Chapter 3: First Day Back
1055 Words
The holidays ended, and the new semester began.
Lyra didn’t want to go back to school. Her stomach felt heavy. Her mind was tired. She wanted to stay in bed, hide under the blanket, and forget everything.
But she got up anyway.
She dressed slowly, packed her bag, and left her apartment. The cold air touched her cheeks as she walked to campus. Students laughed around her, excited to see their friends again. Some carried gifts. Some took selfies. Lyra kept her head down.
She entered the school gates and walked toward her building. Her heart beat faster with every step.
Then she saw Camille.
Her best friend stood near the entrance, waving at her.
“Lyra!” Camille smiled. “You’re here! I missed you!”
Lyra stopped for a second. She wanted to turn around. But instead, she walked closer and forced a small smile.
“Hi,” she said softly.
Camille stepped forward, ready to hug her, but Lyra gently moved to the side and pretended to fix her bag strap.
Camille blinked. “Are you okay?”
Lyra nodded quickly. “Yeah. Just tired. Didn’t sleep well.”
“Oh,” Camille said. “Well, I’m glad you came. I was worried. You didn’t reply to my messages.”
Lyra looked away. “Sorry. I wasn’t feeling well.”
Camille nodded, trying to hide her concern. “It’s okay. I understand.”
Lyra smiled again, just enough to look normal. She didn’t want to talk. She didn’t want to cry. So she acted like nothing happened.
Then Ivan appeared.
Her boyfriend walked toward them, smiling wide. “Hey, love,” he said, reaching out.
He leaned in, about to kiss her cheek.
Lyra stepped back quickly.
Ivan paused, confused. “What’s wrong?”
Lyra touched her forehead. “Ah… I think I’m getting a headache again. Maybe I’m just tired.”
Ivan looked at her, worried. “You sure?”
Lyra nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be fine.”
Camille glanced between them but didn’t say anything.
Lyra gave a small laugh, trying to lighten the mood. “First day blues, I guess.”
Ivan smiled again, though a little unsure. “Well, I’m happy to see you. I missed you.”
Lyra didn’t answer. She just nodded and walked toward their classroom.
The three of them entered together. The room was bright, filled with chatter and noise. Students greeted each other, shared stories, and laughed loudly.
Lyra sat near the window, her usual spot. Camille sat beside her. Ivan took the seat behind.
The teacher entered and greeted the class. “It’s New Year, everyone! Let’s begin with a lesson, of course.”
Groans filled the room.
One student near the back raised his hand. “Sir, can we skip the lesson today? Just for today?”
Another girl chimed in, “Yes, please! It’s the first day. We’re still in holiday mood.”
The teacher smiled but shook his head. “Nice try. But we have a lot to cover this semester.”
A few students laughed. One boy stood up halfway. “Sir, just one day. We can talk, play games, maybe share stories. It’s New Year!”
The teacher crossed his arms. “And what will you do tomorrow? Ask again?”
The class giggled.
Camille leaned toward Lyra and whispered, “They always try this every year.”
Lyra gave a small nod, pretending to smile.
Another student raised her voice. “Sir, we promise to behave. Just today. No lesson. Please?”
The teacher looked around the room. Almost everyone was smiling, hopeful.
He sighed. “You all planned this, didn’t you?”
“Yes!” someone shouted. “We’re united!”
The teacher chuckled. “Fine. One hour. No lesson. But no shouting, no running, and no leaving the room.”
The class cheered.
Lyra didn’t cheer. She just stared at her notebook.
Camille nudged her. “Hey, we got lucky.”
Lyra nodded. “Yeah.”
Ivan leaned forward from behind. “See? The first day wasn’t so bad.”
Lyra didn’t turn around. “I guess.”
The teacher sat down and let the students talk. Some moved seats. Some shared snacks. A few played soft music from their phones.
Camille started chatting with the girls beside her. Ivan joined a group near the back, while Lyra stayed in her seat, quiet.
She watched them laugh.
She listened to their voices.
But her mind was far away.
She remembered Christmas Eve.
She remembered the cold night, the way the lights from the street had flickered through Ivan’s apartment window. She had brought gifts, hoping to surprise him. Her heart had been full of excitement, expecting warmth, laughter, maybe even a kiss under the mistletoe.
But instead, she had seen Camille.
Camille, in Ivan’s arms.
Camille, laughing softly.
Camille, kissing him.
Lyra had stood frozen in the hallway, her fingers tightening around the gift bag. She hadn’t made a sound. She had just watched, her heart slowly breaking with every second.
Now, back in the classroom, that memory clung to her like a shadow.
She glanced at Camille, who was laughing with the other girls, her smile wide and carefree. Ivan was joking with his group, tossing snacks across the table. Neither of them looked at Lyra. Neither of them seemed to remember what they had done.
Lyra’s fingers curled around her pen. Her notebook remained blank.
She felt invisible.
The classroom was filled with noise, but none of it reached her.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to stand up and shout, “You lied to me! You betrayed me!”
But she didn’t.
She just sat there, pretending.
Pretending she was fine. Pretending she didn’t care. Pretending she hadn’t cried herself to sleep every night since that moment.
The teacher glanced at her once, then looked away.
No one asked how she was.
No one noticed the way her shoulders sagged, the way her eyes stayed fixed on the desk.
Lyra blinked slowly, forcing back the tears.
She whispered to herself, “Just get through today.”
But deep down, she knew—this semester wouldn’t be easy.
Not with Camille beside her.
Not with Ivan behind her.
Not with the truth buried in silence.
And not with her heart still bleeding.
- Writer
