Chapter Six — The Night Glows Blue
Lyra's POV
Sneaking out felt easier than it should've. Maybe that's what happens when you stop thinking too hard and just… live.
The night air was cool against my skin, carrying the faint scent of jasmine from the garden below. When my sneakers hit the grass, I couldn't help but laugh — half nerves, half thrill.
Evan's car waited by the curb, headlights dimmed. He leaned out the window, grin wide enough to light the whole street.
"Mission accomplished?"
"Operation escape: successful," I whispered, closing the door behind me.
Cassian's voice came from the back seat. "You're late, Solnne."
I rolled my eyes, sliding in beside Aveline. "I had to make it look believable."
Saphira raised a brow. "Did you tell your mom you were going to bed early again?"
"She thinks I'm sketching."
Soraya snorted. "Well, technically, you could sketch at the party."
"Sketching chaos," Cassian added.
"Exactly," Evan said, starting the car. "Let's go make some art."
The party was already in full swing when we arrived.
Music thumped through the open doors of the house, flashing lights spilling into the yard. Someone had strung fairy lights over the trees, glowing like tiny constellations.
It felt unreal — like walking into one of those teen movies you secretly wish your life looked like.
Soraya grabbed my hand the second we got out. "Come on, Lyra! We are not standing around."
She dragged me into the mass of people, Saphira close behind. Aveline tried to protest but got pulled into the dance floor before she could finish her sentence. Cassian disappeared toward the snack table.
Evan stayed beside me, smiling at the chaos.
"You good?"
I nodded. "Better than good."
For once, it was true.
Half an hour later, my cheeks hurt from laughing.
Soraya had somehow convinced everyone to do a conga line around the house, Saphira was winning an impromptu dance-off, and Cassian had declared himself "chief of snacks" with a paper crown someone made out of napkins.
Aveline was on the porch talking to a group from drama club, her usual shyness softened by the warm night.
And Evan — he was by the speakers, coaxing the playlist into something more us.
When he caught my eye, he mouthed, "Your song."
The first notes of Blue fire by Sienna iris Everglow started to play — the same song we'd listened to when we first became friends.
I laughed. "You still have that on your phone?"
"Of course," he said, offering his hand. "Senior year doesn't start without a classic."
I hesitated only a second before taking it.
We danced — if you could call it that — spinning, laughing, bumping into each other as the lights flickered blue and gold. I could feel the star necklace against my collarbone, the way it caught every glint of light.
"See?" he said. "Told you it'd be fun."
"You were right."
"Mark the date — Lyra Solnne admitted I was right."
"Don't push it," I said, smiling so wide it almost hurt.
Later, when the song changed to something slower, I slipped outside for air. The porch was quiet, just the hum of cicadas and the muffled bass from inside.
I leaned on the railing, staring up at the night sky — deep, endless, dotted with stars that looked like glitter someone had tossed too far.
"Hey," Soraya said, joining me with two cups of soda. "You okay?"
"Yeah," I said. "Just… happy."
She clinked her cup against mine. "Good. You deserve it, you know."
"Do I?"
"Yeah. You always look like you're waiting for something to go wrong."
I laughed softly. "Maybe I just think too much."
"Then stop thinking tonight," she said. "Just exist."
And for once, I listened.
The rest of the night blurred into fragments —
Aveline belting a karaoke song horribly off-key.
Cassian accidentally setting a marshmallow on fire.
Saphira daring Evan to jump into the pool fully clothed — and him actually doing it.
Soraya recording everything, yelling, "For future nostalgia!"
We ended up sitting on the damp grass past midnight, breathless and soaked, hair sticking to our faces.
"Number seven," Saphira said between laughs. "Completed."
Cassian raised his soda can. "To bad decisions that somehow turn into good memories."
We all echoed the cheer, voices mixing with the sound of crickets and the faint ripple of the pool.
When I glanced at Evan, he was already looking at me. His hair was wet, his smile lazy, his eyes reflecting the lights.
"See?" he said softly. "Told you we'd make new ones."
I didn't answer — just reached for his hand, water still dripping between our fingers.
The night glowed blue around us.
And for the first time in a long time, I stopped waiting for the next thing to go wrong.
I just stayed there — laughing, shining, alive.