You decide to play along and see how deeply Lukas believes you’re a high schooler.
“I’m a freshman,” you say, taking a sip of your hot chocolate and settling into the role. “Lots of homework lately, so I like coming here to focus.”
Lukas chuckles softly, his earlier nervousness melting away. “Freshman year, huh? Those were the days. I guess I should warn you—Sophomore year’s worse. The college prep stuff is brutal.”
You nod, pretending to commiserate. “Yeah, my older brother keeps saying the same thing. He’s in college now, though, so at least I’ve got someone to ask for advice.”
Lukas smiles, clearly buying your story. “Sounds like you’ve got a good setup. Honestly, I miss being that age sometimes. Less pressure, you know? You’ve got time to figure stuff out.”
You nod again, but his words hit a little differently. You have gone back to a time with less pressure, at least for now. It’s strange hearing someone around your real age reminisce about you on something you haven't lived through in years.
“So, who are you waiting for?” you ask, shifting the focus.
He glances at his phone, his smile faltering slightly. “Oh, just a friend. We were supposed to meet for coffee, but I think they might’ve bailed.”
You sense an opportunity to dig deeper—or maybe use the app to shift things in his favor. But for now, Lukas seems comfortable chatting with you as a younger teen.