Chapter 15

"Why don't you join us for lunch?" Alec asked as we walked back together for school.

The weather didn't change much. If anything it was getting darker but it wasn't a bother at all. I was still in thoughts of what Alec said to me. Thinking about how he opened up to me.

Can I do the same?

"I don't think so." I shook my head.

Just interrupting their lunch would be too much. I didn't want to do that.

"Why?" He asked.

"How can I join you?"

He walked beside me. I could feel his arm brush lightly against mine. I didn't move away but neither did he.

"It will be fun. Trust me. You can bring Max and Henry too." He looked down at me because of his tall height and gave me a smile.

I couldn't say no to him when he was asking me like this. I nodded my head at him and looked up at the sky. Closing my eyes—still walking—I inhaled a deep breath.

"Do you think it will rain?" I asked.

"It rarely does. But it might today."

"Do you like it?"

"Like what? Rain?"

I hummed in response.

He didn't respond for a while when I turned my head to look at his face, there was no sign of any emotion on his face. I could even say he was pale.

I walked a little faster than him before going and standing in front of him—making him stop. He looked at me confused.

No, you don't get to look at me like you are confused. I should be the one who should be the most confused because everything I do or ask it reminds you of something to think really hard about if not painful.

He sighed, "I have bittersweet moments. Some of them too sweet that it hurts now."

I fell silent and looked down at the paved road before walking along with him again. I didn't continue the conversation because I could sense it. Sense that it was only another moment he spent with Liya.

It was just a guess. A wild true guess.

"The rain is too beautiful to just hate it because of those bittersweet moments." I said in a low voice so that only he could hear. Even though the wind was too strong that we could hear it passing through our ears, I knew he heard me.

"Make me fall in love with it again." He looked at me intensely. His voice was hoarse.

We were still talking about rain, right?

The both of us stopped walking and because of the darkness and the graphite sky, his blue eyes were even brighter.

Whether it gets dark or bright, his eyes find a way to shine brighter every time whereas I am stuck here with the honeycomb coloured eyes.

I took a step away from him as fast as possible the second I heard my heart beating faster in my chest. What? What was wrong with me? Why were his words affecting me so much?

"Will you?" He asked tilting his head to the side.

I cleared my throat and looked around before letting my hair loose from the ponytail—allowing the wind to let my hair cover the face because I knew it was red by now. I didn't want him to know that I was blushing just because of his words and his intense gaze.

"Why me?" I asked.

He took a step forward minimising the distance I put between the two of us, "I trust you."

I don't know what was going through his mind. I don't know what he was thinking. His words and actions were saying something else but his heart and eyes—I don't know.

"And because you are a good friend." He added with a smile.

A good friend. He has been calling me that from the last hour or so.

And I don't mind being called a good friend or acting like one but his actions and words are confusing me and making me question...just a good friend?

Have I been just imagining this unknown attraction between us?

"Sure." I said with a straight face, "I will help you as a good friend."

I pushed the hair away from my face and walked while maintaining a safe between us.

If that is what he wants. Two can do the same.

••••

"I can't believe you sold your best friends in just an hour you were gone." Max said exaggerated, "imagine if it were for more than a few hours."

He widened his eyes and shook his head to himself trying to clear out the picture from his head.

"I literally just agreed for the lunch together. It's better than handing out my address like a candy." I rolled my eyes.

I told Max and Henry that we were sitting with the XAN trio (and the group) for the lunch today. To say they have been bugging me since then would be an understatement because they have literally chewed down on my ears since then.

"You are never letting that go, are you?" Max who was between me and Henry grumbled.

Even though Henry and Max together have been complaining, it is Max who has been loud. Maybe because he was in the middle, but most of all because he was the most annoying.

Even his boyfriend gets annoyed by him, who am I to oppose?

"Let's get lunch then! Come on, he asked so sweetly and I couldn't say no. The three of us will be together anyhow, so it doesn't matter!" I tried explaining.

The three of us entered the cafeteria and I heard Henry mutter, "The three of us together with six ghosts sitting all around us? Yeah, sounds fun."

I was about to open my mouth and tell him otherwise when I saw Alec waving his hand at us and motioning us to join him.

"Look, the ghost is even waving and calling us there." Max continued Henry's joke.

I grinded my teeth at them and gave them a look that clearly told them to shut up to which they just threw their arms and made a face like kids.

I slipped between the two of them and held them by their arms guiding them to the table in the middle with the school's favourite people.

It was because of Alec I was here, otherwise there was no way I would have been asked to sit here. I wouldn't want to either.

Alec gave me a huge grin before coming and taking the three of us to the table. He introduced us to everyone who were already sitting before asking us to sit down.

I watched Max and Henry taking a seat without any hesitation while I was left to sit next to Alec.

There was everyone here—Brian, Evelyn, Nathaniel and Alec— except Xavier and Liya.

To be honest I didn't care much at all.

My eyes settled on Brian as soon as I sat down because he was sitting just opposite to me. He passed me a smirk.

"Told you, didn't I book thief? We will interact a lot more." He said with a knowing look on his face.

I tried to smile back at him while nodding my head, "Told you, didn't I? Don't call me book thief. It's Serenity."

He laughed while nodding his head at me in affirmation.

Max and Henry, even though they were the ones who complained the most, looking at them right now they were the ones who were doing better than me and even enjoying it. Talking to Alec, Evelyn and even Brian. Cracking their usual jokes and making everyone laugh.

I looked at Nathaniel and saw him smiling at me knowingly. Oh my god, these people will make me go crazy. I knew what that smile meant. It meant thanks for listening to me and sticking to his side.

I mean sure. But it wasn't him why I was around Alec. It was because I wanted to.

As good friends. Just like Alec wants.

"How many times have I told you to cut your nails! I DON'T KNOW ABOUT OTHERS BUT YOU WILL DEFINITELY MURDER ME WITH THOSE CLAWS OF YOURS." Brian yelled and looked at Evelyn wide eyed.

I could see Evelyn trying to smile through her gritted teeth as she pinched him again, "I thought I was very clear about you stealing my food."

Brian groaned in pain and tried to get free from her. When he did, he gave her the best 'I am hurt' look.

"You know how much I love pandas! And pandas LOVE food. Believe me or not but he is becoming my spirit animal." He said pouting.

"What about 'cockroach' as a spirit animal?" Evelyn asked sweetly.

"Why? Because you love them more?" He grinned.

She shook her head, "Love? No....because I hate them and every time I see them I want to crush them beneath my feet."

"YOU ARE ONE MEAN WOMAN." He cried.

I looked at Max and Henry and saw them looking at the show put up in front of them just as intently as I was.

"You'll get used to it." Alec whispered in my ear with a chuckle. I jumped up a little and snapped my head to find him leaning in towards me.

I pulled away from him and looked at his face still facing me completely.

I nodded my head at him to his previous comment as he went back to his seat with a smile and started digging into his food.

I sat straight and looked down at my food. I picked it up excitedly and was about to put it in my mouth when I looked at Max and Henry—by mistake, I shouldn't have though—who pointed at me and Alec with their eyes and their face asking me 'when did I get so close to him?'

Well, I got close to him the second he decided it.

"Where are Xavier and Liya?" Alec asked while swallowing his food.

"The weather was good and Liya wanted to go on a walk. They'll be back soon." Nathaniel explained, "Wait, they are already here, man." He chuckled.

All of us looked at Xavier and Liya walking in together. They had big smiled plastered on their faces as they came and stood just beside the table.

"Liya had this great plan," Xavier stopped mid sentence the second his eyes landed on me.

"I invited her." Alec tried to explain but Xavier's gaze were stuck on me.

Either this guy hates me a lot. Or, no he just hates me a lot.

I saw Liya put her hands on his arms and giving it a little squeeze which made him break his dark hazel eyes from my face and look at his fiancé.

"It's good to have more friends. Don't scare them away by putting up a wall."

Even though the height difference between the two of them was too much I could see the way both of them looked at each other.

Just by the way she was talking I could tell Xavier had hard time opening up to people. And from what I have come to know up until now, whatever Olivia might have done—it just worsened the case.

"Serenity, right?" Liya looked at me with a sweet smile.

Remember in the past few days how I have been just bad mouthing Liya? Heck, even seconds ago I swear she wasn't the best human in my eyes.

But for god's sake this woman really has magic over people. Suddenly, I don't dislike her anymore. (Not as much actually)

Just that smile and sweet voice was enough to tell the person in front that she was being sincere and wasn't a fake.

"Yeah. And you are Liya." I smiled back.

"I am. You know me, really makes me so glad." She chuckled.

Know her name? Actually know her all too well. Girl is literally all over the school and still gets excited about someone knowing her.

How can I dislike her?!

"Xavier." She nudged at him letting him know to introduce himself.

"We have already met." He said with a straight face.

"Dont worry about him." Liya told me, "He just needs time."

"Sure."

He can take all his time. It doesn't really matter that much, until he gives me one of his intimidating looks.

"You were saying something." Alec interrupted trying to get Xavier's attention away from me.

I was thankful for him at this moment.

The look on Xavier's face changed and he was back to looking his cheerful self, "Yeah, Liya had this idea and I thought we all are doing it!"

"What?" Nathaniel asked.

"The weather is beautiful. In fact, it seems more beautiful today so we thought why don't we spend this beautiful dark breezy weather on the terrace of the school?" He grinned.

As much as Xavier grinning was surprising it wasn't that astonishing as the words that left his mouth. All of us looked at each other dumbfounded before looking at him again.

"We are not allowed to." Brian rolled his eyes before laying back in his seat tired.

"EXACTLY." He smirked.

It was like each and everyone of us was hit with the bell of realisation all at once as our eyes snapped up to look at him for confirmation to which he just nodded his head proudly.

No way.

He wants all of us to break in to the terrace?

"First time and these ghosts are already wildin'." Max muttered from beside me.

___