Chapter 5 Five

Aurelia's POV

By the time I got home, my head was pounding. I dropped my backpack beside the couch and kicked off my shoes before collapsing onto it. The folded piece of paper was still inside my blazer pocket. Somehow, even knowing it was there made me uncomfortable.

"Lia, is that you?" my mom called from the kitchen.

"Yeah."

"Wash your hands. Dinner's almost ready."

"I will."

"...Now."

I smiled to myself. "Okay, okay.”

The smell of food drifted through the house, the television was playing some random game show in the living room, and my mom was humming along to an old song while she cooked which was funny because nothing about Lincoln High felt normal anymore.

After washing my hands, I walked into the kitchen and stole a piece of fried plantain from the plate.

"Ouch!" My mom slapped my hand away with a wooden spoon.

"Since when did you start greeting with your fingers?"

I laughed. "I was helping you taste it."

"You were stealing."

"I prefer the word sampling."

She shook her head, trying not to smile. "Go and set the table."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"You talk too much."

"I've heard that before." That sentence slipped out before I could stop it. Immediately, Ezra's face flashed across my mind. You talk too much stop asking questions.

I sighed quietly and reached for the plates. My mom looked at me for a moment. "You've been quiet since you came home."

"I've literally been talking."

"You know what I mean."

I avoided her eyes. "School's just... different."

She nodded slowly. "Making friends?"

"I think so." I shrugged. "I met this girl. Iris. She's nice."

"That's good." She smiled warmly before turning back to the pot on the stove. "I told you you'd settle in."

If only she knew.

My mom talked about work while I nodded at the right moments, but my mind kept wandering back to the folded piece of paper upstairs. The drawing of the three overlapping circles so why had Ezra looked like he'd seen a ghost?

Later that night, after finishing my homework, I pulled the paper out again. I spread it across my desk and stared at it for almost five minutes. I grabbed my phone and typed every search I could think of. The meaning of these circles but I found nothing just the school logo.

"This is ridiculous," I muttered.

I leaned back in my chair and looked at the ceiling. Maybe Ezra had overreacted or did the symbol mean something to him.

My eyes drifted back to the paper. I carefully folded it and slipped it inside the back cover of one of my notebooks. If someone wanted it gone then I was definitely keeping it.

---

The next morning, Lincoln High was as noisy as ever. Students crowded the hallways, lockers slammed shut every few seconds, and somebody had already managed to spill coffee all over the front steps.

"Well... that's one way to start a Thursday."

"Lia!"

I turned just in time to see Iris jogging toward me with her backpack bouncing against her shoulder. "You walk so fast."

"I wasn't even walking fast."

"You were."

"I wasn't."

"You were."

I laughed. "Fine. Maybe a little."

She linked her arm through mine as we headed toward the main building. "So..." she said, giving me a sideways look. "What's with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've looked distracted since yesterday."

"Have I?"

"Lia."

"What?"

"You keep doing that thing."

"What thing?"

"The pretending-you're-fine thing."

I sighed dramatically. "I've known you for, like, three days. How do you already know my habits?"

She grinned. "I'm observant."

"I think you're nosy."

"I prefer observant."

I couldn't help smiling. For the first time all week things felt normal.

We had barely taken a few steps into the hallway when Iris suddenly groaned. "Oh, no."

I looked at her. "What now?"

"I left my literature notebook in my locker."

I stared at her for a second before laughing. "Again?"

She pointed a finger at me. "Girl, don't judge me."

"I'm trying really hard not to."

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "I'll be back in two minutes. Don't leave without me."

"I wasn't planning on it."

"You say that now." With that, she turned and disappeared into the crowd of students.

I leaned against the wall, absentmindedly watching people walk past. A group of seniors argued over a basketball game. Two girls hurried by with coffee cups in their hands while a teacher struggled to carry a pile of books down the hallway.

I let out a quiet breath and turned toward one of the windows overlooking the school grounds. From where I stood, I could see part of the old East Wing unlike the rest of the buildings, it always looked... forgotten. The paint had faded, most of the windows stayed shut and there were no students anywhere near it.

My eyes wandered across the third floor then I froze. Someone was standing by one of the windows. A girl, she wore the same white school uniform as everyone else, but something about her looked... off. Her long dark hair covered most of her face, and she stood so still that for a second I honestly thought she was a mannequin.

She was just... watching it seems like she was watching me. A strange chill crept up my spine. I frowned, taking a small step closer to the window. Who just stands there like that?

"Lia."

I jumped so hard I almost hit the glass.

Iris frowned. "I've been calling your name."

"Oh."

"You okay?"

"Yeah..." I looked back toward the East Wing and pointed. "Who's that?"

She followed my finger. "Who?"

"The girl."

Iris squinted for a few seconds before looking back at me. "Lia...I don't see anyone."

I laughed awkwardly. "What do you mean you don't see anyone? She's literally standing right there."

"There isn't anybody."

My smile slowly disappeared. I turned back toward the window, the third floor was empty and the girl was gone. I blinked several times she was just here now. "Are you messing with me?" I asked.

Iris looked completely confused. "Why would I do that?"

"I swear there was someone standing there just now."

She looked toward the East Wing again before shrugging. "Maybe another student walked away."

"That fast?"

"I don't know.” Her answer made sense.

"You've been really distracted lately," Iris said gently. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I forced a smile. "I'm fine."

She didn't look convinced but before she could say anything else, the warning bell rang through the building. Students immediately started moving toward their classrooms.

"We're going to be late," Iris said, grabbing my wrist.

I let her pull me away, but just before we disappeared around the corner, I glanced back one last time.

Everything seems normal but as we walked into class, one thought refused to leave my mind.

If there had really been no one standing at that window...

Then who had been looking at me?