Destiny

Plans

Our first weekend in Salem, I invited Ariana to dinner at my house on Saturday. On Sunday morning, I went shopping with my mom, and in the afternoon, I did a deep clean. I also managed to finish my overdue school assignments. Fortunately, neither Ariana nor my mom mentioned the Webers, so I was able to make the most of the weekend.

As the days went by, I got more accustomed to the routine and the company of my unexpected friends. First, there was Alek. Despite my efforts to keep some distance from him, most of the time, I couldn't avoid him since we shared several classes. However, Alek didn't try anything strange after knowing I was friends with his ex-girlfriend. Then there was Ariana. I saw her mainly in History class and during lunch. Finally, there was Matthew Weber, whose intense gazes in the cafeteria had become part of my routine.

On Friday, I headed to Trigonometry class looking for Ariana so we could go to the cafeteria together.

"Ariana didn't come to school today," a girl from her class told me.

I wondered if she was sick. But Ariana's absence wasn't the only strange thing that day. When I arrived at the cafeteria, I noticed that not only was Ariana missing, but Matthew wasn't there either. It was strange, as if there was a different aura in the air.

I considered sitting alone at a table when Alek entered the cafeteria with his friends. I knew he wouldn't miss the opportunity to corner me since Ariana wasn't with me. I decided to have lunch outside.

When I started putting my things away in my last class, I noticed I still had the book I had borrowed from the library last week. It was time to return it and find another one for my next Literature assignment.

I notified the librarian why I was there and continued to the literature aisle. I held my breath for a second when I saw Matthew there, browsing the books on the same shelf I was heading to. I hesitated, thinking about returning to the librarian and coming back another day, but I decided I couldn't avoid Matthew for the rest of the school year.

With a bit of courage, I approached the shelf and took the book out of my bag to return it. When I was next to him, I noticed Matthew was glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

I took a deep breath and prepared to put the book back on the shelf. However, the awkward silence in the library was overwhelming. Something in me didn't want to feel that tension every time we were near each other.

"Hello," I said softly, forcing a timid smile as I placed the book on the shelf.

Matthew turned to me.

"Hello, Bianca."

The fact that he knew my name surprised me for a second, but I was still the new girl at school. I supposed he had heard my name among the students. My nerves calmed a bit when I noticed his tone was casual, as if it wasn't the first time he had talked to me.

As I racked my brain for something else to say, Matthew spoke first.

"Do you like history?"

The question was as strange as it was out of place. I turned to look at him. It was a bad idea; I was dazzled again for a moment, seeing those blue eyes observing me with all their attention.

"I like research, but I don't like Salem's history," I admitted, realizing I was being honest with someone I was talking to for the first time. "And you? Do you like Salem's history?"

Matthew paused for a moment to think before answering.

"I like learning new things. About Salem, if you allow yourself, you'll find it has a pretty mysterious history."