H
The phone buzzed again, and Elysia sighed. She had hoped it would stop.
She stepped outside the party hall, the sound of music fading as the heavy door closed behind her. The night air was cooler than she expected, biting through her dress and rushing straight to her nerves. She looked down at the screen.
"Mum."
She pressed the answer button, already feeling the headache crawl up her spine.
"Hello?"
"Elysia," her mother's voice came sharp, rushed, like she had been waiting for her to pick up for hours. "I've been trying to reach you."
"I know. I stepped out for a bit."
There was a pause. Then: "We need to talk."
Elysia's throat tightened.
Her mother wasn't the emotional type. She didn't say we need to talk unless something had already gone wrong.
"Is everything okay?" Elysia asked quietly.
There was another pause, then came the news.
"My boss is being transferred… to a new branch. And they want me to follow. It's in the same state, but it's far from here. I've already accepted. I don't have a choice."
Elysia blinked into the dark. "So… what happens now?"
"I'll be relocating in two weeks. And you… we need to move you to a new school. I already checked — Tamara's school is the closest to my new posting. You'll be transferring there next term."
The silence that followed was too loud.
Her world had just… shifted. No warning. No space to breathe.
"I thought we'd have more time," Elysia whispered.
"I know, baby. But life's moving, and we have to move with it."
She ended the call before she could cry.
Inside, the music hadn't changed. The vibe hadn't changed. But something in Elysia had.
Meanwhile, Tamara was still standing where Elysia left her, next to Orion — who hadn't moved. Not really.
He'd been watching the door Elysia walked out of like it had stolen something from him.
"You're friends with her?" he asked finally, turning to Tamara.
Tamara raised a brow. "Depends. Are you asking like a fan or like a threat?"
He smiled faintly. "Neither."
Tamara smiled back, tight and small. "Her name's not mine to give. If you want it… maybe try asking her instead."
Orion looked away, slightly amused — slightly frustrated.
And then Elysia came back.
She didn't speak. Didn't even look their way. Her steps were slower, heavier. Something was clearly wrong.
Tamara's smile faded instantly. "Lys?"
Elysia gave a slight shake of her head — barely enough to be noticed by anyone who didn't know her.
Tamara stepped closer. "Let's go."
"But—" Orion began, stopping himself.
Tamara shot him a look. "It's been a long night."
She grabbed Elysia's hand, and they walked out together. Elysia didn't look back once.
And Orion… never got her name.
Inside the party, things went on. But for Orion, it all felt… wrong now.
The music was too loud. The lights too harsh. The people too fake.
Even his friends noticed.
"You good?" one of them asked.
"I'm heading out," he muttered.
He turned, hoodie up again, heading for the exit when he heard that voice.
Serena.
"Leaving so soon?" she asked, sliding beside him like she had every right to.
Orion didn't even look at her. "Yeah."
Serena gave a low laugh. "You've barely been here."
"You've barely changed," he said flatly.
She tried to laugh it off. "Is this about that girl you were staring at? Seriously?"
He didn't answer.
Serena followed him a few more steps before stopping, arms folded and irritated. "She's not even your type."
But he was already gone.
And she — for the first time — felt small.
Back at Tamara's place, Elysia curled up on the bed without saying a word.
Tamara handed her a glass of water and sat beside her. "What happened?"
Elysia took a long pause. "My mum's boss is transferring her… and now she wants me to change schools."
"What? To where?"
"Your school."
Tamara blinked. "Wait… my school? Like— my school?"
"Apparently, it's the only one close to her new office."
"Lys… that means we'll finally be in the same school."
Elysia nodded, but she didn't smile. "Yeah."
Tamara hesitated, then asked, "Are you okay with it?"
Elysia leaned back into the pillow. "I don't even know how to feel."
Silence stretched between them.
Then Tamara said softly, "You know… after you left, that Orion guy — he asked about you."
Elysia turned her head sharply. "Seriously?"
Tamara nodded. "Yeah. Wanted to know your name."
Elysia scoffed lightly. "Tell him it's 'Not Interested.'"
"Lys—"
"I'm not doing that, Tamara. I'm not starting something with some random boy in the middle of my life falling apart. My home is changing. My school. Everything. So let's not turn this into a love story when I haven't even healed from my last chapter."
Tamara nodded slowly, her heart sinking just a little. "Okay. No love story."
But the way Orion looked at her friend… something told her it wasn't over.
Not even close.
Later that night, in Orion's room...
He tossed his phone onto the bed like it had betrayed him. Music played faintly from his speaker, but he wasn't really listening. He sat on the edge of his bed, hoodie still on, hands buried deep in his pockets — same as they were when he first saw her.
That girl.
The girl with the quiet stare and the steady voice. The one who didn't look at him like everyone else did. The one who left without even giving her name.
"Who are you?" he muttered into the dark, as if the shadows might whisper it back.
He wasn't used to this. Not being in control. Not being the one walking away.
But there was something about her.
Something still echoing.
The way she looked like she had her own storm swirling under her skin. The way she didn't try to impress him. The way she smiled — barely — like the world had never been gentle to her, and yet… she was still soft.
He leaned back onto his mattress, staring at the ceiling like it might solve the mystery.
"She's not like the others," he said under his breath.
And he didn't even know her name.