Ava stirred gently in her bed as the first golden rays of morning light streamed through the thin curtains of her small apartment window. She let out a long, satisfied sigh, stretching her arms above her head, feeling the soft cotton of her sheets brushing against her skin.
"What a beautiful day… and a wonderful night," she mumbled to herself, a smile tugging at her lips.
For a few blissful seconds, she allowed herself to bask in the warm cocoon of peace, letting the memories of the rooftop breeze and the laughter at the party swirl lazily through her mind.
But then — like a rude alarm — reality crashed down around her.
Her smile faltered.
Ava blinked up at the ceiling, feeling that knot form again deep in her chest.
It wasn't entirely a wonderful night, she thought with a heavy sigh.
The fight with Hanna…
The way they'd spat hurtful words at each other, words they couldn't just take back.
The way Hanna had stormed off, leaving Ava standing there, feeling guilty, angry, and abandoned all at once.
She turned her head toward the nightstand, reaching for her phone.
Maybe Hanna had texted.
Maybe she'd called late last night.
Maybe… just maybe… she'd woken up this morning realizing how silly the whole thing had been, and sent one of those dumb apology texts they always shared after fights.
Her fingers fumbled for the device, and she quickly unlocked it, her heart oddly hopeful.
Nothing.
No missed calls.
No new texts.
Not even a half-hearted emoji.
Ava stared at the blank screen for a long moment, her chest tightening.
"Wow," she whispered to herself. "So… she's still mad at me."
She flopped back onto her pillow, her phone resting uselessly on her stomach.
"I thought best friends quarreled and settled…" she said out loud, her voice small in the empty room.
"That's what we've always done. So why not now?"
She swallowed hard, blinking rapidly against the sudden sting in her eyes.
Maybe this time, it was different.
Maybe she'd crossed some invisible line when she challenged Hanna about Logan.
Maybe Hanna really believed Ava was making a mistake she couldn't forgive.
Ava pulled her blanket up to her chin and stared at the ceiling again.
"…Well, thanks to her, I still had one amazing thing happen last night," she muttered, a tiny smile creeping back onto her lips.
Logan.
Her mind instantly replayed their rooftop conversation — the way he had teased her with that cocky smile, how he stubbed out his cigarette without a second thought just because she arrived.
The low, easy rumble of his laugh.
The way he listened to her like what she said actually mattered.
Her heart gave a tiny, traitorous flutter.
God, he was trouble.
Even Hanna could see that from a mile away.
But sometimes… sometimes trouble looked a whole lot like adventure.
Ava sighed dramatically, throwing one arm over her eyes.
"Great," she whispered. "Now I'm that girl… falling for a stranger after one night."
Still, no matter how much she tried to scold herself, she couldn't help but feel a little lighter.
A little more… alive.
Maybe Hanna would come around.
Maybe things would eventually smooth out between them.
But for now — for this morning — Ava decided she wasn't going to ruin her fragile happiness worrying about it.
Today, she would breathe.
She would remember the way the night air felt brushing against her skin, the way Logan's smile tugged at something deep inside her.
She would remember what it was like to feel seen… and wanted.
And if that made her foolish?
Well, then she was foolish.
With a small, defiant smile, Ava tossed her phone aside, got up from bed, and padded barefoot toward the kitchen to make herself some coffee.
Whatever this day held, she was going to meet it with her head high — and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of hope tucked quietly in her heart.
After a few minutes in the kitchen, Ava returned to her room, the comforting scent of freshly brewed coffee filling the air. She cradled her mug between her hands, savoring the warmth against her palms as she took small, thoughtful sips. The bitterness of the coffee grounded her, waking her up a little more, chasing away the lingering emotions of the night before.
She set the mug down on her desk and glanced at the clock.
Time to get moving, she thought, dragging herself toward the bed.
With a sigh, Ava smoothed out the tangled sheets and fixed her pillows, her mind still wandering. After tidying up, she rifled through her closet, picking out a simple yet cute outfit for her classes — jeans, a soft pastel sweater, and her favorite worn sneakers.
As she got dressed, her mind drifted again to Hanna.
"We'll eventually meet in school," Ava said aloud to herself, fastening the button on her jeans.
"Me and Hanna… we'll have to cross paths sooner or later."
She brushed her hair out in front of the mirror, pausing to meet her own reflection with a weak smile.
"Best friends don't stay mad forever," she whispered.
A pang of sadness tugged at her chest again, but she pushed it down.
"Best friends quarrel and settle," she repeated, like it was a mantra. "That's how it's always been."
Maybe Hanna just needed space.
Maybe they both did.
But deep down, Ava knew — no matter how messy things got, no one understood her quite like Hanna. And that kind of bond didn't break so easily, even if it felt shaky right now.
She sprayed a little vanilla-scented body mist on herself, grabbed her bag, and gave one last look around her small, cozy room.
The sunlight filtering through her curtains felt like a promise — that things would work themselves out.
That today could still be good, even with a crack in her heart.
Slipping her earbuds in and pulling her sweater tighter around herself, Ava headed for the door, telling herself she was ready. Ready to face her classes, ready to face Hanna, and ready — maybe — to see where this crazy new chapter with Logan could lead.
As she locked her apartment behind her and stepped into the bright morning, a single thought echoed through her mind:
Whatever happens today, I'll keep moving forward.
Ava walked through the lively campus, her bag slung over her shoulder and her coffee cup still half-full in her hand. Students bustled around her — some chatting animatedly, some rushing to their classes, others lounging on the grassy patches under the morning sun.
Despite the noise, her mind was elsewhere. She kept scanning the crowd subconsciously, hoping — wishing — she would spot a familiar face.
And then, she saw her.
Hanna.
Ava's heart lifted. Hanna was just across the courtyard, walking quickly toward one of the classroom buildings, her backpack bouncing with each step.
Without thinking, Ava called out, raising her voice over the chattering crowd.
"Hanna! Hanna, wait up!" she shouted, waving her hand.
But Hanna didn't even flinch. She kept walking, her head held high like she hadn't heard a thing.
Ava's stomach twisted into a tight knot.
Maybe she didn't hear me, Ava tried to reassure herself, quickening her pace. She weaved through the crowd, jogging slightly, careful not to spill her coffee.
She called again, a little louder this time. "Hanna! Hey, Hanna!"
Still no reaction.
A cold feeling started to creep into her chest.
Is she really ignoring me?
No, Ava shook her head. Hanna wouldn't do that. Maybe she has headphones on or something… yeah, that must be it.
She paused and looked around, but Hanna was already disappearing around a corner.
Determined, Ava chased after her.
When she finally caught sight of Hanna again, she hurried closer, nearly out of breath now.
"Hanna!" Ava called one more time, desperate.
They were so close now Ava could almost touch her — and she did. She reached out and gently grabbed Hanna's arm.
Hanna turned sharply, yanking her arm away, her face set in a hard, annoyed expression Ava barely recognized.
"What?" Hanna snapped. "What do you want? Do you want to call me names again?"
Her voice was cold, her words slicing through Ava sharper than any knife.
Ava staggered back a step, completely stunned. She opened her mouth, but for a second, no words came out.
"Hanna… what are you talking about?" Ava finally said, her voice cracking a little. "I would never— I didn't—" she trailed off, hurt flashing in her eyes.
But Hanna didn't soften. Her arms crossed tightly over her chest, and she shifted her weight to one hip, a stubborn wall between them.
"I'm not in the mood for any fake apologies or drama today, Ava," Hanna said sharply. "Go play best friends with someone else."
And just like that, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Ava standing there, frozen in place, feeling like the whole world had just shifted under her feet.
Ava stared after her, blinking rapidly to fight the sting of tears.
What just happened?
How did we get here?
She hugged her bag tighter against herself, feeling small and out of place among the crowd of students passing by who didn't even notice her heartbreak happening right there in the open.
Taking a shaky breath, she forced her feet to move toward her class building, telling herself that maybe — just maybe — Hanna just needed more time.
But deep down, it hurt more than she could admit.