The last week of summer came too fast it always does one minute you are planning to finish something the next you are already saying goodbye The film room smelled like tape and dust again everything back where it started except us He was there packing cables into a box moving slower than usual like time had grown heavy

I stood by the window holding the empty camera the same one that stopped recording our last scene I said maybe we can try again before school starts He said maybe but his voice didn’t sound like maybe it sounded like no I didn’t push it I just nodded pretending I didn’t hear the way his words fell

He handed me a flash drive said the teacher wants us to turn this in today I took it careful not to touch his hand but still felt the air between us move He said thanks for staying so late all the time I said you never asked me to leave He smiled a little and looked down like he always did when he didn’t know what to say

We watched the final cut together lights off screen glowing blue the clips shaky imperfect full of small mistakes The audio cracked in places the colors too bright but somewhere in the middle there was that reflection of us in the window and when it appeared he whispered that’s my favorite part I didn’t answer because I couldn’t breathe right

When it ended he didn’t move just sat there until the screen went dark He said it’s weird how something can be over even when you’re still sitting inside it I said maybe that’s what summer means He said maybe that’s what we mean

We left the room together silence following us down the hallway The vending machine light flickered yellow He stopped there like he always did put in a coin but this time he bought two cans He gave me one and said one last soda for the credits

We sat on the floor beside the machine cold metal against our knees He said do you think we’ll ever film together again I said I don’t know maybe when the story wants a sequel He laughed soft and the sound felt like a door closing gently

When the final bell rang he stood up dusted his jeans and said see you around I said yeah see you around He walked away toward the courtyard the can still half full swinging from his hand I wanted to call his name but the word stayed stuck behind my teeth

After he disappeared I stayed a while staring at the empty hall the soda can in my hand turning warm The bubbles faded but the taste still stung sweet and sharp I thought about all the footage we lost and realized maybe some things are meant to stay off record

That night I uploaded the video file and renamed it Lemon Soda Summer I didn’t tell him I added one more clip a shot of the sky after he left nothing in focus just light and wind and a faint sound of laughter from somewhere off screen

When I watched it the next morning it felt like breathing again like a story that hadn’t really ended just changed shape waiting quietly before the next bell rings