𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭

twenty three

Kaiden

Saturdays in the dining hall were usually a mix of lazy conversations and a rotating crew of hungover faces trying to nurse coffee and fried food back into their systems.

I was sitting across from Ethan, half-listening as he rambled on about some ridiculous thing that had happened during his last practice.

His words faded into the background, though, when I glanced up and noticed someone across the room.

Delphine.

She was laughing—actually laughing, full-on laughing—and for a moment, I just sat there, completely caught off guard.

Usually, the only time I ever saw her was at the rink, where she was all sharp focus and silent glares, a level of intensity that seemed like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

But here she was, practically doubled over, her shoulders shaking as she laughed at something her friend, Eliza, was saying.

There was something about seeing her like that that just stopped me in my tracks.

Her laugh was warm, alive.

She looked like a completely different person, and maybe that's what threw me off the most. I didn't know that side of her, and hell, I didn't think anyone did.

"You good, man?" Ethan's voice cut through my thoughts, yanking me back to reality.

I blinked, quickly looking back down at my coffee. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine."

He gave me this look, and I could feel his suspicion settling in. "Uh-huh, right. Fine," he said slowly, leaning back in his seat. He followed my line of sight back to Delphine, and that smirk of his started to creep onto his face. "Just watching Delphine like she's the only person in the room."

"Wasn't watching her," I muttered, shaking my head. "Just—she looked different, okay? She was laughing."

Ethan's eyebrows shot up, and he leaned in, clearly enjoying himself. "Ohhh, she was laughing, huh? Well, that changes everything. That makes it okay to stare at her like a lovesick puppy."

I glared at him. "Seriously, shut up."

But he just laughed, looking over at her again. "I get it, though. It's weird seeing her like that. She always has that stone-cold face going on, you know? Like she's in her own world, and nothing can break through."

I shrugged, trying to play it off, but he wasn't letting me get away that easily.

"Honestly, though, Kaiden, it's kinda hilarious," he continued, smirking. "The big, tough hockey player getting all distracted over the figure skater. You sure you're not into her?"

I rolled my eyes, scoffing. "It's not like that. I don't even know her. She's just... different."

"Yeah? Different how?"

I thought about that for a second, glancing back over at Delphine. She was still laughing, her eyes scrunched up and her smile wide, completely absorbed in the conversation with her friend.

The whole room seemed to fade around her, like she was this lone spot of light in the middle of all the chaos. "I don't know, man. She's just—different," I repeated, unsure how else to put it. "I've never seen her like that before."

Ethan let out an exaggerated sigh, like he was way too entertained by this. "Dude, you're talking like you've known her forever. This is the same girl who'd probably throw a skate at you if you talked to her at the rink."

"Yeah, probably." I laughed, remembering the glare she'd given me the first time we had to share the ice. It wasn't like she was shy about making her opinions known—especially if they were aimed at me.

"Still," I added, "it's just weird seeing her like this. She's... I don't know, softer, I guess. Not in a bad way. Just... different."

Ethan's grin widened, and he nudged me with his elbow. "You should talk to her. You're obviously curious, and it's not like she'd bite your head off in the middle of the dining hall. Maybe."

I let out a dry laugh. "Right, because 'maybe' is totally reassuring."

He shrugged, clearly enjoying this more than he should be. "It's better than never knowing. Who knows, maybe she'll laugh like that around you."

"Doubt it," I muttered, but I couldn't help glancing back over at her. The idea of talking to Delphine outside of those tense interactions at the rink was weirdly... tempting.

There was something about her that pulled at me, a curiosity I couldn't quite shake, even if she probably couldn't care less about my existence.

Ethan followed my gaze, his smirk never faltering. "It's okay, man. We've all got our soft spots."

"Whatever," I mumbled, trying to shake off the weird feeling that had crept over me. But Ethan was relentless.

"Look at you, all defensive," he teased. "I'm just saying, maybe you don't have to keep pretending you don't care. You're curious—so what? She's interesting. You wouldn't be human if you weren't a little intrigued by someone like her."

I couldn't deny that.

Delphine was... complicated, and even though I barely knew her, I was starting to realize I wanted to know more. I wanted to understand that intensity, that fire that seemed to drive her every move on the ice.

I glanced back at her one last time, watching the way she tossed her head back, her laughter ringing through the dining hall.

It was strange, watching her in a moment that was just hers, untouched by competition or stress. It was like a glimpse into something private, something real, and I found myself wondering what it would be like to be a part of that world.

Ethan's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Alright, lover boy, are we going to eat or are you just going to keep drooling over her from a distance?"

"Shut up," I groaned, though a small part of me couldn't help but smile. Ethan was right—maybe I was a little more interested in Delphine than I'd ever admit out loud. But for now, I was fine just observing, keeping my curiosity to myself. After all, someone like Delphine wasn't the type you just walked up to and tried to figure out.

She was a puzzle, one I was slowly starting to piece together, one glance at a time.