SECRETS BEHIND THE STARE
861 Words
Lira didn’t sleep much that night.
The moment Juno whispered “You’re not ready for me”, something shifted inside her. It wasn’t just the words it was the way he said it, like a warning wrapped in a promise. And though she should have felt scared or disgusted, she only felt… awake.
She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, the darkness pressing down like a heavy blanket. Her fingers kept brushing her lips, remembering the heat of his breath. She knew she should push the memory away, drown it in schoolwork or music or something safe but she couldn’t. Not this time.
And Juno Falcon… wasn’t someone you could forget easily.
⸻
The next morning, the school hall buzzed with gossip as usual. Clara Moonfire had dyed her hair pink again. Axel was caught sneaking out of detention. Orin Dusk apparently fought two seniors in the parking lot. And Juno? He hadn’t shown up to class.
Lira hated that she noticed.
She walked down the corridor with her books clutched tightly to her chest, Zara Falcon’s glare grazing her from across the hallway. There was always something hostile in the way Zara looked at her. Maybe it was jealousy. Or maybe it was a warning Stay away from my brother.
Finn Moonfire appeared beside her, as usual, tall and calm, holding two iced lattes.
“You look tired,” he said.
Lira smiled weakly. “Didn’t sleep well.”
“Nightmares?” he asked.
She nodded, though she wasn’t sure if what she had last night was a nightmare… or a fantasy.
⸻
By lunchtime, Juno still hadn’t appeared.
Lira sat with Iris Moss and Lucia Skyfall at their usual bench under the large sycamore tree. Iris was sketching boys in her notebook again—badly—and Lucia kept checking her reflection in her spoon.
“You hear about Juno?” Lucia asked suddenly.
Lira’s head snapped up.
“What?” she said too quickly.
Lucia smirked. “Rumor is, he was out with Thais Dawnbringer last night.”
Lira’s stomach twisted. Thais—the girl with wild eyes and sharper claws than anyone in school. Of course she would go for someone like Juno.
Iris raised a brow. “Are you okay, Lira? You look pale.”
“I’m fine,” she lied.
But she wasn’t.
⸻
Later that day, as the sun dipped low and the shadows stretched long, Lira stayed behind in the school library, buried in a book she wasn’t really reading. The silence helped her think, helped her breathe. But even then, she could feel something. A presence. A tension. A name lingering at the back of her mind.
Juno.
She closed the book and stood up and there he was.
In the doorway.
Leaning against the frame like he owned the place.
“Looking for something?” he asked, voice smooth, dangerous.
Lira’s breath caught in her throat. “You’re late.”
“For class?” he chuckled darkly. “Or for you?”
She blushed instantly, her fingers curling around the spine of the book she still held. “I wasn’t waiting.”
“No,” he agreed, stepping closer. “But you were hoping.”
His nearness made her dizzy. The scent of smoke and rain clung to him, like danger and mystery bottled into a boy. His eyes searched hers like he could see right through every defense she tried to build.
“You’re trouble,” she whispered.
Juno smiled, slow and devastating. “You have no idea.”
⸻
Outside, the air was cooler. The wind picked up, stirring her skirt as they walked side by side without a word.
“Why weren’t you in school today?” she finally asked.
He shrugged. “Had things to do.”
“Like Thais Dawnbringer?”
Juno glanced at her with mild amusement. “Jealous?”
“No,” she snapped, too quickly.
“Good,” he said softly. “Because if I wanted you to be, I’d give you a real reason.”
She stopped walking, heart racing. “What do you want from me, Juno?”
He turned toward her slowly, his expression unreadable. Then he took one step closer, just enough to make her heart stutter.
“Everything,” he said. “But I’ll take what you’re willing to give… for now.”
Lira felt like she couldn’t breathe. Her pulse was wild, her thoughts chaotic.
“You said I wasn’t ready for you,” she murmured.
“You’re not,” he replied. “But you’re getting there.”
She didn’t know what came over her but her hand brushed against his, and he caught it. Just for a moment. A spark. A promise.
Then he let go.
“See you tomorrow, Moonfire,” he said, walking away like he hadn’t just shaken her world all over again.
⸻
That night, Lira stood in front of her mirror, staring at the girl looking back. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips slightly parted, her eyes wild.
She didn’t know who she was becoming.
But she knew one thing:
It had started the day she met Juno Falcon.
- Writer
