HEART OF GOLD | CORIOLANUS SNOW

𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 60

Sugary scents bombarded Lilith's senses as she trudged across the moderately populated café toward the gang. Their table at Czarina comprised four adjoining two-seaters tucked against a banquette. Most of them had already assembled, with Lilith being second to last. Only Archie was still missing.

Eyeing Lilith with a grimace as she slid into the booth across her, Olympia remarked, "I get it for them, but which hell did you come from?"

Baffled, Lilith glanced across the others to find Regulus, Marcus, and Clemens each looking like varying degrees of death. That was expected; they'd attended the student council's Valentine's Day soiree last night, ironically dubbed: Happy Ending. It was marketed as a platform for single students to meet like-minded individuals and, as suggested, find their happy endings. What really transpired annually like clockwork, however, was that people paid twenty dollars to enjoy free-flow booze and hook up with someone they were not likely to remember due to all the alcohol. The ending wasn't happy. The ending was a hangover. At least the boys had a valid reason to be sporting dark circles and pasty skin. What was her excuse?

"What happened to you?" asked Athena, concerned.

"I didn't sleep well," admitted Lilith.

"Why not?" Towering over the table, Archie seemed upset.

"Just had a lot on my mind," she said evasively. It wasn't untrue. Quickly turning back, Lilith counted five cups of drinks. "Everyone's ordered, right?"

Five heads bobbed to the positive, so she slid back out, intending to head to the counter with Archie, but he placed a hand on her shoulder and urged her back into her seat.

"I've got it. You look like you need to sit down."

So mystified by his patronizing attitude, Lilith reacted belatedly. By the time she cried out his name, he had marched off.

Archie spun around on his heel.

"Yes, red velvet, I know. I've got it, Lil."

As he stormed hotly away, Lilith looked back to the others in bewilderment.

"What happened to him?"

To Lilith's knowledge, Archie hadn't signed up for Happy Ending. It wasn't his style, and he didn't seem hungover, at any rate—just like the world had wronged him.

"He's probably just having a bad day." Athena squeezed Lilith's shoulder. "Forgive him."

That wasn't the problem, or even the point. Archie was so pleasant normally that acting out assuredly signaled something amiss. Lilith recalled the previous instance—his outburst during her birthday bash—and realized she never figured out what had triggered him. He'd just magically recovered, and around his characteristic good nature she had totally forgotten that anything could be wrong. Some friend she was. Some relative she was. At least she knew it wasn't anything to do with his family, or she ought to have heard about it by now. Whatever it was, Lilith hoped it wasn't serious.

"I don't suppose you've found out who sent you those flowers yesterday?"

Lilith frowned at Athena casually sipping her cappuccino.

"I thought it was from you guys."

Athena smiled sympathetically. "We love you, Lil, but why would we send you flowers all of a sudden?"

"And anonymously." Olympia scoffed. "If I'm spending that kind of money, you'd be sure people knew it was me. Otherwise, what's the point? Not that it was me," she emphasized, as if Lilith didn't know her well enough.

"Well, some people like the element of mystery," said Athena, but Lilith was with Olympia. She was tired of mysteries.

"I don't understand. Who else would send me flowers?" Then dread washed over Lilith, a bucket of ice down her spine. "You don't think it's Iggy?"