Chapter 1: Graduation Night

The air was thick with cheap beer, body spray, and the bittersweet edge of endings. Somebody’s Bluetooth speaker rattled out Top 40 hits. Sweat stuck my T-shirt to my back. The grass was slick from spilled drinks. It was the kind of night that was supposed to be unforgettable—or at least, that’s what every movie said. Somewhere between the sticky punch bowl and a yard full of discarded red Solo cups, I let my nerves and the alcohol get the better of me. I confessed my feelings to the prom queen, Rachel Lin—though to be fair, she was just as wasted as I was, maybe more.

I even managed to steal a kiss from her, quick and trembling. My heart thudded so loud, I was sure someone would call me out. My hands shook so bad I nearly dropped my cup. Every word felt like jumping off a cliff. When I leaned in, my lips barely brushed hers, and my whole body went numb—like the world had stopped spinning just for that split second. But when I looked at Rachel, her eyes were glassy and unfocused. She looked like she’d already blacked out. Her head lolled against the couch, a ghost of a smile flickering and vanishing. For a second, I wondered if she’d felt it at all. Honestly, I prayed she’d forget the whole thing come morning.

Over a year later, at a cramped dorm party, we were playing the classic truth-or-dare drinking game. Someone leaned in, grinning, and asked Rachel when she had her first kiss. She didn’t miss a beat—she shot me a look that could cut glass and said, “The night of the high school graduation party.”

I nearly choked on my drink. My hands went cold. She remembered everything…