The cafeteria buzzed with the usual lunchtime chaos—clattering trays, bursts of laughter, and the faint hum of music from someone's phone speaker. Mia and Jordan squeezed into their usual corner table, where Kora, Suzy, and the twins, Michael and Michelle, were already seated.
Kora looked up from her fries. "Finally! Took you two long enough. Thought you got lost or something."
Jordan groaned dramatically. "Blame Mia. She had this life-changing epiphany and made us late."
Mia rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. You'll thank me later."
Suzy leaned forward, curious. "What kind of epiphany?"
Mia set her tray down and pulled out the slightly crumpled paper from her notebook. "Okay, so Mr. Chan said something today that really stuck with me—about doing something meaningful before high school ends. So, I thought… what if we make a list? A bucket list for our final weeks."
The group exchanged glances.
"A list?" Michelle repeated, her tone skeptical. "Like, what kind of list?"
"Fun stuff!" Mia said eagerly. "Things we've never done before. Stuff that'll make this year unforgettable."
Michael raised an eyebrow. "Unforgettable? Last time you said that, we almost got banned from the gym."
"That was your idea," Mia shot back, laughing.
"Still counts," he said with a grin.
Kora snatched the paper from Mia's hand. "Alright, let's see what you've got so far." Her eyes scanned the scribbled writing. "Okay… 'Go night swimming,' 'Sneak into the school roof,' 'Confess a secret,' 'Pull one harmless prank on a teacher'—seriously, Mia?"
Suzy gasped. "You want us to what? We'll get detention!"
"It says harmless!" Mia protested.
"Yeah, right," Michelle muttered. "You say that now, and then we're mopping the hallways for a week."
Jordan chuckled, sipping his soda. "Told you there'd be drama."
"Oh, come on," Mia said. "It's supposed to be fun! We're graduating soon. Don't you want to do something a little crazy before college?"
Suzy frowned, crossing her arms. "Fun is one thing, but getting in trouble isn't on my to-do list."
Kora tapped the table thoughtfully. "What if we make some rules? Like, everything has to be safe and… semi-responsible."
Michael groaned. "That takes out half the fun."
Michelle nudged him. "Then you can make your own list."
The group fell into a mix of laughter and bickering.
Finally, Mia raised her hands. "Alright, alright. Let's compromise. We'll all add something to the list—one thing each. But no vetoing unless it's completely insane."
Kora smiled. "Deal."
"Fine," Suzy said reluctantly.
Michael grinned. "In that case, I'm definitely adding something epic."
"Oh no," Michelle groaned. "We're doomed."
Mia leaned back in her seat, smiling as the argument turned playful again. For the first time in a while, she felt something stir inside her—excitement, maybe even hope.
The list wasn't just an idea anymore.
It was the start of an adventure.