The celebration wound down by ten. The Final Whistle emptied little by little, laughter trailing out into the cold air of the night.
Empty chairs rocked faintly, glasses clinked one last time, and the smell of roasted meat still hung heavy in the air as the night outside pressed colder.
Julian lingered by the doorway, scanning the crowd until his eyes found Tress.
"So… what do you use to get back?" Julian asked, half-curious, half-testing the waters.
Tress tilted her head, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "Hmm… why? You planning to escort me?" Her voice carried a teasing edge, so unlike the calm, collected tone she always had at school.
Julian blinked. This version of Tress felt like someone else entirely. "You're… different outside class."
