ep 1

It had been five years since Alex and Ava had last spoken. Time, distance, and the unspoken tension between them had pulled them in different directions. Once inseparable friends, the two had been the stars of their class, always competing for the top spot, but it was their rivalry that eventually tore them apart. After an argument that had escalated beyond words, they went their separate ways. No more late-night study sessions or shared laughter, just silence.

Now, fate had brought them back together, but in the most unexpected way—through photography.

Ava stood at the entrance of the photography studio, adjusting her camera strap nervously. She wasn’t sure why she’d agreed to this workshop in the first place; she hadn’t picked up her camera in months. The last time she had been this passionate about photography, it had been with Alex, during their final year of high school. They used to chase the perfect shot, spending hours capturing the world from different angles, their friendly rivalry fueling their creativity. But that was before their falling out.

The door swung open, and she froze. Standing there, with a camera slung over his shoulder, was Alex.

He looked the same—tall, confident, with that same glint of determination in his eyes. The same eyes that used to challenge her, push her to be better. But now, as he stepped inside the studio, she realized just how much they had changed. He was no longer the boy she used to know. He was a man, with a hint of something unreadable in his expression.

"Alex," Ava said, her voice tight as she took a step back.

His gaze locked onto hers, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. It was as if the years had never passed.

"Ava," he finally said, his tone soft but still carrying that familiar edge. "Long time."

She nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. The air between them was thick with unspoken words, like a dam ready to break. After all this time, seeing him again stirred up everything they had left unresolved. But they were here for the same reason—photography. Neither of them could deny the pull they still felt toward it.

"I didn’t expect to see you here," Ava said, her hands instinctively adjusting her camera again. It was her way of finding control, even if just for a moment.

Alex shrugged, his lips curling into a half-smile. "Funny how life works out. Didn’t expect to see you either. But... it’s good. Photography was always better when we were together, right?"

Ava’s breath caught in her throat. He wasn’t wrong. Their photography sessions had been full of energy, challenges, and moments of brilliance. But that was before the rivalry, before everything had changed. Now, all that was left was a painful history.

"I guess," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She wasn’t sure where to go from here, what to say. The past felt like a shadow, looming between them.

Alex took a step closer, his eyes searching hers. "Ava... we were good, weren’t we? The best. But what happened to us? We used to be friends, you know. It wasn’t always about the competition."

The words hit her like a wave. She hadn’t expected him to bring it up so soon, but there it was, the raw truth that they’d both avoided for years.

"I don’t know, Alex," she replied, her voice breaking slightly. "I guess we just… lost ourselves. And when we fought, it felt like everything was falling apart. I don’t know how to go back to what we were."

He looked at her, his expression softening. "Maybe we don’t need to go back. Maybe we just need to start over."

Ava’s heart skipped a beat. Start over? Was it possible? Could they really move past the hurt, the pride, the broken trust?

The photographer who was running the workshop called out to them, and the moment slipped away, leaving both of them standing on opposite sides of the room once more. But this time, the space between them didn’t feel as wide. Maybe it wasn’t the past they had to fix, but the present—starting with a single frame, one shot at a time.

End of first page

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