The light breeze tickled her face. The grass she sat on was damp and cold. The air of the early morning was always something Calliope enjoyed. It was the time of day when life seemed to be fluttering awake and gently wrapping itself around all those bearing witness to its rise. 

The tree she leaned against was rough against her uniform, but she welcomed the scratch from the bark. Her dark curls were loosely tied back in a lazy ponytail. Strands occasionally fell in her line of sight as her brown eyes focused on the worn-out book on her lap. She silently read its content, her index and thumb on her right hand carefully clung to the corners of the cherished paper while her eyes flew past line after line. She was fully engulfed in the stories her book told. It was to the point that she hadn't noticed the sound of soft crunches against the grass as they approached her. 

It wasn't until the shadow of her new guest cast over her when she finally peeled herself away from the book in her hands. The figure in front of her was one she hadn't expected. As their endearing smile showcased itself to her, it felt as if her heart was being rung out and hung over her ribs to dry. "Oh.." Her eyes had grown wide as she looked for the words to say. Seeing the person in front of her had rendered her speechless. Calliope slowly closed the book in her hands. Her gaze darted between its flowery cover, to the grass, to the girl who towered over her; over and over again. The silence was there yet it held not an ounce of awkwardness or uncomfortable energy. It was a nostalgic warmth that overwhelmed her entirely.

Calliope gripped the book in her hand while the other was firmly placed in the cool grass. She should get up, shouldn't she? She had to properly greet her. Her intentions must've been clear since her newfound company was reaching a hand out to her to help her on her feet. She hesitated for a moment before her hand was in theirs. As soon as she was on her feet, Calliope had been pulled into their embrace. Their arms comfortably found their place around her torso. The warmth of their breath tickled her skin when they nested their head in the crook of her neck. Calliope could feel the rapid force of her heart drumming in her chest. The glossing of her eyes as she accepted the embrace, releasing the book in her hand and allowing her hands to cling to the person she hadn't realized she longed so desperately to see. Whatever they had to convey right now was showcased by the simple act of basking in the others' familiar tenderness.

They made their way to Calliope's dorm. As she gently shut the door to her room behind her, Calliope was still mulling over what she wanted to say. The words hadn't found her yet, and well, the last time the two of them spoke wasn't the most pleasant. It was the first and last time the two of them really had such a disastrous disagreement. A disagreement that concluded in them going their separate ways without another word spoken between them. Calliope had always regretted the way things turned out in the end, but she ended up settling with the thought that it might have been for the best. If not for her but for her long-lost love who now sat on her bed and fiddled with her nails. 

"Don't just stand there." She said. Her black eyes were glued to Calliope. The feeling sent a string of goosebumps up and down Calliope's arms. Calliope gave her a firm nod and sat beside her on the newly made bed. She sat close enough that their thighs brushed against each other. Leaving an inch of space between their shoulders.

"When'd you get here?" Calliope asked her. Her brown eyes traced over them, soaking in her very presence. She compared her to what she had known. Her features were always strikingly beautiful in Calliope's eyes; never failed to leave her in awe. She had only grown more ethereal since she had last seen her. The way her pitch-black hair fell past her shoulder and curled at the end, the way her thick messy brows knitted together in thought, how she slumped her shoulders in comfort against the cool white wall behind them, they were all little things that sent her down a long road of precious moments and forgotten memories. It was easy to admit that Calliope had missed her dearly. It was hard not to stare. To not get loss in the way her face reminded Calliope of the fire-gold of the dawn sky she had grown to love over the years. How her sepia skin managed to glow even under the dim lights in her room.

"Two days ago. First day."

"I'm sorry that was your introduction to this place....so you're a first year then?"

"Transfer. I'll graduate with you." A beat of silence followed her words. Calliope watched as she shuffled herself around. The way she adjusted her posture and turned her head to meet Calliope's unwavering gaze. A mischievous smirk pulled at her full lips. "Were you worried you'd leave me behind?"

Calliope couldn't help the smile that adorned her features. Just seeing the other was enough to slowly filter out the nerves and replace them with nothing but pure adoration. It was almost as if no time had passed at all. Like they were back in her room at home. She wanted to go back to when things were that easy. That simple. The moments she spent with her made Calliope feel complete. It helped her realize how far she had come compared to before they met. How they managed to take her hand and run with her down a path she had never considered taking before. The other half to her chipped coin.

"It would've sucked if you were a freshman."

"How's your mom?"

Calliope hesitated at the question. The subjects of mothers were rough between the two of them. It was rough yet Calliope was the only one of the two who shied away from it. If it had been anyone else asking she would've dodged it completely. That much was evident in the way she pulled her eyes away from them. The eye contact was no longer bearable if this was going to be the direction they were heading in. Even as she decided to allow her focus to linger on the empty wall across from her, the burning sensation of their gaze on her didn't fizzle out. "She's the same." Calliope finally answered. "How's yours?"

"As cruel as ever." 

Calliope knew the sadness behind her words well. The cracks in her voice were prominent despite how swift and short her answer had been. They leaned over. Their shoulders which had only been mere inches apart were now connected. The returned warmth from their previous embrace sent a rush through Calliope's body in waves. Who knew such a small, insignificant gesture, would bring so many complicated thoughts and feelings to the forefront of her mind and heart. This was the quietest the two of them had ever been with one another. Both feeling out the waters but too scared to fully dive into the bottomless lake waiting for them. There was so much to be said but it was hard to make real progress. What was too much? What was the line that they shouldn't cross? Since when did these lines start to exist between them in the first place? 

Calliope decided to be the first to really dip her foot into the water. "You know, I didn't think I'd get to see you again. Especially here." After all, it was a place neither of them initially wanted to be. A decorated cage whose key was held by their respective families. "I just....I thought..." Ah, where did her words go? So much of it jumbled in her head but when it was finally time to connect them, to form a sentence with worth behind it, nothing was going her way. A heavy sigh fell from her lips. "I thought the last time was it." Calliope said as she turned her head to finally reconnect with those bottomless eyes that held the world she craved to be in.

"It wasn't. I didn't believe you when you said you were done with me." 

But those words stung all the same. That much Calliope was more than aware of. When she did it, she thought it was for the best. 

No, she was told it was for the best. 

She felt like a coward. 

No, she was a coward.