Piper found Archie exactly where she expected him to be.He was alone at the old training field behind campus, the one most people had stopped using once the newer facilities were built.Archie sat on the lowest rail, elbows resting on his knees, head slightly lowered. From a distance, he looked like someone trying not to think too loudly.Piper hesitated at the edge of the field before stepping forward.A twig snapped under her shoe.Archie looked up immediately.The shift in his expression was subtle, but real. Surprise first, then something more careful, like he wasn’t sure if she was actually there or if he’d misread the moment.“Piper,” he said.Her name came out softer than she expected, She stopped a few steps away. “Hi.”For a moment, neither of them spoke. The silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable exactly, just unfamiliar.Archie finally stood.“You okay?” he asked.The question almost made her laugh, not because it was funny, but because it was so ordinary compared to ev
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