The reunion was alive with laughter, stories, and memories from our high school days. It was as if time had rewound, with each of us eagerly recounting the highs and lows of our lives since we’d last gathered.
“Remember that time Mira screamed inside the library and we all got thrown out?” Sophie said, her eyes gleaming with playful mischief. (Chapter 20)  
“How could I forget? That librarian was so strange,” Ace replied, shaking his head with a smirk.  
“What made you scream again? I remember we had to practically drag you out,” Ken said, turning to me.  
I rolled my eyes before answering. “I was just so shocked and annoyed that day. I had no clue who I was supposed to tutor. We waited forever, only to find out it was Liam all along.”  
“Hey, in my defense, I was running around the school looking for you guys. I didn’t know you were in the library,” Liam said, jumping in.  
Ken’s face lit up as a memory clicked. “Oh, that was also the day we ended up at Liam’s place and hung out there.”  
“And then got drunk, even though we were still in high school and had classes the next morning,” Ace added, chuckling at the reckless memory.  
I laughed. “Yeah, that was a good one.”  
“We were so young back then, acting like we had everything figured out,” Liam said, a wistful smile crossing his face.  
“Like when Rhian acted like the Queen Bee?” Sophie cut in. “Ruling the school with her attitude.”  
“You mean the Rhian who made our lives hell? Especially mine,” I said, laughing lightly. “I swear, she lived to torment me every single day.”  
“Hey, I was just a confused teenager,” Rhian protested. “It was a phase!”  
“A phase of being a complete bully?” Mady teased, arching an eyebrow.  
“Okay, I’ll admit I was kind of mean back then,” Rhian said, her tone sheepish. “But come on, we were all young and foolish in high school.”  
Zed’s eyes narrowed. “Kind of? You were downright ruthless!”  
“Alright, fine!” Rhian sighed. “I’m not proud of it, but I’ve changed, I promise. I’m a different person now.”  
Caleb grinned at her. “Glad to hear you’ve grown up,” he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. “But you know what I’ll never forget?”  
“What?”  
His eyes sparkled. “That time you were head over heels for Liam.”  
Rhian’s face turned crimson, and she buried it in her hands. “Oh, come on, Caleb!” she groaned. “That was forever ago—it was just a dumb teenage crush.”  
We all erupted in laughter, clearly loving the chance to tease her.  
“Yeah, but you were totally obsessed with me,” Liam added, grinning widely.  
“Oh, shut up! That’s ancient history. If I could meet my old self, I’d smack her for her terrible decisions,” Rhian said, shaking her head. “Besides, I’m happy with my love life now.”  
And she was—Rhian was dating someone from work, a surprising but welcome turn of events.  
Sophie nodded. “Especially since Liam’s happily married to Mira now.”  
“Exactly,” Rhian said, smiling at us. “We’ve all matured, and I’m genuinely happy for them.”  
Ken burst out laughing, another memory hitting him. “Speaking of Liam and Mira, remember when Liam lost his diary, and it turned out Mira had it the whole time?”  
Everyone laughed together. “That was the peak of high school,” Mady said.  
“It was like a school-wide detective case!” Ace exclaimed.  
“Everyone was searching everywhere for that diary, and Liam was oddly calm about it,” Sophie added.  
Liam chuckled, shaking his head. “How could I not be calm when I knew Mira had it all along?”  
“Ugh, I still feel awful about that,” I admitted, my cheeks heating up. “It was so personal, and I was horrified that I’d read it.”  
“By the way, what was in that diary?” Caleb asked curiously.  
Zed nodded, equally intrigued. “Yeah, with all the chaos it caused, we never found out what was inside!”  
“Well…” Rhian crossed her arms. “It was mostly about his ex-girlfriend—how much he loved her and how crushed he was when they broke up. Typical high school diary stuff.”  
Liam’s eyes narrowed. “Hey, how do you know that?!” he demanded.  
Rhian smirked. “I read it too, duh. Remember when we snatched it from Mira’s room?”  
“I knew you guys read it!” I said, half-laughing, half-exasperated.  
Rhian grinned, clearly enjoying herself. “I regret stealing it, but I had a blast reading it, Liam,” she teased.  
Liam shook his head, amused. “And I regret ever writing it,” he said, slapping his forehead.  
“But there was a lot about your dad too,” Rhian went on. “You wrote about how much you missed him and wished he could’ve said goodbye.”  
“Yeah, that’s the one thing I don’t regret putting in there,” Liam said, pausing thoughtfully. “But it doesn’t matter now—I’m just glad Mira was the one who found it.” He looked at me, his eyes full of affection.  
Sophie beamed at everyone. “Speaking of happy news, we’ve got something to share!” Ace slid his arm around her and added, “We’re getting married!”  
The room exploded with cheers and congratulations. “We’re so thrilled for you both!” Mady said, her face glowing.  
Ken, standing beside Mady, piped up. “Oh, and we’ve got news too! We finally set a date for our wedding—Mady’s been dreaming of this forever.”  
Mady blushed as we teased them about their long engagement. It’d been nearly a year since they got engaged, and I was excited they’d finally picked a date.  
As the night unfolded, Zed dropped a surprise. “Guess I’m ready to go public with my relationship,” he said. “Quinn and I have been together for years, but it’s official now.”  
“Glad you finally admitted it,” Liam teased. “I’m happy for you and my sister.”  
“Really? You’re cool with it? You’re not mad?” Zed asked, a bit anxious.  
Liam laughed. “You’re both adults, and I know you’re serious about her.”  
“Plus, you’ve been saying you’re ‘courting’ her for, what, seven years?” I said with a sarcastic edge.  
“We’ve known forever,” Sophie added. “We were just waiting for you to say it out loud.”  
But the night’s biggest shock came from Caleb. He grinned and said, “I’ve got a confession. I’ve been seeing Bea—Briana’s sister.”  
We all stared, stunned. “Bea?” I said, eyebrows shooting up. “How’d that happen?”  
“And how do you even know her?!” Liam asked, floored.  
“I met her at Mira’s birthday party. We hit it off, and things just happened,” Caleb said with a smug smile.  
Ken cracked up. “Dude, that means Briana’s gonna be your sister-in-law.”  
“Speaking of, how’s Briana? I haven’t heard anything about her since high school,” Rhian said, her curiosity piqued.  
“Ooh, someone misses her high school bestie,” Ace teased, and we all joined in.  
Rhian rolled her eyes. “Ugh, stop it. I’m just wondering! Aren’t you guys curious too?”  
She had a point—we were all wondering. Since I’d moved to Italy, I hadn’t seen Briana. From what Mom and Bea told me, she was married now, but I had no idea if she’d really changed.  
As the night stretched on, we kept swapping stories, reminiscing, and raising toasts to the friendships that had carried us this far. Rhian shared about her new boyfriend from work, and Liam and I updated everyone on our life, now a year into marriage.  
“We’ve actually got some exciting news,” I started, my voice trembling with anticipation.  
We paused, letting the moment build. Liam placed his hand on my stomach, a huge grin spreading across his face.  
“Mira’s pregnant,” he announced, his voice brimming with happiness.  
The room erupted in gasps and cheers. Friends swarmed over, eager to touch my belly and feel the first signs of life.  
“It’s only a few weeks along, guys—you won’t feel anything yet,” I laughed as they crowded around.  
“We’re so excited for you, Mira. A little one in the group—I can’t believe it!” Mady exclaimed.  
They bombarded us with questions about due dates and baby names. Sophie, bursting with energy, was already picturing the baby’s future and guessing their personality.  
———
“Hey, guys, up for an adventure?” Ken suddenly asked, a sly smirk on his face.  
We exchanged curious looks. “What kind of adventure?” Liam asked, sounding wary.  
“Are you plotting something stupid?” Ace added. “If so, we’re out.”  
Ken scoffed. “No way! This’ll be the best adventure yet. So, you in?”  
We glanced at each other, unsure how to answer.  
A minute later…  
“Alright, everyone, buckle up! Tonight’s gonna be epic,” Ken declared, his mischievous grin lighting up the car. He’d been acting odd all night, hiding his plans, but I trusted him—he always pulled off the wildest, most fun ideas.  
As we piled into his huge car, excitement surged through me. It felt like high school all over again.  
“Ken, where are we going?” Mady asked, curiosity thick in her voice. “You’ve been so secretive.”  
Ken winked at her, grinning wider. “Patience, love. You’ll see soon enough.”  
The car buzzed with anticipation. My friends were chattering, their questions unanswered, their excitement growing. I loved seeing us like this—together, bound by a shared thrill.  
As we neared a familiar turn, déjà vu hit me. Ken slowed down, scanning the empty streets. It was nearly midnight, and the city was silent. He pulled into a parking lot, headlights revealing familiar brick walls.  
“What the…?” Ace said, his voice tinged with disbelief. “Ken, why are we here?”  
Ken parked, his grin massive. “We’re going on an adventure, friends—back to where it all started.”  
He cut the engine, and silence fell. My friends stared at him, a mix of confusion and excitement on their faces. This was going to be unforgettable.  
“We’re sneaking into our old high school,” Ken whispered. “It’s gonna be epic.”  
My heart skipped. Sneaking into our high school? At midnight? This was an adventure alright.  
We stood before the school, staring up at it in awe and disbelief.  
Ken’s plan had worked, and we were speechless, soaking in the sight of our old haunt.  
Sophie’s eyes widened. “Are we really breaking into the school?”  
Rhian’s face lit up. “This is gonna be awesome!”  
Zed and Caleb swapped uncertain glances.  
Mady shook her head. “You’re insane, Ken.”  
Liam turned to me, mischief dancing in his eyes. “What do you think, Mira? Should we?”  
I scanned my friends’ faces—excitement and nerves mingling—then looked back at Liam. A sly smile crept onto my face. “Why not? We’re here—let’s make it count.” I turned to Ken. “Lead on.”  
Ken grinned. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan. We’ll be in and out before anyone knows.”  
He guided us to the back, where a familiar door stood slightly ajar.  
Liam whispered, “Isn’t that the janitor’s door?”  
Ace chuckled. “Looks like Ken’s been doing recon.”  
Sophie raised an eyebrow. “I’m torn between impressed and terrified.”  
Mady muttered, “This is so illegal.”  
Rhian hushed her. “Quiet—we can’t get caught.”  
Zed glanced around nervously. “What about the security cameras?”  
Caleb clapped him on the back. “Chill, Ken’s got it covered.”  
We slipped inside, our footsteps echoing in the empty halls. Liam whispered, “Remember Sophie’s first and last detention? It all went down right here.” (Chapter 42)  
I laughed. “That was iconic—I can still picture it.”  
“That was so messed up,” Caleb admitted, shaking his head. “I still feel guilty.”  
“Same,” Mady said, her voice heavy with regret. “We just panicked and went with it.”  
“As her boyfriend then, I felt awful,” Ace said, grimacing. “I should’ve defended her.”  
“I still can’t believe she got detention over that!” Zed said, laughing.  
Sophie rolled her eyes. “You guys totally threw me under the bus.”  
“But to be fair, it was so unjust,” Rhian said with a playful grin. “We were guilty too—you should’ve been in detention with us.”  
“I’m with Rhian,” Sophie said. “And honestly, it was all because of Liam’s stupid diary. So annoying.”  
“We get it, we get it,” Ken said, sheepish. “We were young and dumb, just trying to save our skins.”  
“And speaking of ridiculous, check this out,” Ken added.  
He led us to a trophy case displaying our old high school awards. There was a photo of Ace, Liam, Ken, and the soccer team; one of me, Mady, and Caleb with the student council (I was President, Caleb Vice, Mady Secretary); Sophie and Rhian with the dance club; and Zed with the basketball team.  
We clustered around, laughing and pointing.  
Ken grinned. “Look at us, acting all cool.”  
Ace struck a pose. “We were legends.”  
Liam flexed. “I was the star.”  
I rolled my eyes. “You were all so full of yourselves.”  
Mady giggled. “And we had to deal with it.”  
Caleb chuckled. “Good times…”  
Sophie and Rhian shook their heads. “We were so young.”  
Zed grinned. “And clueless.”  
Seeing us so youthful and vibrant in those photos was hilarious. It felt like ages ago—we’d all changed so much.  
We were still reminiscing when a loud bang rang out from the hall.  
We froze, eyes wide, staring at each other.  
Mady whispered, “What was that?”  
Ace’s gaze flicked to the door we’d entered.  
Ken paled. “Oh no, is that the security guard?”  
Rhian hissed, “Let’s go before they spot us.”  
Liam grabbed my arm. “Hurry, this way.”  
He led us down a dark hallway toward the exit. But before we got there, I stopped them. “Wait, we haven’t seen our old classroom yet.”  
Mady hesitated, excitement battling caution. “We’ll get caught—we can come back another time.”  
Liam nodded. “Yeah, we shouldn’t risk it.”  
“Oh, come on! We’re already here,” I protested.  
Ace’s eyes gleamed. “Mira’s right—what about our old desks? We can’t leave without seeing them.”  
Ken whispered, “I’m in. We’ve come this far—let’s go for it.”  
Rhian nodded. “It’ll be fun to revisit our old room.”  
Zed and the others exchanged looks, torn between sense and curiosity.  
Caleb sighed. “Fine, but let’s be quick. We’re pushing our luck.”  
Sophie agreed. “In and out before the guard finds us.”  
We crept back down the hall to our old classroom, hearts thumping with nerves and excitement.  
Liam whispered, “I’ll check first.”  
He eased the door open, peeked inside, then nodded. We slipped in, greeted by the familiar sights and smells.  
Ace murmured, “It’s like stepping into the past.”  
Rhian laughed softly. “I can still hear me and Briana bickering in here.” (Chapter 45)  
We wandered around, drawn to our old desks.  
Liam ran his hand over his name, carved into his desk. “Can’t believe this is still here.”  
Ace grinned. “Like the school couldn’t erase us.”  
Ken smirked. “Speaking of memories, I hid something…” He scanned the floor, then said, “There!” and headed to a secret spot in the back.  
Mady followed. “What could you have left here?”  
Ken dug through a dusty nook and pulled out a stack of photos. “Remember these?” he asked, holding them up.  
“Are those from graduation? The ones Quinn took?” I asked, my heart skipping.  
“Yep,” Ken said with a sly glint. “I got the physical copies from her and stashed them here as a keepsake.”  
He flipped through them as we reminisced over each shot.  
“I forgot we took that,” Caleb whispered.  
Mady smiled. “We look so… young.”  
Liam laughed. “We were so cocky.”  
Ken nodded. “Thought we ruled the world.”  
Ace grinned. “Had no idea what was ahead.”  
I sighed. “I miss those days.”  
Rhian snorted. “I don’t—I was awful and dumb.”  
Sophie hugged her, chuckling. “True, but we still miss the old you sometimes.”  
Rhian rolled her eyes but smiled.  
Zed sighed. “Life was simpler then.”  
Caleb glanced around. “But we’ve come far—found our own ways.”  
Mady nodded. “And we’re still friends.”  
Ken paused on a photo of me and Liam—him gazing at me instead of the camera. “Remember this?” he asked, nostalgic.  
“How could I forget?” Liam said, smiling. “We weren’t together then. You guys forced us into that shot, knowing we were exes.”  
“And it’s obvious there you still wanted each other,” Sophie said.  
“I’m so glad you got back together after all that time,” Rhian said, looking at us. “Now you’re married and having a baby.”  
I smiled. “Me too.” Who’d have thought Rhian would say that after everything?  
After the photos, we snuck into Zed and Caleb’s old classroom next.  
A loud bang and a voice—“Is someone there?”—cut through the silence.  
Ken’s eyes widened. “Oh no, the guard’s here!”  
We froze, hearts racing, knowing we were seconds from being caught.  
I grabbed Liam’s hand, fear surging.  
Ace whispered, “We’ve gotta go—now.”  
Ken nodded. “Follow me, I know a way.”  
He led us to a small, half-open window at the back.  
We crowded around, peering into the dark schoolyard.  
Sophie’s eyes widened. “We’re jumping out a window?”  
Mady pointed. “There’s a ladder, dummy.”  
“But we’re on the second floor—are we really doing this?” Rhian asked.  
I shrugged. “No choice.”  
Zed whispered, “I’ll go first and keep watch.”  
He climbed out, hit the ladder, and landed softly below, waving us down. “It’s clear.”  
Caleb went next, then Rhian, Ace, Ken, Sophie, and Liam. I was last.  
As I stepped off the ladder, I stumbled, but Liam caught me, steadying me with his arms.  
“I’ve got you,” he whispered.  
I looked up at him, overwhelmed with emotion. “I know.”  
We lingered for a moment, lost in each other, as the guard’s footsteps grew louder.  
“Hey, you two—save it for later!” Ace hissed.  
I pulled away, and we followed Ace to the schoolyard, joining the others in the shadows of the trees.  
Ace whispered, “That was too close.”  
Ken grinned. “Can’t believe we made it.”  
Caleb laughed. “It was a blast.”  
Zed nodded. “And we’re not done yet.”  
Liam’s eyes glinted. “I’ve got an idea.”  
The guys leaned in, eager.  
Ace grinned. “This’ll be good.”  
Sophie, Mady, Rhian, and I exchanged curious looks, wondering what was up.  
Sophie raised an eyebrow. “What’s the plan?”  
Liam checked around, then whispered, “Let’s break into the principal’s office.”  
Our jaws dropped.  
Rhian whispered, “Are you nuts?”  
I gaped. “Did you forget we almost got caught?”  
Mady frowned. “Are we really doing this?”  
Zed chuckled. “It’ll be fun!”  
Ace nodded eagerly. “Let’s do it.”  
Ken’s eyes sparkled. “I swear we won’t get caught this time.”  
Sophie looked at me. “What do you think, Mira?”  
I rolled my eyes. “You’re all insane, but I guess I am too.”  
The group cheered softly, high-fiving in excitement.  
Caleb rubbed his hands together. “Let’s go.”  
Liam took my hand, his eyes blazing with adrenaline.  
We crept toward the principal’s office, hearts pounding.  
Ken led, checking for cameras.  
As we reached the door, he turned to us. “Get ready.”  
He pulled a small lock-picking kit from his pocket.  
Ace and Caleb grinned. “You came prepared.”  
Rhian looked impressed. “Didn’t know you could pick locks, Ken.”  
He shrugged. “I’ve been practicing.”  
Mady muttered, “I don’t want to know how.”  
“Let’s just do this quick,” I said.  
Ken worked the lock, and it clicked open. He grinned. “We’re in.”  
We slipped inside, shutting the door behind us.  
The office was dim, cluttered with papers and files.  
Sophie whispered, “Where do we start?”  
Liam said, “Let’s make a mess.”  
Ace’s eyes lit up. “I’m in.”  
Ken nodded. “Wish we had spray paint.”  
Caleb grinned. “We can still trash it.”  
Rhian grabbed a vase of fake flowers from the desk. “Like this?” She smashed it on the floor.  
Mady laughed. “You’re wild, Rhian.”  
She smirked. “I know.”  
Ace and Caleb swept papers and pens off the desk. Ken and Liam scattered paper clips everywhere. Sophie and Zed dripped ink onto the mess.  
I grabbed a marker and drew a mustache and goofy grin on the principal’s photo.  
Liam laughed. “Perfect touch, love.”  
The others gathered around, admiring it.  
Rhian whispered, “That’ll brighten his day.”  
Sophie giggled. “Or wreck it.”  
Ace added, “Either way, it’s epic.”  
As we trashed the office, footsteps echoed outside, growing louder.  
Zed whispered, “The guard’s back!”  
We scanned for an exit.  
Ace pointed. “Window—let’s go.”  
Liam nodded. “Now.” He pulled me toward it.  
“How many windows are we climbing tonight?” I grumbled.  
We rushed to open it as the steps closed in. Sophie went first, then Ace, Ken, and Mady. Caleb and Rhian followed, then Liam and I.  
Just as we climbed out, the door flew open, and the guard’s flashlight hit us.  
Before he could see our faces, we jumped and sprinted to Ken’s car.  
We hit the grass running, adrenaline pumping, and piled in as Ken floored it out of the lot.  
We glanced back, seeing the guard’s light sweep the empty space.  
Liam, breathless, turned to me. “That was way too close.”  
“That was insane—you’re all insane!” I said, the reality hitting me.  
We burst out laughing, still buzzing from the thrill.  
Ace high-fived Ken. “Best escape ever!”  
Rhian slumped back. “I can’t believe we pulled it off.”  
Ken grinned in the rearview mirror as he drove. “So, where next?”  
———
We ended up at the coffee shop we used to haunt in high school.  
Ken raised his cup. “To our wild night and the chaos we unleashed!”  
We clinked our cups together, toasting our adventure.  
As we sipped coffee and talked about what lay ahead, gratitude washed over me. Despite the risks and whatever might come next, I wouldn’t trade this moment—or these friends—for anything.