𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙋𝙊𝙑:

It still feels surreal that Isabella Whybrow is living with me. I mean, we're best friends, practically inseparable since forever, but this is different. Sharing a space, seeing her around the house... it's like a dream I never dared to have.
I switched off the TV, tossed the pizza box in the bin, and headed upstairs. Iz's door was slightly ajar, and I peeked in. She was asleep, curled up on her side, her long blonde hair fanned out on the pillow. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful. I tiptoed past, not wanting to disturb her.
In my room, I got ready for bed. On my nightstand, the photo from our Year 11 leavers' day caught my eye. It was a snapshot of us, a memory frozen in time.

𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠:
The air was buzzing with excitement and a tinge of sadness. Everyone was signing shirts, a tradition marking the end of our school years. I had just finished signing my mates' shirts when I spotted Iz near the benches, surrounded by her friends. My gaze got stuck on her. She was laughing, her eyes sparkling, and I couldn't help but smile.
"Will, mate, I'm gonna miss ya," Mark's voice broke through my thoughts.

"same here, mate," I replied, "I won't be able to look at a glue stick without remembering the time we threw them at the ceiling in Miss Ellen's class."
Mark chuckled. "Oh yeah, good times."

I didn't quite catch what he said next. I was too engrossed in watching Iz. She was radiant. Her laughter was like music, and I couldn't help but feel drawn to her.
"When are you gonna ask her out, William?" marks playful nudge and question startled me.
"Never," I said, "We're just friends."
"You've been 'just friends' since Year 7," mark teased, "Come on, I'm sure she'd say yes."

Before I could retort, Iz started walking towards us. I instinctively moved to meet her halfway.
"Hey Iz!" I said, pulling her into a warm hug.
"Will, can you sign my shirt?" she asked, handing me a Sharpie.
"I'd love to," I replied, taking the pen and turning her around so I could write on the back of her shirt.

"Iz, you've been my rock through this hellhole," I wrote, "I'm going to miss you every day, and I'm only a call away. Will x"

I made sure to add the "x" at the end, a little detail that made it feel more personal, hoping it would stand out from the other signatures.

"All done," I said, handing her back the pen. "You wanna sign mine?"
"Of course, Will!" she said, and I turned around so she could write on my shirt.
"Will?" she said, her voice a little hesitant.

"Yeah, Iz?" I replied.
"Do you want to sneak out and go to McDonald's?" she asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"I'd love to," I grinned.

We ran towards the end of the field, towards a gap in the fence we had discovered back in Year 9 while bunking a lesson. We slipped through the opening and made our way to the nearest McDonald's, which was on the high street.
A few minutes later, we were sitting at a table, munching on burgers and fries, talking about our time at school and what we wanted to do with our lives

We talked about everything and nothing, reminiscing about funny moments in class, embarrassing stories from school trips, and inside jokes that only we understood. We laughed until our stomachs hurt, and for a moment, all the worries about the future faded away.

"Remember that time in Year 8 when Mr. Harrison's toupee flew off during the science experiment?" Iz giggled, "I thought he was going to cry!"
"And you ended up catching it mid-air," I added, "You were like a ninja!"
"Yeah, but then Mrs. Davison made me give it back," she said,

"What about that time in Year 9 when we accidentally set off the fire alarm during cooking class?" I said, "That was so funny!!"
"And we blamed it on the burnt cookies," she added, "god I think that's one of my favorite memories"

"Or all those rumors about us dating," I said, rolling my eyes.
"Oh god, those were the worst," she said, "Remember when everyone thought we were going to prom together?"
"Yeah, and we had to pretend we weren't going together just to stop the rumors," I said, "It was exhausting."
"But hey, at least we got a good laugh out of it," she said

We talked about our dreams too. I told her about my plans to continue making videos for my YouTube channel, hoping to turn it into a full-time career. She shared her passion for photography, describing the way she saw the world through her lens, capturing moments and emotions in a single frame.

"I want to capture the beauty of everyday moments," she said, her eyes sparkling, "The way people laugh, the way the light falls on a face, the way a city changes with the seasons."
"I can already see your photos in magazines," I said, "You're going to be famous!"
"Maybe one day," she said, blushing slightly. "But first, I need to convince my parents that photography is a real job."
"I'm sure they'll come around," I said, "Just show them your amazing work."

We finished our meal and walked back to school. We slipped back through the gap in the fence, just in time for the final bell.
"That was fun," Iz said, "We should do it again sometime."
"Definitely," I replied

I gave iz a hug and watched her walk away