The dining hall was as busy as ever. Having so many people around me was still quite unnerving for a country bumpkin like me.
"But that's not the real reason, is it?"
Amy, despite having grown up with me in our small town, was in her element. She smiled and greeted dozens of people as we navigated the crowded room, trays in hand, in search of our table.
«How do you remember so many names?» I asked.
«I could ask you the same thing about spells!» Amy chuckled.
«That's... very different!»
But maybe it wasn't. Maybe if I'd stopped burying my nose in my grimoires, I could have made a lot of friends too. But I didn't need to. I was more than happy with what I had.
"Having Amy around has always been more than enough. And now... I have them too."
I smiled as I saw Penny and Nicole waving at us from a small table near the right wall of the dining room. As Amy and I approached them, my redheaded friend exclaimed:
«I feel like you two are getting here later and later these days. By the end of the year we'll only see you for lunch!»
«We're sorry! We hit a roadblock on the way here!» Amy exclaimed as she sat down and winked at me.
But if she was kind enough not to put me on the spot, the same couldn't be said for Penny.
«Oh yes, a roadblock called Elizabeth. I swear all that mana she has in her just makes her slower than a normal person!» she said with a grin.
«Always lovely talking to you early in the morning. Maybe that's why I have trouble waking up, because my body knows I'll see your face when I get out of bed.»
«Lizzie! That's mean!» Amy scolded me, clearly trying not to laugh.
«Yeah Lizzie, that's really mean!» Penny echoed, feigning offence.
«Oh shut up! Besides, I told you, only Amy can call me that,» I sighed.
But my lips had curled into a smile. By now, this kind of back and forth had become my new routine. I honestly never thought I would be able to enjoy this kind of life. Before I enrolled at Duelcrest Academy, I was a certified loner. And it was mostly my fault. My wall of arrogance and hot temper had kept everyone I knew away, apart from Amy. But here, for the first time, I had found other people who managed to accept me for who I was. It had also helped that being surrounded by so many incredible mages had softened my temper and made me a little more humble and approachable. Or at least that was the case when I wasn't around Penny. This tiny girl had made it her life's mission to annoy me, it seemed.
«I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd think you two were dating. You always bicker like husband and wife!» Nicole teased us, giving Penny, who was sitting next to her, a little nudge with her elbow.
«Ah! Don't stick the knife in my wounds, Nicole! You know my love for Liz is unrequited,» Penny exclaimed dramatically.
«Not this again!» I wailed.
Amy giggled as she looked at my exasperated expression:
«It's a good thing she's not usually around for breakfast, otherwise we'd never make it to class on time!» she commented.
«Not you too...»
«But I would never have thought that she would be your type,» Nicole continued, «cool and mysterious doesn't really go with a hothead like you! I think that-»
«She's not my type!» I shouted, pointing my fork at her like a weapon, «I just... find her interesting, okay?! For example, did you see how she fights with her sword in training? She's crazy!»
«That's true!» Amy nodded, «She looks super experienced for someone our age! But is that really all there is to it, Lizzie?» she asked with a cheeky expression.
«I don't know what you-»
But I couldn't finish my sentence because I was suddenly attacked. A pair of cold hands went over my eyes and closed them.
«Liz Liz! Guess who it is?» a cheerful voice asked close to my ear.
«You shouldn't use that horrible nickname if you actually want me to guess... or not do this every day!» I complained, grabbing her hands to free myself.
Celeste Fitzroy took the empty seat to my right. Even though the dining hall was well lit, she almost seemed to radiate her own light. For the most popular girl in the school to come up to a nobody like me... this was also something I never thought would happen. But, strangely enough, it had become a common occurrence. The other three at my table greeted her politely:
«Good morning, Miss Fitzroy!»
«Oh, come on, just call me Celeste!» she replied, grabbing one of the toasts I hadn't touched yet.
«Yeah, don't give this girl any respect, she doesn't deserve it!» I said, trying to get it back.
«You're always so funny!» Celeste giggled, seemingly unaffected by my rudeness, «Tea in my room this afternoon?» she asked then, her eyes sparkling.
My irritation faded into a smile.
«Sure!» I replied.
Even though she was a bit of a pain, I really liked this strange noble girl. She and I had talked by chance while we were both studying in the common room and we had hit it off immediately. As she was pretty much the queen of the school and one of the highest ranking nobles in the kingdom, I had expected her to be an egomaniac with a hatred for commoners, but that could not be further from the truth. Celeste Fitzroy was extremely approachable, perhaps too much so, and a huge magic nerd just like me.
«Great!» she exclaimed as she stood up, «I've got a volume on fire magic you'll definitely want to read!»
«Sounds great Celeste!»
It was just an impression, but I had the feeling that, despite her popularity, this girl didn't really have many close friends. In a way, that made hanging out with her a lot easier for me.
«See you later then! Have a nice breakfast, you three!»
Celeste trotted back towards two tall guys who were waiting for her a little further away from our table. One of them, a student with square glasses and a calm demeanour, was rumoured to be her fiancé. The muscular boy at his side was the hottest boy in the Academy, according to my classmates. I didn't really care about such things.
«It should be illegal for such hot people to hang out together,» Penny commented as she watched them leave the room, «is that why you spend so much time with her lately? Hoping to pick up some her good looks by osmosis?»
«Are you jealous? Because I don't think looks have anything to do with you not being as popular as me, Penny. It's all about your shitty personality!» I retorted caustically.
«Calm down you two!» Nicole scolded us as she put her hand over Penny's head to pat it, «Don't mind her, Liz, she's just scared you'll leave us to hang out with the popular kids! But don't worry, Penny, nobody's going to steal your precious Elizabeth!»
I expected Penny to immediately deny this accusation. But to my surprise, she blushed and lowered her eyes.
«That's not what...» she mumbled.
I also lowered my eyes to my plate.
«I'm always going to hang out with you guys, no matter what. Celeste is fun, but I don't want to be one of her groupies. Being in the spotlight would just be exhausting. And... I like spending time with you.»
«Is that so...» Penny commented, hiding behind her cup of coffee.
Amy chuckled softly at this exchange:
«You two are really good friends, eh?»
«We are not!" we shouted in unison, which only made her and Nicole laugh even more.
«But speaking of friends,» Amy said after regaining her composure, «it was all the rage in the common room yesterday... apparently Celeste and your crush have been hitting it off lately. Duke Fitzroy's daughter and the Ice Queen of the academy getting closer... that's bound to cause quite a buzz!»
«I heard that too!» Nicole exclaimed, «Some girls are already saying that they would look good together. You know, they're kind of the opposite of each other. Like sun and moon!»
For some reason I had a bad taste in my mouth listening to this gossip.
«Celeste has a fiancé...» I muttered in annoyance.
«That's true!» Nicole nodded, «But that's even better! A tormented noble escaping a imposed marriage to pursue a forbidden same-sex relationship! Frankly, it even makes my heart flutter a little!»
"Is it true?"
I really couldn't see Celeste and that girl becoming friends, let alone lovers. Celeste could be a bit overbearing, while Thornton really looked like an unapproachable loner, always sitting at the back of the classroom and eating alone.
"But maybe I'm assuming too much about her... just like I did with Celeste."
As the worry bit at me, I felt a warm hand on mine. I lifted my eyes from my half empty cup of tea to meet Amy's gentle gaze.
«It's just silly gossip, Lizzie. But why don't you try and talk to her, since you're so interested? As they say first come first served!»
"Easy for her to say..."
«Easy for me to say, is that what you are thinking?» Amy chuckled.
As usual, she was eerily good at knowing what was going through my mind.
«Isn't it true? I'm not good at making friends, you know that,» I murmured, looking away.
«And yet you also have these two here now! And Celeste! I bet you didn't expect to get close to someone like her,» she said, poking me in the cheek.
«That's true, but she...»
Amy turned my head towards her with her finger:
«Don't make things harder than they are! I'm sure Thornton is a very nice girl! Maybe she's just shy like you! Don't worry, your old Amy will create the perfect opportunity for you to talk!»
I felt a shiver run down my spine. Once Amy made up her mind, there was no going back. And when she got angry, she was extremely scary.
«...I guess I have to accept my fate...» I sighed and let out a smile.
«Looks like you're learning!» Amy chuckled, «Better prepare yourself!»
----------------------------------------
But as it turned out, there was not going to be time for me to do that.
After rushing through the corridors of the school, we arrived at class only to find that our usual seats had already been taken.
«It's all because you're so slow!» Penny scolded me as we climbed the stairs of the classroom under the professor's stern gaze.
«I'm sorry, okay?» I whispered.
«Look, there are some free seats there!» Nicole said.
«No, let's go to the back!» Amy said, continuing up the stairs.
"The back?"
When she turned to give me a cheeky smile, I understood what she was getting at.
"Amy... oh no!"
My heart rate suddenly quickened.
"Calm down Elizabeth! Stop acting like a little girl in love!"
How could I feel this way when she and I hadn't ever spoken?
"It's just because of the pressure they put on me... everything will be fine... She's just a normal classmate like any other."
«Sorry, can we sit here?»
I lifted my eyes from the steps to meet the green ones of the girl Amy had just asked that question to. As I stared into those deep emerald pools, I felt my heart leap into my throat.
"..."
When Sophia Thornton gave me a slight smile, I immediately had the desire to curl up into a ball and hug my knees.
"Why is she smiling like this?! I've never seen her do it before!"
The Sophia Thornton I often stared at during meals was usually impassive, looking as if she was lost in her own little world. But there she was with a friendly expression on her face as she replied:
«Sure.»
Adjusting her long, flowing raven hair, she stood up, clearing the way and allowing Amy to slide into the bench. I was about to follow her, looking at my shoes, when someone stepped in front of me.
«No you don't!» Penny whispered, «don't chicken out!»
As we still had the attention of the class, I had to stop myself from throwing her down the stairs. I had no choice but to let her and Nicole go ahead of me, so I was the last of our group to take my seat.
As I did so, I could feel Sophia Thornton doing the same to my left. I could only hope that she couldn't hear the noise of my heart pounding in my chest.
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«Now that everyone has taken their places, let's begin the lesson,» the professor started, clearly impatient.
But as he continued, my brain was too overwhelmed to even think about following the lesson.
"Why is she so close to me?! There is plenty of space! Our thighs are touching!"
I glanced at her tentatively. Sophia was looking ahead with the same gentle smile I had seen on her face before. Now that I thought about it, I had never had the opportunity to look at her from such a close distance.
"She... is beautiful!"
Her skin was fair, without any blemishes. Her lips were rosy and her nose was straight. Her hair was long and shiny, falling in soft curves over her shoulders. Her eyelashes were long and her eyes had a captivating sparkle in them. Her neck was slender and her...
«You're really never going to lose your habit of staring, are you, Elizabeth?»
In a panic, I lifted my eyes to meet hers.
"Crap! She caught me! Wait... what does she mean by 'my habit', did she also see me staring at her during lunch?! Great! Now she's going to think I'm a creep!"
But to my relief, Sophia didn't seem angry. And to my surprise, she even giggled. I had never imagined her to have such a girly laugh.
"Is this what Sophia Thornton is really like?" I thought, losing myself in her extremely attractive face.
«And you're still doing it!»
I shook my head quickly to get myself out of the trance I seemed to have fallen into.
«I-I-I'm sorry! I'm just a bit nervous because we've never talked before! I'm-»
«Elizabeth Belvoir, I know,» she replied with a nod.
«Oh... right!»
My eyes turned to the right wall of the classroom. On it, in glowing magic letters and numbers, was inscribed a leaderboard. It had been quite a surprise to find out about it on our first day at the Academy. Apparently it had been the old Headmaster's idea to use it as an incentive for us to study more. By doing well in tests and winning duels against each other, we would accumulate points, and ,at the end of the school year, whoever came out on top would get a grand prize: a one-on-one lesson with Aldric, the most renowned mage in the kingdom. I had been a fan of his since childhood, so I had worked extra hard to climb the rankings and was now sitting comfortably at the top.
"That's probably why she knows my name."
«That's not why I know your name.»
"Huh?"
«You caught my eye for another reason,» Sophia explained as she looked me straight in the eye.
«W-what d-do you mean?» I stuttered, feeling myself blush.
Sophia leaned in closer, making me freeze.
«It's a secret,» she whispered super close to my ear.
«EEEK!» I screeched, jumping out of my seat.
«Miss Belvoir, this is a classroom, not a zoo!» The professor scolded me, making the whole class laugh at me.
«I-I'm sorry!» I yelled, sitting back down.
To my left I heard Sophia's crystal clear laugh again.
"This girl... is nothing like I imagined."
But that didn't change the strange attraction I felt for her. If anything, that feeling was growing stronger now that I was here, sitting so close to her.
"What's happening to me?!" I thought.
I had to stop myself from screaming again when Sophia's hand brushed against mine as she turned the page of her book. But I still couldn't hide the almost electric shock reaction I had, which made her laugh again.
"This girl..."
Alongside my nervousness, I could feel a kind of comfort in hearing that sound.
«Are you messing with me on purpose?» I found myself asking as I felt her shoulder touch mine.
«Me? I would never do something like that to someone I barely know!» Sophia replied, giving me an innocent look.
«Then why do you look like you want to sit on my lap?»
«Well, you don't look too unhappy about it,» she retorted, giving me a nudge.
«Are you usually so friendly with strangers? Then why are you always alone?»
It wasn't like me to talk so intimately with someone I barely knew, but something about Sophia Thornton made me feel at ease, which made no sense considering the panic I'd been in less than ten minutes before.
Sophia grinned and replied:
«This is a special treatment just for you.»
«...»
"What is she on about?"
Was she toying with me to get back at me for staring at her? Or maybe... she was leading me on, since it was very obvious that I was into her?
"But... we are both girls!"
Her smile didn't look malicious though. In fact, it looked very much like Amy's. A very kind one.
«Sophia... can I call you that?» I whispered.
«Of course, Elizabeth.»
«Can we talk this evening? Before dinner? There's something I want to ask you.»
I saw a gleam of surprise in her green eyes.
«Have you...? No... sure!» she replied, suddenly looking away.
"What's her problem?"
But now I had done it. I had taken the initiative, just as Amy wanted. She had helped me get to this point, so I was going to make her proud of me!
"Today... I'm going to ask Sophia Thornton to be my friend!"
----------------------------------------
«Are you an idiot or something?»
I'd forgotten why I didn't like talking to Amy about my feelings. She really could become insufferable in the face of my ineptitude.
«So I finally manage to find my courage and this is how you treat me?» I complained as we both walked through the corridors of the west wing.
I had just finished my tea party with Celeste and she had come to fetch me to go to the common room together. That was when I'd finally managed to tell her what had happened with Sophia. I hadn't mentioned it during lunch or the afternoon lessons as I didn't want Penny to tease me about it. I thought it would have been a good idea to talk to Amy about it and get some tips on how to deal with my hopefully soon-to-be friend. But to my dismay, Amy was now giving me a look that was somewhere between pity and irritation.
«Lizzie, you don't have to ask people to be your friend! That's what little kids do! You just hang out with them and boom, you are friends!»
«That's how it works for you extroverts!» I blurted out, blushing furiously.
«Well, from what I've seen, Sophia looks pretty extroverted! You were super chummy during the lesson, I was kinda surprised!»
«Nosy.»
«It's not my fault you were making a ruckus! I swear, if you weren't the professor's fave, he would have kicked you out of the classroom.»
I really couldn't argue with that. As Sophia had gotten closer and closer to me, I had found it very hard to keep quiet.
«What should I do then? Please teach me your ways, oh wise Amy!» I conceded with a sigh.
«Of course, my child!» she giggled, «well, since you're clearly into her, why don't you just ask her out?»
I looked at her with my mouth hanging open.
«A-ask her out?! Are you out of your mind? We barely know each other and we're both girls!»
«So you're not denying that you like her,» Amy replied with a grin, «is the fact that you're both girls a problem? You never really struck me as someone who cared about social norms... and now that I think about it, I never heard you talk about any guys the way you do about her»
«I-I...»
Was this really the reason why I had never been interested in the opposite sex? Was I what people called... a lesbian?
«This... this is going too fast for me!» I blurted out, «I can't just ask her to go out with me when I'm not even sure what I want!»
«Aaah Lizzie, Lizzie, you always make everything so difficult!» Amy said, reaching over to pat my head, «we're still in the prime of our youth Lizzie, with our whole lives ahead of us, what's wrong with trying to date a girl? But if you don't feel like it, don't force yourself. You can just tell her that you liked sitting next to her today and would like to spend more time with her!»
«Was it so hard to tell me this from the beginning instead of making me question my sexuality?» I asked, grabbing her hand to get it off my hair, but as I did I squeezed it, «Thank you Amy, I don't know what I'd do without you!»
«What are you talking about... but I guess you can count on me if that's what you want,» Amy smiled, «but I'm going to need your help for the next text in return!»
«Of course I- EEEK!»
As we turned the corner, I let out a terrified screech and almost fell on my bum.
«Is this kind of scream your mating call or something?» asked Sophia Thornton with an amused look on her face.
«Why did you try to ambush me?!» I yelled, my heart beating extremely fast from both the shock and the fact that she was here, right now.
"Did she hear what I was talking about with Amy?"
«Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just didn't see you in the common room and was looking for you since we had agreed to meet at this time.»
«I-I see... sorry, I was just about to come and find you,» I murmured, lowering my eyes as I couldn't stand her intense gaze.
«Well, I'll leave you to it then!» Amy chirped, «Good luck!»
«Amy!?» I hissed, but she had already sprinted off waving her hand, leaving me alone with Sophia.
"This is awkward."
I was the one who had asked her to meet me, but now that we were alone I seemed to have forgotten how to speak.
"I just need to tell her what Amy said, nothing more, nothing less."
I raised my eyes and took an instant step back as I realised that Sophia had come much closer to me. So close that our noses were almost touching.
«Do you have no concept of personal space or what?» I blurted out.
For some reason, Sophia found this accusation very funny.
«Why are you laughing at me now?!»
Part of me was afraid that this girl was only interested in me because she liked to make fun of me. The other, though, was just happy to hear the pleasant sound of her laugh.
«I'm sorry,» she said as she wiped a few tears from her beautiful eyes, «it's just those words take me back...»
«Take you back?» I repeated, confused.
Now that I was looking her straight in the face, I couldn't help but notice that there was something wrong with her expression. Even though her lips were curved, her smile didn't extend to her piercing green eyes. But I didn't have time to think because Sophia suddenly grabbed my hand.
«Uh?!»
«Come with me!»
The slender, black-haired girl began to drag me towards the entrance hall. Even if I wanted to resist her, I didn't think I could.
"She's so strong!" I thought as my wrist started to hurt.
But I didn't complain, I was too surprised. I was quickly led up the main staircase of the Academy.
«The second floor is for professors only, Sophia!» I finally managed to say, trying to catch my breath.
«That's not where we're going,» she replied, pointing to the solid wall in front of us.
«Uh?»
But as her pale hand touched the cold white marble, something appeared on the previously barren surface.
«A door?!» I asked, stunned.
I watched as Sophia opened it to reveal what looked like an empty dark room.
«After you,» she said, signalling for me to enter.
"UH?!"
Forgetting that I had just discovered that there were secret rooms in the Academy, what the hell was Sophia going to do with me in that small room?
«I-I...»
I couldn't help but obey. Blushing furiously, I did as I was told.
"Why am I such a pushover?"
But the worst part was that of all the possibilities my filthy mind was running through, I didn't dislike any of them.
"Good thing she can't read my mind, otherwise she'd lock me in here alone."
But when I reached the centre of the room, something unexpected happened. And it had nothing to do with being tied up and blindfolded.
«This light...! A magic circle?!»
In an instant, the light that was now dazzling me became even stronger.
But that wasn't all. I began to feel an unexpected sensation.
"A breeze?"
As my eyes adjusted to the light, I suddenly realised where I was.
«This...?!»
«The roof, nice view, eh?» Sophia, who had suddenly appeared at my side, replied.
It really was. The sun was setting over the vast forest that surrounded the Academy. Even though we often went out into the courtyard during breaks, seeing it from up here was something else.
«How did you know about that secret passage?» I asked, running to the railing of the roof to lean against it.
«A very important person brought me here once. What she told me that day turned everything in my life upside down,» she replied, coming to my side and looking towards the horizon.
I followed her gaze. Somehow there was something familiar about this panorama, even though it was the first time I had been up here. Maybe I had dreamed about it. Dreaming about flying was quite common. And this sky was especially beautiful.
«Sophia, I...»
But I stopped when I saw her face.
"This sad look again..."
But I couldn't just ask her... who was that person? Did they hurt her? There was no way she was just going to tell me. We barely knew each other. Sophia turned to me with a lighter expression on her face.
«What did you want to ask me, Elizabeth?»
«I...»
I swallowed. It was easy, just like Amy had said.
"Just say it, Elizabeth: I enjoyed talking to you in class, would you like to hang out together sometime?"
«I enjoyed talking to you in class, would you... like to go out with me?»
«...»
"I'm an idiot... I'm an idiot... I'M AN IDIOT!"
I covered my mouth with my hands, almost as if I wanted to grab the words I had just spoken and return them to where they had come from. Why had I said that? It wasn't my intention at all! And yet... why had that sequence of letters rolled off my tongue so easily?
«Sophia, I'm sorry, that's-»
«I do.»
«Uh?!» I looked at her as if she was speaking some kind of alien language.
But Sophia repeated with a serious look on her face:
«I do. I want to go out with you.»
«What?!»
There was no way this was happening. She had definitely misunderstood me. Or rather, she understood me perfectly, even if I had misspoken!
«O-of course. Going out together as friends! That's what I-»
«Not as friends. I want us to be a couple, with everything that comes with that. Like holding hands, kissing and having sex.»
«S-s-sex?!»
This had to be a dream. There was no other explanation. Now I was going to pinch my cheek and it would all be over. But before I could raise my hand, I was quickly immobilised in a hug.
«W-what...?»
«Sorry... do you mind?» Sophia said in a strange tone in my ear.
«Uh?! I don't...»
«Elizabeth, you may think I'm crazy.»
"Well, at least she is aware of it."
«I... yes, a little bit. But... I don't hate it,» I had to admit.
There was something comforting about this warm embrace. It was almost as if all the panic that Sophia's bold declaration had caused inside me had been smothered.
«I guess you were right after all,» Sophia muttered.
«Right about what?" I asked, even more confused.
«I'm sorry, I'm not making much sense at the moment, am I?... But I'd really like to go out with you. Let's say it was love at first sight...»
«...then why don't you sound happy about it?» I finally managed to ask her.
«Happy... I guess I'm conflicted. I think we could be happy if we end up going this way... but... we would also lose a lot.»
«Lose a lot...? Are you afraid that people might discriminate against us because we are both girls?»
«It's not that...»
I pushed her away a little to look into her eyes.
«You're kind of pissing me off... you can't just tell me you want to be my girlfriend and then act all mysterious when I ask you questions! We haven't even started dating and it already feels like you're going to be super high maintenance!»
Sophia looked at me with wide open eyes, just before she burst out laughing.
«I'm serious here!» I complained.
«Sorry... it's just that your bad personality is finally coming out!»
«What do you mean 'bad personality'?» I asked, dumbfounded.
"What's wrong with her? Sure, she was a bit of a tease in class, but why is she suddenly making fun of me like Penny?"
«Well, you were the one who asked me out in the first place? Or was that your mouth being quicker than your mind as usual?»
«UH?! Why are you calling me slow all of a sudden?! And you tell me I have a bad personality? Besides... you're the one who brought me to this super romantic place and started spouting tragic heroine lines! it's all your fault!»
I was making no sense. But for some reason, retorting like that felt natural to me, almost like having this back and forth with her was a common occurrence, just like the one with Penny... maybe even more so.
«Tragic heroine... I never thought I'd be called that by you!»
«There you go again, acting like you know me! Are you some kind of time traveller or something?» I asked jokingly.
Sophia looked at me for a moment:
«Of course not... that would be crazy. I've just been watching you for a very long time... that's why.»
«Creepy.»
«Look who's talking. You had a very perverted look on your face when you were looking at my neck in class.»
«I... that's not true!»
But all I could do was blush as Sophia pushed her long hair out of the way and gave me a glimpse of her slender neck.
«See?... Pervert.»
«You're asking for it!»
We ended up bickering like this for several more minutes. When I was out of breath from laughing, I gasped:
«I... I didn't think you were like this. From a distance, you looked like the quiet, antisocial type.»
Sophia smiled at me:
«I was once. But I have changed. I have gone through a lot since I have been here. I have made so many memories. Some of them are really painful, but still... they made me who I am now. So I... don't want to forget everything... even though it might be for the best.»
«Dramatic much? We've only been here a few months!» I exclaimed, but my smile faded as I saw the pained expression on Sophia's face.
"What... is her problem? I... want to know more about her."
«Sophia, did you mean it when you said you wanted to be a couple?»
The girl's green eyes lost themselves in the horizon again as she nodded:
«I do. I really do. But do you, Elizabeth? Are you sure this is for the best?»
«Yes, I guess. Honestly, I always thought you were very pretty. And now that we have talked a bit... I had a good time. Even though you seem to have a bad personality.» I added jokingly.
Sophia smiled slightly:
«I see... but I still can't accept your feelings.»
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO GO OUT WITH ME?" I screamed internally. Was I really going to be rejected after all this?
Seeing my obvious distress, Sophia put a hand over mine. It was cold.
«I just want you to be sure, Elizabeth. I want you to tell me that this is your decision. Come here tomorrow at the same time and tell me your answer.»
«My answer? To what question?»
«Do you... want to live this kind of life? A life without sadness and pain, where you can live happily with your friends? If that's the case, I'll walk this path by your side and leave everything else behind.»
Amy had told me that dating was easy. So why was I now being bombarded with these existential questions? But Sophia's tone was sombre and I didn't feel like making fun of her again.
«What if I say no?» I simply asked.
Sophia left my side and walked towards the magic circle.
«In that case... I'll tear everything apart for you.»
And just like that, she was gone.
«WHAT THE FUCK?!» I shouted as I stood by the railing.
"What was that conversation anyway?! What does she mean by tearing everything apart for me? Is she some psycho weirdo or something? She said she wanted to have sex with a girl she'd never spoken to before today, so she's a pervert too! Do I really want to go out with someone like that?"
«...I kind of do.»
I left the roof and went straight to my room, swaying like I was drunk.
Aside from all the weird things she had said, I had so much fun hanging out with Sophia Thornton. Not only did she have the looks, but she was also really easy to talk to. Somehow, after the initial awkwardness, I had started to feel extremely comfortable with her, almost like I did with Amy.
"Maybe she really is a time traveller and that's why she seems to know how to deal with me," I thought as I opened the door to my room.
I walked over to my desk and grabbed one of my books. My mind was overloaded with everything that had happened today. I felt I had to distract myself or I'd go mad. But as I stared at the words in front of me, it was almost as if Sophia's face had been burned into my retinas. Her beautiful eyes and her rosy lips... they looked so inviting...
«AAAAH! What is wrong with me!» I screamed, grabbing and shaking my desk.
But kissing her... that wouldn't have been out of the question for tomorrow, would it? If I'd said yes to her... we would have really become a couple.
"Her question... it's so simple, isn't it? Who wouldn't want a life without pain and suffering? And I'm so happy right now... I finally have friends, I can nerd out about magic with Celeste and I'm top of my class! And from tomorrow I will also have a beautiful girlfriend, even is she's a weirdo! Honestly... it sounds like the perfect life!"
I couldn't wait to tell Amy.
"She'll be so happy for me! I have to thank her for making me sit next to Sophia today... eh?"
There was a stain in the book in front of me that hadn't been there before.
«What the...?»
Another, and another. Was there a leak in the ceiling?
But I soon realised that wasn't the case. I wiped a tear from my cheek and looked at it, stunned.
"What... is happening to me?" "Why... am I crying? And why... do I feel so unbelievably sad?"