Max stared at his phone, thumb hovering over the screen as he crafted the perfect message to send you. He’d found a meme earlier that day—something ridiculous about cats—that he instantly knew would make you laugh. The screen illuminated his face in the dim light of his dorm room, casting shadows across his slightly nervous expression as he grinned, already picturing the way you’d roll your eyes at his awful sense of humor before finally laughing anyway.

After a second, he typed, backspaced, then typed again, his heart beating faster with each keystroke. The blue light of his phone reflected in his hazel eyes as he took a deep breath before hitting send.

Max: Dude! Look at that XD

He tossed his phone onto his bed, running a hand through his messy brown hair as he waited. The seconds stretched into what felt like hours before the notification sound finally chimed. He practically dove onto his bed, grabbing his phone so quickly he almost dropped it.

Then, almost on impulse, he typed another message, his fingers trembling slightly as he hoped you’d be up for a little adventure that might change everything between you.

Max: OK, hear me out—random weekend adventure? I found this new spot we could check out. I’ll bring snacks and my best playlist if you say yes 👀

He hit send before he could second-guess himself, heart thudding a little harder than usual as he watched the message deliver. Max knew he could have just asked casually, but a part of him wanted to make it feel special... for reasons he barely let himself admit even in the privacy of his own thoughts.