The Roots Beneath

Chapter 17: Disappearances and Secrets

The rest of the school day felt like a blur to Seren. After Elijah's unexpected confession, she could barely focus in class, her mind swirling with a mix of excitement, confusion, and nerves. She still wasn't sure how she felt about everything—about him. Sure, Elijah had always been there, steady and reliable, but she had never really considered the possibility of something more between them. Now, though, it was all she could think about.

By lunchtime, she was still preoccupied with thoughts of him. As Seren grabbed her tray and made her way to their usual table, she noticed Elijah already sitting there, his eyes scanning the room. He looked calm as usual, but there was a new tension in his posture that made her stomach flip. He hadn't been in class that morning, which only added to her growing nervousness. How was she supposed to act around him now?

When she reached the table, she hesitated for a moment before sitting down next to him, a little closer than usual. Elijah glanced at her, his expression softening into a small, almost shy smile. The quiet acknowledgment between them made her heart race.

"Hey," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she started to unwrap her sandwich.

"Hey," Elijah replied, his voice equally quiet, as if they were sharing some kind of secret.

For a few minutes, they ate in silence, the usual easy conversation between them replaced with a new layer of awkwardness. Seren could feel the eyes of their friends occasionally glancing over at them, sensing the shift between her and Elijah. Emily, sitting across from them, raised an eyebrow, clearly holding back a grin.

"So..." Emily finally broke the silence, her tone playful. "You guys doing okay? Something feels different today."

Seren shot her a look, but Emily just smiled innocently.

"Everything's fine," Seren mumbled, her cheeks warming as she glanced at Elijah, who gave a small, knowing smirk.

"Yeah, we're good," Elijah said, his tone more relaxed now, though there was still a lingering intensity in the way he looked at Seren.

Emily, ever the instigator, leaned forward, her eyes sparkling. "Right, because nothing says 'just friends' like making googly eyes at each other all lunch."

Seren nearly choked on her drink, while Elijah chuckled, shaking his head. "Not googly eyes," he protested lightly, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

The rest of the table laughed, and for a moment, the tension broke, replaced by the familiar lightheartedness that Seren had always loved. Even though the atmosphere between her and Elijah had changed, it was nice to know that their friendship was still intact, that they could still share moments like this.

But the peace didn't last long.

Later, during their last class of the day, something shifted. Seren noticed it first in the way Elijah tensed up beside her. They were sitting in history class, the teacher droning on about the American Revolution, when Elijah suddenly stiffened, his gaze snapping toward the window. His nostrils flared slightly, as if he had caught a scent in the air, and his entire body went rigid with an alertness that unsettled her.

"Elijah?" Seren whispered, glancing over at him with concern. "Are you okay?"

He didn't answer right away, his eyes still fixed on something beyond the window, his jaw clenched tightly. The air around him seemed to change, growing more charged, more dangerous. Then, without warning, Elijah stood up, grabbing his bag and heading for the door without so much as a word to the teacher.

"Elijah!" Seren called out, her voice low but urgent.

But he was already gone, disappearing into the hallway with a speed that left her stunned. She watched him go, her heart racing with confusion and worry. Why had he left so suddenly? What had spooked him?