The Changeling and the Crimson Lace

6

The next day at school, everything seemed normal on the surface, but Amra felt like she was walking through a dream. The previous day's events lingered in her mind, the memory of the dark castle and the kiss with Callus still so vivid it was hard to believe it had really happened. She glanced around the hallway, trying to focus on the mundane bustle of students going about their day, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Callus.

As she spotted Elara by the lockers, Amra's heart skipped a beat. She hurried over, barely able to contain her excitement.

"You won't guess what happened yesterday, El," Amra said, her voice barely containing her excitement.

Elara's eyes widened as she turned toward her, a mischievous smile already spreading across her face. "What? What happened? Go on. Spill!" she urged, leaning in closer as if preparing for the juiciest gossip.

Amra felt her cheeks flush, the giddiness bubbling up inside her. She took a breath before blurting it out, unable to hold it in any longer. "Callus kissed me!!!"

Elara's eyes widened even more, her jaw dropping dramatically. "What?! No way!" she squealed, bouncing on her toes. "Oh my god, Amra, that's huge! Tell me everything!"

Amra smiled, feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves. She hadn't told anyone about the kiss yet, and she couldn't help but replay the moment in her mind—the way he had pulled her in, the warmth of his lips, and the feeling that everything had changed in that instant. But even as she recounted the kiss to Elara, she made sure to leave out the part about the Fae world and the terrifying events that had led up to it. That was a part of her day she wasn't ready to share, not yet.

Elara was practically buzzing with energy. "I knew something was going on between you two! You've been staring at him in the halls since day one! And when you bumped into him on your first day—oh, come on, you were totally red! I'm surprised it took him this long to make a move!"

Amra felt her cheeks burn at the memory. "What? No, I wasn't that obvious... was I?" she said, laughing nervously.

"Oh, sweetie," Elara grinned, "you were. But it's cute! And now he kissed you? What are you guys now? Is it official? Are you going to start dating?!"

Amra's mind spun at the question. She hadn't thought that far ahead—honestly, she was still trying to figure out how she felt about the kiss. Her excitement was clouded by her skepticism, her mind racing with questions she couldn't quite answer. Did Callus feel the same way, or was it just a heat-of-the-moment thing? What if it was all just an aftereffect of the chaos they'd been through in the Fae world? And most of all, what about the strange connection between him and that world?

"I... I don't know," Amra admitted, biting her lip. "I mean, it was just one kiss. I don't know what he's thinking, or if he even feels the same way I do. Maybe he just sees me as a friend..."

Elara raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Amra, please. The guy kissed you. That's not exactly 'just friends' behavior, if you ask me. I think he's totally into you."

Amra wanted to believe that, but her overthinking mind wouldn't let her. She glanced down the hall, half-expecting to see Callus somewhere in the crowd. She hadn't run into him yet today, and part of her was relieved. The other part of her, though, couldn't stop wondering what would happen the next time they saw each other.

"Maybe," Amra said, still uncertain. "I just... don't want to get my hopes up, you know?"

Elara's expression softened. She placed a reassuring hand on Amra's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay to be a little cautious. But don't let that stop you from enjoying this. Callus clearly likes you. Just take it one step at a time. And when you see him later, maybe ask him about it? See how he's feeling."