#hellooo????

the sun filtered through the branches, casting dappled patterns on the grass where you lay, the warmth of the afternoon wrapping around you like a blanket. you popped a dried apple slice into your mouth, chewing thoughtfully as you stared at the sky. beside you, caleb, in his early teens, let out a satisfied sigh, arms folded behind his head.

“okay, my turn,” you said, rolling onto your side to face him. “if you could have any superpower, but it had to be something completely useless, what would it be?”

caleb smirked, eyes still on the clouds. “easy. the ability to instantly find lost socks. you have no idea how many i’ve lost.”

you snorted. “that’s not useless, that’s just sad.”

“hey, missing socks are a real problem.”

you laughed, lightly shoving his shoulder before flopping onto your back again. a comfortable silence settled between them, only broken by the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant chirping of birds. without thinking, you shifted closer, your arms nearly touching.

you didn’t know why, but you found yourself glancing at him more than usual. the way his hair fell over his forehead, the faintest freckles dusting his cheeks, the way his eyes seemed softer in the afternoon light. caleb turned his head slightly, catching your gaze. neither of you moved.

“what?” he asked, voice quieter than before.

you hesitated. “nothing,” a murmur, though the way your fingers fidgeted with the hem of your shirt said otherwise.

caleb studied you for a moment, his expression unreadable. then, without really thinking—without knowing why—he leaned in. it was barely anything, just a whisper of movement, but you mirrored it, and suddenly, your lips brushed together for the briefest second.

it was clumsy, unsure, so fast it could’ve been mistaken for an accident. but it wasn’t.

when both pulled apart, your eyes were wide, breaths slightly uneven. neither of you spoke.

caleb cleared his throat, sitting up abruptly. “uh—so, anyway,” he said, voice a little too casual, “your turn. useless superpower. go.”

you stared at him for a moment longer before slowly sitting up as well. “right. um. i’d want… the ability to always have the perfect comeback."

“so, you just want to be better at arguing?”

“basically.”