The Roots Beneath

Chapter 2: Echoes and Reflections

Seren's breath hung in the air like tiny clouds as she walked to the bus stop the next morning. The sky was the color of faded denim, and the sun had yet to fully break through the thick layer of clouds. Pine Hollow was quiet, with only the distant hum of a car engine and the crunch of snow beneath her boots breaking the silence. As much as Seren longed for excitement, there was something comforting in the stillness, in the way the town seemed to wrap around her like a well-worn blanket.

She could already see Emily waiting at the bus stop, her red hair pulled back in a messy bun, her breath rising in soft puffs. Emily was always early, a habit drilled into her by her father, who was ex-military and believed punctuality was the key to success in life. Seren had known Emily since kindergarten, and despite their differences, they had always been close—two mismatched puzzle pieces that somehow fit together perfectly.

"Hey," Emily greeted, her voice warm despite the chill in the air. She stamped her feet to keep warm, her thick winter coat making her look like a bundled-up marshmallow. "You seemed a little off yesterday. Everything okay?"

Seren shrugged, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Just the usual. I guess coming back after break has me feeling a little... I don't know, restless."

Emily gave her a knowing look. "You're always restless, Ren. But I get it. This place can feel like a cage sometimes."

Seren nodded, grateful for Emily's understanding. Emily had grown up in Pine Hollow just like Seren, but where Seren felt trapped, Emily had found her peace with it. Maybe it was because Emily was grounded, rooted in ways that Seren wasn't. Emily's family was solid, the kind of family that had Sunday dinners together and celebrated every birthday with homemade cakes. Her parents were still very much in love, and her older brother, Josh, was the golden boy of Pine Hollow—star athlete, straight-A student, and now off at college on a full scholarship.

Seren's family was different. Her mom was kind and tried her best, but she worked long hours at the local diner, leaving little time for much else. Seren's dad had left when she was ten, disappearing with nothing more than a note on the kitchen counter that said he needed to "find himself." It had been just her and her mom since then, navigating life in their little house on the edge of town. They got by, but there was always a sense of something missing, a gap where her father's presence should have been.

The bus pulled up, brakes squealing, and they climbed aboard, taking their usual seats near the back. The ride to school was short, but it was one of the few moments of the day when they could talk without interruptions. Emily started chatting about the latest drama from their group of friends—who was dating who, who had broken up, the usual teenage gossip that Seren half-listened to, her thoughts drifting back to the new kid.

"Elijah," Emily said, snapping Seren back to the present. "You didn't say anything about him yesterday. I saw you looking at him."

Seren raised an eyebrow. "I was not."

"You totally were. Don't lie to me, Ren," Emily teased, nudging her playfully. "I saw you guys lock eyes. It was like a scene from one of those cheesy romance movies you hate."

Seren rolled her eyes, but she couldn't deny that something about Elijah had caught her attention. "He's just... different. I don't know how to explain it."

"Different good or different bad?" Emily asked, her tone more serious now.

"Maybe both," Seren admitted. "I mean, there's something about him that's... intriguing. But at the same time, I feel like he's hiding something."

Emily nodded thoughtfully. "Well, he wouldn't be the first. Everyone's got their secrets, right?"

Seren knew that was true. Pine Hollow might have been a small town, but it was filled with secrets, buried deep like the roots of the pines that surrounded them. Even her own family had things they didn't talk about, like why her dad really left or why her mom never tried to find him. Those were questions that hung in the air between them, unasked and unanswered.