Lyra slid into her seat by the window just before the second bell. The sunlight was weak, bleeding through the stained glass like diluted magic. Her pen hovered above her open notebook.
Elias approached slowly, a little too casually. He scratched the back of his neck, eyes scanning the room before settling on her.
"Uhm...hey" he said "how are you?"
Lyra didn't answer, her eyes flickered up, unreadable.
Elias shifted on his feet. "I mean...I didn't tell anyone. About the, uh...the y'know...the house"
That made her move.
Without a word, Lyra stood, grabbed his sleeve, and dragged him out of the classroom, Elias barely had time to stammer before they were in the quiet corridor by the broom closet, her eyes locked into his.
"Listen" she said, voice sharp and low "I don't care what you do or who you are. But don't bother me again, and don't tell anyone about that house, don't go back there. Ever, do you hear me?"
Elias blinked. "Woah- okay. relax, i just thought maybe you'd want to be friends?"
She said nothing.
"The house seemed cool. I mean it's quiet, I could study there, y'know? I've been failing math lately, not that I'm trying to invade your space! I just thought...maybe you wouldn't mind someone else being there? it's really far in the middle of the woods and-"
"No, you talk too much"
"I'll talk less"
Lyra narrowed her eyes. "Look, just...don't bother me"
She turned and walked away, her boots tapping like punctuation on tile.
CAFETERIA- NOON
"Elias!" Jace waved his tray overhead like a signal flag. "I saved you a seat"
Jace was loud, always had been. Messy hair mismatched socks, and a grin that never shuts off. Elias smirked and made his way over.
He was halfway through his smashed potatoes when the cafeteria doors opened, and Lyra walked in.
She moved like silence, tray in hand, eyes scanning for a seat.
Every table was full.
except theirs.
Elias saw her hesitate.
"Hey! over here!" he called out before he could stop himself.
She looked at him, briefly.
Then slowly she walked over and sat. Without a word, across Elias, Besides Jace.
Jace froze, fork halfway to his mouth.
Then he leaned in with a strange whisper, eye wide. "Wow, man. I've never seen you call out a girl before, have you finally decided to like girls?"
Elias rolled his eyes. "what're you talking about? I've always been into girls, stupid."
"HAHAHAHA!" Jace cackled, nearly choking on his food.
Lyra remained quiet. she ate with mechanical focus, eyes never rising, as if the conversation around her was white noise.
Elias tried not to stare.
AFTER CLASS
That last bell rang like a starting gun. Students burst into the hallways, laughing, shouting, racing towards freedom.
Only two stayed behind in room 3B.
Lyra wiped the chalkboard slowly. Elias was stacking chairs.
The air was warm with dust and the late afternoon hum.
Then Elias spoke.
"Hey...are you going back to that abandoned house?"
Lyra didn't turn around.
"It's not abandoned it's my base."
Elias raised a brow "Base? like...a superhero base?"
She finally turned to look at him, expression unreadable.
He chuckled. "Do your parents know you stay there late?"
"Yes."
"Oh. well...I see"
A pause stretched between them, awkward but not uncomfortable.
Then the door banged open.
"Elias! come on, we've got training!" Jace hollered, a broomstick slung over his shoulder.
Elias reached for his bag, heading towards the door.
"Hey" Lyra said.
He stopped and looked back.
"You can come back," she said softly. "If you want."
His eyes lit up as if someone turned had turned on the stars.
He smiled "Cool"
Jace was already halfway down the hall. "Come on, lover boy!"
Elias jogged out, laughing. "Later, lyra!"
She stood alone for a moment, then went back to erasing the board.
-Flashback earlier that day-
After lunch, Lyra had sat alone under the old maple tree, half listening to wind chimes from the Herbology greenhouses.
She thought about the quiet of the house.
The cracked window, the empty second chair.
Elias was noisy, sure but not unbearable.
And maybe... maybe having someone around wouldn't be so bad. Someone to help fix the shelves. Patch the roof. Carry firewood.
She'd spent years guarding her solitude like treasure.
But something about Elias made her think that, maybe treasure wasn't meant to be hoarded.
Not all of it.