“Hey.” Allie was smiling sadly.

Erica looked up. “Hey!” She blinked. She hadn’t seen Allie in…nearly a decade.

There was a moment of quiet.

“So…it’s been a while,” Allie said. “What’s new?”

Erica shrugged awkwardly. “I mean…I haven’t seen you since 8th grade. A lot’s happened.”

Allie nodded.

After a moment, Erica let out a breath. “Want to…go for a walk? I’m done with classes for today.”

Allie nodded, relaxing. “Yeah. Yeah, a walk sounds great.” Erica stood up, grabbing her papers and shoving them into a bag.

“So…”

“So…”

“What are you studying?” Erica asked.

“Animal science,” Allie murmured. “I guess some dreams do come true.”

Erica smiled. “That’s awesome. I’m so glad!”

Allie smiled back. It wasn’t easy, or simple. Erica knew that. It wasn’t like it had been. But that didn’t seem to matter anymore; a lot can change in 8 years. “What about you?” Allie asked. “Still into English?”

“Actually,” Erica said shyly, “I’m majoring in buisness. Some dreams take a while to figure out.”

Her old friend nodded, and they lapsed into silence. It was awkward in a way it shouldn’t have been. Abruptly, Allie stopped walking. “Hey…you know I’m sorry, right? About what happened?”

“Oh, Allie, it doesn’t matter. That was a long time ago.”

“I know, I know, I just…I am. For so long I wasn’t. And you were right to hate me.” She laughed. “I was a pretty terrible person. So I’m sorry you had to know me then, and I hope that you can get to know me now.”

Erica smiled. “All right.”

After a moment of quiet, Allie pointed out a large tree. “Look,” she said. “A maple tree. Isn’t it beautiful?”

Erica nodded slowly. “It’s funny. I walk past that tree every day. And today is the first time I’ve ever really noticed it.”

“We overlook a lot of things, don’t we.”

Erica laughed. “Yeah…we do. We really do. I’m glad you didn’t do it to me today. I’ve missed you.”