Lunch wrapped up slower than I expected.
The sun felt too bright in the courtyard, and everyone moved with that weird, lazy rhythm like the day wasn't even half over. Hana tossed her apple core into the bin and stretched like someone who wasn't ready to be vertical again.
"Don't fall asleep in elective," she said. "Or do. I'm not your mom."
Luis was already halfway back inside. Zahra dumped her tray with one hand and walked after him without a word.
I stood carefully and tugged the back of my skirt, just in case.
I know it's fine. It just doesn't feel fine.
Selma leaned in as we started toward the building.
"Doing okay?"
"Yeah," I said, which wasn't all the way true, but close enough that I didn't feel like correcting it.
She didn't push. Just bumped my arm with her elbow and kept walking.
We split at the stairwell. Her class was upstairs, mine wasn't, and I ended up between Hana and Zahra like they'd done this routine before. They didn't say anything about it, just walked with me, and I didn't ask why.
Zahra made a comment about the janitor looking like a retired wizard. Hana immediately turned it into a conspiracy theory where he was secretly protecting the school from spirits that haunted the science wing.
And somehow, I laughed.
Not a fake one. A real one. Small, but still real.
Did I really just laugh? Like... out loud?
The next class was something called "Foundations and Futures," which felt like the kind of title someone made up five minutes before printing the schedule. The teacher introduced himself by his first name and had the energy of someone who wasn't sure if he was in charge or not.
We sat near the back. Hana flipped open a beat-up notebook and started a list labeled "Things Never to Tell Adults". Zahra added a line or two without even looking.
"What about you?" Hana asked. "Any secret hobbies? Hidden talents? Come on, Ely, give us something."
I blinked. "Uh. I used to build stuff. In games. Mods, mostly. Sandbox stuff."
Her eyes lit up. "World-building? Like lore dumps and dramatic backstories?"
"Sort of."
"Oh my God, same! I used to write this fantasy series about a magic academy where everyone had elemental swords tied to their trauma. Still do, honestly. One guy's blade only worked if he was crying. Don't laugh."
I didn't laugh. I just nodded.
Why would I laugh? That's kind of cool. And also kind of intense.
She kept talking about a character who could teleport but only if he remembered his dead sister's name. Zahra just smirked at me across the aisle like she was waiting to see if I could keep up.
I looked down at my desk.
Is this what normal looks like? How do they do this without trying?
"The point is," Hana said, barely slowing down, "you and me? Total creatives."
Zahra snorted into her hand, and I felt the corner of my mouth twitch.
It didn't make my chest tighten. That had to count for something.
When class ended, Hana stood up and pointed down the hall. "Bathroom first. You coming?"
I was already about to say no when Zahra brushed past us.
"Let's go," she said, like it wasn't a question.
Hana didn't wait, just turned and kept walking. Zahra followed without a glance back.
I stood there for a second, then moved after them.
Please don't let anyone be in there.
The bathroom was down a side hall with older lights and floors that creaked in just the wrong spots. It wasn't spooky, just... off. Dim in a way that made everything feel smaller.
The moment the door clicked shut, something shifted.
It wasn't them. They were fine. Still talking about electives and how Hana was considering fencing just to feel dramatic.
But I could feel my shoulders creeping up. My steps went stiff. My whole body tensed in a way it hadn't all day.
I slipped into a stall and stayed there longer than I needed to, trying to breathe.
You're fine. You're fine. This is fine.
The water ran. Someone laughed.
"Anyway," Hana said, "I'm probably just doing art again. But I swear I won't draw the same cat twenty-five times this time."
I came out, washed my hands, and nodded at the mirror like I believed my own reflection.
I don't. Not yet. But maybe if I fake it long enough, I'll start to catch up.
We stepped out into the hallway again. Hana was still talking.
"If they try to make me take public speaking again, I'm transferring to Canada."
I didn't see the turn coming.
The shoulder hit me full force, solid and fast. I stumbled back, instinct kicking in before anything else.
"Oh—sorry!"
The girl turned, blinking. She was taller. Strong jaw. Hair dark and tied back. There was something about the shape of her stance, the way she looked at me, the way her eyes narrowed like she was sorting through a memory she hadn't pulled in a long time.
My stomach dropped.
I knew that look.
Kyra.
Same eyes. Same shoulders. Same way of squinting like she could drag your whole soul to the surface if you gave her a second too long.
No. Not here. Not now.
"…Sorry," I said again, softer this time.
Her face shifted.
"No, you're fine. I just… you look really familiar. Like a childhood friend of mine, actually."
Please don't remember. Please don't say it. Just let this pass.
I smiled, barely. "I've got family all over. Maybe we just look alike."
Hana stepped in without missing a beat.
"I'm Hana," she said quickly, her voice just a little too bright. "We're headed to class. Wanna come?"
Kyra shook her head. "Nah. Got chem upstairs. Nice meeting you, though."
"Same."
I turned fast. Not too fast. Just enough to end it.
Zahra fell into step beside me, close but quiet. She didn't say anything.
She didn't need to.
I didn't look back.
But I felt her still watching.
Of all people… of course it would be her.