Lila
324 Words
Selene looked down at her desk. “I’m fine.”
Lila didn’t respond immediately.
“You don’t sound fine,” she said gently, with concern eyes.
Selene’s fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her notebook. “I said, I’m fine.” There was no anger in her voice, only quiet finality. She's wondering and shocked to hear that question again after a year.
Lila raised her hands slightly in surrender. “Okay, okay. I won’t push.” She hesitated, then added more softly, “But if you ever want to talk… you don’t have to handle everything alone.”
Selene glanced up at her, caught off guard by the sincerity in her tone. She finally took a look at the girl in front of her, long wavy hair with glasses. She has freckles that make her even prettier, but one thing caught her attention: a...smile.
“Why?” she asked before she could stop herself.
Lila blinked. “Why what?”
“Why would you care?” Selene asked quietly. “You don’t even know me.”
For a moment, Lila seemed unsure how to answer. Then she gave a small shrug.
"Maybe I don’t," she admitted. “But I don’t think you have to know someone completely to notice they’re hurting.”
Selene didn’t respond. The words settled somewhere deep, in a place she had long tried to ignore.
After a moment, she looked away. “I’m not used to that.”
“To what?” Lila asked.
“People notice,” Selene replied.
Lila’s expression softened. “Well… I noticed,” she said simply.
The bell rang before Selene could answer.
Lila gave her one last small smile. “I’ll see you around, Selene.”
“… Yeah,” Selene said quietly. “See you.”
As Lila walked away, Selene found herself staring at her desk again, her thoughts unusually unsettled.
“That was strange,” she murmured.
- Writer
