This is a true story.
My family moved to a new development when I was in elementary school, and across my backyard through a patch of woods was another family’s house with a daughter, C, one year behind me in school. Since their house wasn’t technically in my neighborhood I never really interacted with them – occasionally saw them around, but that was it.
Fast-forward to 10th grade, and now C and I are in high school together. I got rides home from friends/teammates often, but at some point in the late winter/early spring I took the bus home and C was on my route. Despite never paying much attention to her previously, I spot her face as I’m walking onto the bus. We weren’t particularly friendly with one-another, so I shift my focus to my friend in back while I walk towards him.