Aiden Carter (17, American) – A shy but talented guitarist and songwriter, hiding a painful past.
Maya Sen (17, Indian or global background) – A bold, outspoken economics student, loves painting, secretly afraid of losing people.
Leo Martinez (18, Spanish) – A charming extrovert, captain of the basketball team, everyone's favorite but struggles with expectations.
Hana Kim (17, Korean) – A quiet but brilliant photographer, secretly in love with someone she can't confess to.
Chapter 1 – The First Day
The campus smelled of fresh rain and possibility.
Rows of trees lined the brick pathways, their leaves glistening under the late summer sun. Aiden Carter adjusted the strap of his guitar case as he stepped onto the wide courtyard, trying not to look as nervous as he felt.
College.
A whole new beginning.
He told himself it would be different this time—no one here knew him, no one knew the secrets he carried. He could just be the boy who liked music, not the boy who was running from the pieces of his past.
He pulled out his schedule, already lost. The library was supposed to be his first stop before orientation, but every hallway looked the same. As he turned a corner too quickly, thud!
A stack of heavy textbooks slammed against his chest, and he staggered back.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" a girl exclaimed, kneeling to gather the scattered books.
Aiden crouched down too, reaching for the same book at the same time. Their hands brushed. He froze. She had dark eyes full of restless fire, a strand of hair falling across her forehead as she bit her lip in embarrassment.
"Uh—no, it's my fault," he said quickly, handing her the book. "I wasn't watching where I was going."
She gave him a small smile. "Neither was I. First day, right?"
"Yeah," Aiden muttered, shifting awkwardly.
She balanced the books against her hip. "I'm Maya. Economics major. And apparently professional book-dropper."
Aiden almost laughed, but instead, he just nodded. "Aiden. Music. Guitar."
"Cool," she said, her eyes flicking toward the black case on his back. "So you're the quiet artist type?"
Heat crept up his neck. "Maybe. I guess."
They walked together toward the library. Conversation flowed more easily than Aiden expected. Maya talked about how she wanted to paint the world in numbers and colors, how she believed economics was as much about people's dreams as it was about money. She spoke with her hands, energy sparking from her every word.
Aiden listened, his silence steady, but his thoughts racing. She was different—bright, alive. The kind of person who pulled the world closer instead of pushing it away.
When they reached the library steps, Maya leaned against the railing. "So, Aiden-with-the-guitar, what's the first thing you're going to do in college?"
He hesitated.
The real answer was survive.
But instead he shrugged. "Maybe find a quiet corner and write a song."
Maya grinned. "Lame. You should do something unforgettable. Like sing in front of everyone at the welcome fest."
His heart stuttered. "No way. Not happening."
"Why not?" she challenged, her voice teasing but her eyes sharp, curious. "You have that mysterious vibe. I bet you'd surprise people."
Before Aiden could respond, a tall, broad-shouldered guy jogged up the stairs two at a time. His smile was easy, the kind that made everyone around him notice.
"Maya! There you are," he said, brushing sweat off his forehead. "I've been looking for you."
She straightened. "Leo. You're late again."
Leo laughed, then glanced at Aiden with friendly confidence. "And who's this?"
Maya made the introductions. Leo shook Aiden's hand, his grip firm. "Basketball captain," he added casually, as if that explained everything.
Aiden gave a polite nod, but something inside him tightened. Leo had the kind of charm that filled a room. The kind Aiden could never compete with.
As the three of them stepped into the library, Maya turned to Aiden one last time. "Remember what I said," she whispered. "Do something unforgettable."
Aiden didn't answer, but her words stayed with him like the first line of a song he hadn't written yet.
And just like that, the story of When We Were Seventeen began.