The aroma of lukewarm coffee and fried food hung heavy in Zenith University's bustling cafeteria. GREAT and his friend, SAMUEL, had managed to snag a corner table near the window, amidst the cacophony of student chatter and clattering trays. They were deep in discussion about an upcoming football match, Samuel animatedly gesturing with a half-eaten sandwich, when Great's gaze suddenly drifted towards the entrance.
His breath hitched slightly. Standing just inside the doorway, her vibrant energy cutting through the lunchtime crowd, was TESSA. She was accompanied by another girl, TESSY, her laughter echoing softly as they scanned the room for a free table. Great felt a jolt of surprise, a flicker of something akin to excitement mixed with a touch of unease. He hadn't seen Tessa in what felt like an age.
Without a word to Samuel, Great rose from his seat, a magnetic pull drawing him forward. He moved swiftly through the crowded aisles, his eyes fixed on Tessa. When he reached her, a wide, genuine smile spread across his face.
"**Tessa! Wow, Tessa, it's been forever!**" he exclaimed, his voice a warm rumble that cut through the surrounding noise. He stepped forward and enveloped her in a tight, familiar hug, a gesture that spoke of a shared past.
Tessa returned the hug with equal enthusiasm, a surprised but delighted expression on her face. "**Great! Oh my gosh, Great! I was just thinking about you the other day! And yes, I'm still very much a student here. It's *you* I never see around anymore!**" Her eyes sparkled with genuine pleasure at the unexpected reunion.
"**Life's been… life, you know?**" Great replied with a wry smile. "**Come on, you two. Join us. Samuel and I have a table. It's my treat.**" He gestured back towards their corner spot.
Tessa exchanged a quick glance with Tessy, a silent agreement passing between them. "**We'd love to!**" Tessa said, looping her arm through Tessy's as they followed Great back to his table.
Samuel, who had been observing the interaction with a curious expression, stood up as they approached. "**Great, who's this?**" he asked, a friendly smile directed at the newcomers.
"**Samuel, this is Tessa, an old… incredibly old friend from high school,**" Great said with a playful grin. "**And this is her friend, Tessy.**"
"**Nice to meet you both,**" Samuel said warmly, extending a hand.
"**Pleasure to meet you too, Samuel,**" Tessa replied, her smile radiating charm. Tessy echoed the sentiment.
As they settled around the table, the conversation flowed easily, filled with shared memories and catching up on lost time.
"**So, what have you been up to all this time, Great? Last I heard… well, I hadn't heard anything!**" Tessa said, her eyes alight with curiosity.
Great's smile faltered slightly, a brief shadow crossing his face. "**Yeah, well… things happened. You know how it is.**" He kept his tone deliberately vague.
"**We were inseparable back in Northwood High,**" Tessa explained to Samuel and Tessy, a nostalgic fondness in her voice. "**Partners in crime, always getting into some sort of trouble… mostly harmless, of course!**"
"**Speak for yourself! I still have nightmares about that chemistry lab incident,**" Great retorted, a playful glint returning to his eyes.
Samuel and Tessy chuckled at the shared anecdote, the easy banter highlighting the deep-rooted friendship between Great and Tessa.
"**It's so weird that we just… stopped talking, though,**" Tessa said, her brow furrowing slightly. "**I always wondered what happened.**" There was a hint of unresolved curiosity in her voice, a subtle question hanging in the air.
Great shifted uncomfortably in his seat, avoiding her direct gaze for a moment. "**Life just… took us in different directions, I guess.**" He offered a casual shrug, but the underlying tension was palpable, at least to Tessa.
Despite the brief moment of awkwardness, the conversation soon picked up again, jumping from old high school stories to their current studies and campus life. Laughter filled their corner of the cafeteria, drawing occasional glances from other students.
As their lunch break drew to a close, Great pulled out his phone. "**We should definitely keep in touch this time, properly.**" He exchanged numbers with Tessa, their fingers brushing briefly, a spark of something lingering in the air between them.
"**Absolutely! It would be great to actually, you know, *see* you around,**" Tessa said, her smile a little brighter than before.
"**Yeah, definitely,**" Great agreed, his gaze holding hers for a moment longer than necessary.
As Tessa and Tessy stood up to leave, a sense of renewed connection hung in the air between Great and Tessa, a rekindled friendship with an undercurrent of unspoken history and perhaps, for Tessa at least, something more. The reasons for their past separation remained unaddressed, a silent question mark hanging over their unexpected reunion.