Chapter 7: The Boundaries of Cortis

As the years inevitably drifted by, the geographical boundaries of Cortis began to feel both remarkably smaller and infinitely more complicated, transforming from an endless, magical playground into a tight-knit web of teenage expectations and social pressures. High school arrived bearing its own distinct gravitational pull, dragging their respective peers into shifting, competitive circles of varsity athletes, ambitious musicians, and popular social cliques. Yet, somehow, miraculously, James and Lily's anchor held fast against the turbulent currents of adolescent reinvention, keeping them firmly tethered to the simple, profound truths they had discovered down by the creek years before.