Twin Fate: Sun and Moon

Part 10 - Better Company

I frowned, struggling to decipher Elin's handwriting. In moments like these, I almost wished Alex was here. I barely managed to copy down a formula before whispering, "Did you ever bother to learn how to use a pen?" My tone was light, but the frustration was real.

She smirked, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "No, it's fun watching you struggle. And that's an F, not an E," she added, pointing at my crooked attempt.

I leaned back in my chair, trying to focus on the professor, though I knew it wasn't necessary. My thoughts drifted, imagining Alex at home, effortlessly mastering these equations even in his current state. Elin, on the other hand, had to listen to the lecture, the look on her face suggesting she was trying to take in as much as she could.

"So, just to stay in the loop, who are we going with on Saturday?" I asked, trying to mask the unease creeping into my voice. The topic from earlier still on my mind, and I wasn't exactly thrilled about it.

"Uhm, I think there'll be fewer of us this week," she said, her eyes flickering with thought. "Freya, Brynhild, Edda, Frode, Leif..." She trailed off, as if the list could go on forever. "And maybe Maja, but she hasn't confirmed yet."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. "What does a weekend look like when there's more of you?" I tried to keep my voice steady, hiding the anxiety gnawing at me.

She shrugged casually. "Usually around fifteen of us."

Her eyes studied me, brows furrowed. "You don't like crowds?" It wasn't a question, more like an observation. I nodded slightly.

"But hey, Alex will be thrilled," I added, forcing a smile. "He's always been the social one."

Elin smiled, placing a warm hand on my shoulder—too warm, it seemed unnatural to be that warm. "You'll be fine, don't worry," she reassured me. "If it helps, we're all a little... off in the head, for lack of a better term."

She quickly pulled her hand away, as if she sensed my unease at the warmth of her palm. For a brief moment, her expression tightened, something unreadable flickering in her eyes.

I tried to lighten the mood, chuckling softly. "Well, that's reassuring."

"Dismissed," Professor Hindrik's voice broke through my thoughts. The rustling of the crowd confirmed the end of class.

"Lunch?" Elin asked as she stood up. I hesitated, caught off guard, then nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"Great, you'll get to meet Freya and Leif," she added as we headed out. "They're in engineering."

My stomach twisted with nerves, but I followed her outside. The warm breeze hit me, possibly the warmest day I'd felt since I'd been here.

"There they are," Elin said, her eyes flicking to the crowd. Two people seated on a bench near the path that led to the main street waved at her.

Leif was tall and slender, his build almost identical to mine, though he was just a few centimeters shorter. His brown hair, streaked with a few stray blonde strands, hung almost into his eyes, giving him that look of someone who constantly tried to tame it but never quite succeeded. His features were sharp, almost wolfish, and those strange, grayish eyes only added to the effect.

Freya, on the other hand, was different—at least for this place. Her dark hair fell calmly to her shoulders, in stark contrast to Leif's unruly mop. But her blue eyes, like so many I'd seen around here, were soft, and they lit up with a smile as she saw us approaching.

"Hi," she said, her voice warm. Leif followed with a casual "Hey."

I waited for Elin to greet them both before holding out my hand. "Jordan," I introduced myself, shaking their hands in turn.

After the usual small talk that comes with introductions, we made our way to a more secluded spot near the forest, just behind the college. I pulled out my lunch, awkwardly trying to arrange everything on my lap without it toppling over. Rice and chicken in one container, salad in another, and an apple and a grapefruit on the side.

"Someone knows how to cook," Leif remarked, sounding almost impressed.

I smiled weakly. "I'd love to take the credit, but Alex made this yesterday, right before he got sick. I just took the leftovers to school, leaving him with soup," I admitted, somewhat guiltily.

As I started eating, I mostly kept quiet, just listening as Elin and her friends launched into an intense conversation. They were talking about someone I didn't know, but the way they spoke—so heated, so passionate—made me start to dislike the person, even though I had no idea who they were. Ermin? Erend? I couldn't even catch the name. But they seemed content to let me eat in peace, so I didn't protest.

As I put the containers back in my bag, I glanced at my watch. Twenty minutes until our next—and last—class of the day.

"What was he even saying?" Leif's voice cut through my thoughts, but I hadn't been following the conversation.

"Hello, earth to Jordan," Elin teased, waving a hand in front of my face. "Have you been listening at all?"

"Sorry, what?" I blinked, snapping out of my reverie. "I was lost in thought."

Elin chuckled, probably amused at how out of it I must have seemed. "Leif asked what Arvid was saying about the game the other day."

"Oh, right." I turned to Leif. "He was saying the Fire Bolts are going to win," I explained, watching a grin spread across his face.

"No way," Leif responded, clearly enjoying the absurdity of it.

"Exactly," I said, grinning back. "And after they won, he went on about how the refs were rigging the game, handing it to the Sabers." I tried to keep the irritation from seeping into my voice, but the memory still stung.

Leif snorted. "Now that's delusional. I mean, if you put Bogdanovic and Gordon alone on that team, they'd trash the Bolts every day."

"Boys," Elin interjected with a roll of her eyes, turning to start a conversation with Freya instead.

As the minutes ticked by, I realized that in those forty minutes of spare time, I already liked Leif and Freya more than anyone in the friend group Alex and I use to hang out with. There was something about them—something more genuine, more real—that resonated with me.