Chapter 28: Echoes Of Absence
934 Words
The school felt different without Ian and Zane.
The halls weren’t any quieter, but the air felt off—like something important had gone missing, and everyone knew it, even if they couldn’t name it.
I still carried the silver star pendant Zane gave me. It rested just above my heart, hidden beneath my uniform. Every time my fingers brushed against it, it felt like they were still here—watching, teasing, protecting.
But life didn’t stop.
It never did.
---
“Hey, space cadet.” David flicked my forehead with his finger, pulling me back to earth.
We were sitting under the cherry blossom tree behind the music building, lunch boxes in hand. The petals drifted lazily in the spring breeze, settling in his hair like a soft crown.
I blinked up at him. “Huh?”
“You’ve been zoning out all week.”
“I’m allowed,” I muttered, poking at my rice.
David watched me for a moment, then reached over and gently plucked a petal from my shoulder. “You know they’d hate seeing you mope.”
I sighed. “I’m not moping.”
“You’re sulking, then. That’s worse.”
He grinned as I shoved his shoulder playfully. But his smile faded a bit when he added, “They’ll be back, Elyse. And until they are, the rest of us are still here. For you.”
I paused, eyes locking with his. There it was again—that sincerity he rarely let anyone see. That softness buried beneath the flirt and the swagger.
“You’re right,” I murmured. “Thanks.”
“Anytime, sweetheart.”
---
After lunch, I wandered to the library where I found Lance in his usual corner: headphones in, books spread like a fortress around him, glasses slipping down his nose.
“Don’t sneak up on me,” he said without looking up.
I giggled. “You could feel me coming?”
“You move like a whisper,” he muttered. “But your aura screams chaos.”
“That’s oddly poetic.”
He pulled off his headphones. “You okay?”
I nodded, sitting across from him. “Missing them.”
He was quiet for a beat before sliding a book across the table. “Read this. It helped me when my sister moved abroad. It’s about staying connected despite distance.”
I glanced at the title: Letters That Touched the Sky.
I smiled. “You’re sweet.”
“Only for you,” he said simply, and returned to his notes.
---
That night, I met Adrian on the rooftop.
The stars above were dim, but the city lights blinked like a second sky below.
“Ian texted me a photo of him and Zane in the countryside,” Adrian said, his arm slung over the railing. “Apparently their house is surrounded by cherry fields.”
“I bet they’re flirting with the local girls.”
Adrian smirked. “Probably.”
We stood in silence for a moment before I asked, “Do you think… things are changing?”
He glanced at me. “They already have.”
“I’m scared,” I whispered. “Of what that means.”
Adrian turned to face me fully. “You don’t have to choose anything right now, Elyse. Not love. Not your path. Just be here—with us. That’s enough.”
I leaned into his shoulder without thinking, and he let me.
---
The next morning, Cyrus waited for me outside my dorm building.
He never usually did that.
“Going somewhere?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said simply. “With you.”
I blinked. “Uh… okay?”
We walked quietly through campus, ending up at a tucked-away greenhouse near the edge of the school grounds. I’d never been inside before.
“You brought me to a secret garden?” I teased.
He said nothing, just opened the door.
Inside, the air was humid and rich with the scent of flowers. Tall glass walls let the sun pour in, and in the center was a small stone bench.
Cyrus gestured for me to sit.
I did, feeling suddenly shy.
Then he pulled something from his coat—a tiny pot with a sapling inside.
“This is for you,” he said, placing it in my hands. “It’s a star jasmine. It blooms at night.”
“It’s beautiful…”
He finally looked me in the eyes. “So are you. Even when you’re sad.”
My breath hitched.
“I’m not good with words,” he continued, sitting beside me. “But I want you to know… even if I don’t say much, I see you, Elyse. Every version of you.”
My fingers curled around the pot. “Thank you.”
He nodded once, then stood. “I’ll wait. However long you need.”
And just like that, he walked out, his quiet confession lingering like the jasmine’s subtle perfume.
---
Back in my dorm room, I collapsed onto my bed, the weight of the day catching up with me.
So much warmth.
So much tenderness.
From each of them.
And yet… my heart was still unsure.
But for the first time, I didn’t feel pressured to decide.
They were patient.
Loyal.
Willing to wait.
And so, I closed my eyes, letting the sounds of the evening drift over me—soft music from the courtyard, laughter from the hallway, and somewhere, a message notification blinking on my phone:
From: Ian
> Don’t forget us.
We’ll be watching the stars too.
---
End of Chapter 28
- Writer
