Eli's room was quiet except for the soft hum of his laptop. The glow from the screen lit up his face, highlighting the crease of concentration between his brows. On the monitor, the college application page blinked back at him—half-filled with information he'd already typed in, half still waiting, as if daring him to decide. He leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair.
"Stuck again?" Kai's voice came from the bed.
Eli turned slightly. Kai was sprawled across the blankets like he owned the place, scrolling lazily through his phone. His shoes were off, his jacket tossed carelessly on the chair. Unlike before, when they were just friends, Kai no longer hesitated to make himself comfortable in Eli's space. It was strange, and yet… Eli couldn't imagine his room without him anymore.
"I'm not stuck," Eli muttered, though his tone gave him away. "It's just… I don't know if this is the right choice. What if I regret it later?"
Kai put his phone aside and walked over, leaning against the back of Eli's chair. He peered at the glowing words on the screen. "Literature, huh? That's so you."
Eli tilted his head up, meeting his eyes. "And architecture's so you?"
Kai smirked, leaning a little closer. "Well, maybe. But it's not about whether it *sounds* right. It's about whether it feels right—for you. What you want to build for yourself, not for anyone else."
Something about the way Kai said it—steady, matter-of-fact, but sincere—made Eli's chest tighten. He turned back to the laptop, hands moving over the keys a little more confidently this time. Still, a quiet fear slipped out before he could stop himself. "What if we end up in different schools?"
For a second, the only sound was the low hum of the computer. Then Kai's hand rested on his shoulder, warm and reassuring. "Then we make it work," he said simply. His voice carried no doubt. "Distance doesn't change how I feel about you."
Eli froze, his cheeks heating. He ducked his head, mumbling, "You make it sound so easy."
"It *is* easy," Kai replied with a small grin. "Because it's you."
The silence that followed wasn't heavy anymore. It was… safe. Comfortable. Eli felt the corners of his lips tug upward almost on their own. He typed in the last box of the form, double-checked it, and finally pressed submit. A little "success" notification popped up, and with it, a weight lifted off his chest.
Kai gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze before stepping back toward the bed. "See? Not so hard." He flopped down again and grabbed his own bag. "Now scoot over when you're done—I need to finish mine too. And don't peek. Mine's embarrassing."
Eli rolled his eyes, laughing softly. "You? Embarrassed? That'll be the day."
Just then, his phone buzzed on the desk. A group chat notification lit up—Mina asking if everyone was free this weekend, Jace already complaining about homework, and Caleb and Leo arguing over who owed who lunch money. Eli smiled faintly, watching the flood of chaotic messages for a moment before putting his phone back down. His friends were a constant storm, but a comforting one.
Glancing back at Kai, who was now dramatically shielding his laptop screen like it held state secrets, Eli shook his head in amusement. For the first time, submitting something so important didn't feel terrifying—it felt like taking a step forward, side by side with someone who made the unknown a little less scary.