FIRE & ICE, james beaufort

vii. once upon a memory

SEVEN

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"i need to see those eyes, cause without you i'm falling apart"

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SHE TOOK A DEEP breath as she made her way down the stairs. It had been a rather quiet weekend at the Salazar household ever since she'd come home the night of the welcoming party. Her father had been waiting for her in the living room, wanting to make sure that she was okay. But when she entered the house, he immediately confiscated her phone and went to bed, without a single word.

Nia walked into the kitchen, the silence in the house pressing down on her like a weight.

Her father was seated at the kitchen table, his eyes fixed on the morning newspaper, but she knew he wasn't reading a word. He could careless about the newspaper. The clock on the wall ticked loudly, each second stretching out the unbearable quiet.

"Dad," she said softly, breaking the silence. "Can you please talk to me?"

He didn't look up, his jaw clenched tightly. Nia's heart sank. This had been going on all weekend ever since Lexington had called him. She hadn't even done anything but that didn't matter. Her father didn't believe her nor would he. The cold shoulder was his way of showing his disappointment, and it stung more than any words ever could.

With a sigh, she grabbed her backpack and stood up. "I'm going to school," she said, hoping for a response, but there was nothing. She hesitated for a moment at the door, looking back at her father, but he remained as still as a statue. Frustration bubbled up inside her, but she swallowed it down and left the house.

The bus ride to school felt longer than usual, each second heavy with the weight of her father's silent treatment. When she finally arrived at the entrance of Maxton Hall, she spotted Ruby writing away on her planner. Relief washed over her, but it was short-lived. As she approached, Ruby's eyes flicked to her and then quickly away, as if Nia were invisible.

"Ruby," Nia called out, her voice tinged with desperation. "Can we talk?"

Ever since Ruby left her with James after the meeting with Lexington, she had been aching to make amends with her friend but Ruby wasn't going to make it easy. Even if Nia knew she hadn't done anything wrong, she still felt like she owed Ruby an apology.

Ruby glanced at her, then back at her planner, her pen scribbling away. "I can't right now, Nia," she said coldly. "I'm busy."

Nia's heart sank further. "Ruby, please. I feel like—"

Ruby's expression hardened. "I don't want to talk to you right now, Nia. My attention is solely on the gala and the gala alone."

Before Nia could respond, Ruby turned her back and walked away, leaving Nia standing there, feeling more isolated than ever.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Classes felt interminable, and every time she looked at Ruby, the icy distance between them seemed to grow. By lunchtime, Nia felt like a pariah. She made her way to Ms. Duval's classroom, hoping for some kind of solace.

But once again, Nia was met with what she's been wanting to get away from. As she neared the English classroom, she noticed Ms. Duval was at her desk, grading papers. Nia knocked on the open door, causing for Ms. Duval to look up, her usual warm smile absent.

"Oh, hi Jesenia. Come in." she said, her tone formal.

Nia entered, closing the door behind her. "Ms. Duval, I wanted to talk to you about—"