The Roots Beneath

Chapter 3: Threads of the Unknown

Seren's morning passed in a blur of lessons and half-hearted attention. She found herself drifting through the day, her thoughts constantly returning to the brief moment in the hallway when Elijah's gaze had locked with hers. It was as though the encounter had flipped a switch inside her, awakening a curiosity she couldn't ignore.

By the time lunch rolled around, the cafeteria was buzzing with chatter, most of it centered around Elijah. The new kid was the talk of the school, and rumors about him had taken on a life of their own, growing more elaborate with each retelling. Seren listened to snippets of conversation as she and Emily navigated the crowded lunchroom, balancing trays piled with lukewarm food.

"I heard he got expelled from his last school," a girl at a nearby table whispered, her voice low and conspiratorial.

"Yeah, for fighting," another chimed in. "They say he broke the other guy's nose."

Emily rolled her eyes as they sat down at their usual spot by the windows. "Honestly, people will believe anything. For all we know, he could be completely normal."

"Maybe," Seren replied, though she wasn't convinced. There had been something in Elijah's eyes, something dark and guarded. She couldn't shake the feeling that the rumors might hold a grain of truth.

Emily picked at her salad, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You know, I almost feel sorry for him. Can you imagine moving to a place like Pine Hollow and immediately becoming the centre of all this attention? It must be suffocating."

Seren nodded, but she didn't feel sorry for him. If anything, she was intrigued. The mystery surrounding Elijah was a welcome change from the predictability of her everyday life. She wanted to know more about him, to understand what had brought him here and what he was hiding behind those dark eyes.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a shadow fell across the table. Seren looked up to see Elijah standing there, holding a tray of food. Up close, he was even more striking—tall and lean, with a quiet intensity that seemed to radiate from him. His hair fell into his eyes, but he made no move to brush it away. He looked down at them with an unreadable expression, his gaze flicking between Seren and Emily.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked, his voice low and calm, as though he wasn't aware of the storm of gossip swirling around him.

Emily blinked in surprise, but quickly recovered. "Uh, sure. Go ahead."

Elijah slid into the seat across from Seren, setting his tray down with deliberate care. The cafeteria around them seemed to quiet, and Seren could feel the eyes of other students on their table, curious and speculative.

"So," Emily began, trying to break the awkward silence, "how are you liking Pine Hollow so far?"

Elijah shrugged, poking at the unappetizing lump of mashed potatoes on his tray. "It's... different."

Seren almost smiled at the understatement. Pine Hollow was more than different; it was the kind of place that could suffocate you if you let it. She wondered if Elijah felt that way too, if he was already itching to get out, just like she was.

Emily, ever the conversationalist, pressed on. "Where did you move from?"

"Just another small town," Elijah replied, his tone giving nothing away. "Not much different from this one."

Seren watched him closely, noting the way he avoided giving specific details. It was clear that he wasn't interested in sharing too much, but there was something in his demeanor that intrigued her. He was guarded, yes, but there was also a subtle tension in him, as if he were constantly on edge, waiting for something.