the beginning of our final year.

And somehow, I felt ready.

Or at least ready enough.