"Excuse me, can you please shift your stuff to your side? I need a seat over here," Aria said politely.
Orion looked up slowly, a glass of water already in his hand. The girl before him was odd, skin pale as snow, a delicate face mostly hidden beneath a black cap and mask. Her big, blue eyes glared despite their softness.
He looked around and found no other empty seat and few students standing in the corner, but not daring to ask him to move his file, Orion looked at the girl again. Surely, she wasn't worried a bit. Without a word, Orion slid his file from the couch to the coffee table. Smooth, unhurried. Through the reflection in the glass divider, he watched her sit, then turned his gaze back to his phone.
The other girls simmered with jealousy, their eyes sharp with envy, but Aria ignored them all. The couch was large enough for both, and though she and Orion didn't interact further, their silent pairing unsettled the room.
Minutes passed. The group dwindled.
Then Aria's phone rang, shattering the quiet. Orion lifted his head slightly, then looked away.
Aria placed her file on the table and answered. A man's voice on the other end spoke quickly, impatiently, while Aria gave nothing but small hums. Finally, pressed too hard, she gave up her location and ended the call.
Orion stood, crossing the room toward the water dispenser. He filled his glass slowly, taking a sip as the door opened behind him.
Footsteps entered. A man's voice, sharp and commanding, cut through the silence.
"What are you doing here?"
Orion didn't turn. He kept his back to them, raising his glass once more. Outwardly, he looked like a man uninterested in their business. Inwardly, he heard every word.
"You know things are getting serious; I wanted to see if they could give me an open admission instead," Aria replied.
"Have you lost your mind? You worked hard for this day," the man snapped.
Orion's brow creased faintly, hidden from sight. He never looked back, never revealed he was listening, but each line was making him intrigued.
"Get up," the man ordered firmly.
Aria stayed silent.
"I said get up, Aria."
Still, she didn't move. Then came the sound of papers snatched from the table. Footsteps retreating. A door shutting.
After finishing his water, Orion returned to his seat as though nothing had happened. Aria clenched her fist before going outside the door as well.
When his turn was called, he picked his folder up with his own belongings and headed out.
Later at the administration block
After submitting Dante and Mason's files, Orion handed over his own envelope for submission.
The clerk frowned. "Whose papers are these?"
"To me. Orion Dusk," Orion replied.
"These aren't yours," the man said, turning the page. "They belong to Aria Quinn and she is already a student here."
Orion's brows furrowed. He pulled the documents back. The name glared at him in bold letters:
Aria Quinn.
Aria Quinn? Who is that? How did I end up with her form?
Rummaging through his folder, he found no trace of his own.
No… where is my form!?
For the first time that day, Orion's calm cracked as he suddenly remembered the girl from the waiting room, whose name was Aria too.
School President's office-
Slapping his palm on the desk, Ethan yelled in anger. "What do you think you were doing back there!"
"Just trying to make amends."
"With what? Why do you always have to be the one making compromises!"
"Ethan-"
"No, Aria! Not this time! I can't let you do this. I won't!"
Looking straight into his eyes, Aria questioned. "You can't honestly believe that what we are doing is actually gonna bring any change in my life."
"..." Ethan clenched his fist tightly. He desperately wanted to punch the table in front of him, but he held back for Aria's sake. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her. "I don't care if this is right or not. All I know is that your home is like a prison. Your father is the jailer, and every single day he tries to put you in remand!"
Aria pursed her lips. She knew deep down that Ethan was speaking the truth, but she couldn't hold back her emotions. "No one truly understands how much I'm suffering. Only I know how hard this is for me. I can't bear this guilt anymore, Ethan. You're the only person I trust. You've seen me at my worst. How could you not-"
"Because I don't want to!" Ethan shouted at the top of his lungs.
Hearing his tone, Aria felt a pang of fear and instinctively took a step back. She had never seen Ethan this angry before. He had witnessed her enduring every sorrow caused by her father, Jaxon Quinn. Despite everything, he had never raised his voice against her father, respecting Aria's wishes. She was determined to endure all the pain as long as her father remained content, and Ethan understood this. He silently supported Aria through it all, being her steadfast friend.
Aria understood how challenging it must have been for Ethan to witness her suffering. She could only live outside her father's estate because of Ethan's unwavering support. He empathised with her pain and had earned the right to make decisions for her. Aria didn't find fault in that. However...
"Because I don't want to!" Ethan repeated, unmoved by the volume of his own voice. "I don't want to understand your family, Aria! I'll never understand them. Your brother acts oblivious to your suffering. Your father is entirely self-centred. He knows nothing beyond his own benefit. He despises you, Aria! Can't you see it?"
"Ethan!" Aria shouted back, louder than ever.
"It's not his fault that he hates me. I deserve this!" She could believe anything but this.
Aria knew her father's hatred was real, and she wore it like chains. Deep down, she told herself she deserved it, that she deserved no joy, no peace, no love. Every mistake, every weakness, had carved that truth into her. If her father's eyes burned with resentment, it was because she had given him reason to. If his heart was cold, it was because she had frozen it herself. Happiness was a gift meant for others, never for her.
Ethan fell silent, realising he had crossed a line. He took a deep breath to calm his anger, then scratched his brow gently. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. But except for the last statement, I stand by what I said."
Aria remained quiet, staring down at her feet. She had no words or arguments to offer. What Ethan had spoken was not untrue. She felt as though she had been confined since regaining consciousness, unsure of what freedom truly tasted like.
Aria's silence fueled Ethan's frustration with the situation. Without much thought, Ethan tore up the form he held in his hand and tossed it into the dustbin. "I don't want to see this thing again. And we're not having this conversation again. Now go, or you'll be late getting home."
Aria bit her lower lip, her silence speaking volumes. Clenching her fist, she turned to leave. Retrieving her bag from the couch, she cast one last glance at her torn papers before departing.
She understood that her reasons weren't enough to convince Ethan. In her circumstances, there was no right or wrong, and fate seemed unchangeable. She harboured no expectations.