Two lives.

11. Fog and Faded Moments

May 16, 5:03 AM

"Sienna, Sienna," a voice whispered urgently, followed by a gentle shake. I blinked awake, struggling to make sense of my surroundings.

"Huh? What's going on?" I mumbled, still half-asleep. The dim light in the lounge brought everything into focus: I was sprawled out on one of the couches, a damp cloth resting on my forehead. Ophelia was crouched beside me, her face a mix of amusement and concern.

"What happened?" I asked, propping myself up. My head was pounding.

Ophelia chuckled softly. "You seriously don't remember last night?" She laughed a little, clearly entertained by the memory of it.

"Clearly not," I groaned, pressing my hand to my forehead. The headache was like a dull drumbeat in my skull.

"Well," she said, standing up, "you got high with Ekko." She shook her head with a small smile, then handed me a pill and a glass of water. "Here, take this."

Without hesitation, I took the pill from her hand and washed it down, hoping it would bring relief.

"I came out to go to the bathroom and found you here, grumbling about a headache," she explained, crossing her arms. "I thought I'd help you out." She said offering to help me up. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you up," I said, standing up a little unsteadily as Ophelia helped me get my balance.

She just smiled. "It's fine. Sometimes I wake up early to walk the track, so maybe you were my wake-up call." She winked, her eyes still bright even at this hour.

I chuckled, though it was more like a groan with my headache still throbbing. I leaned against her doorframe, rubbing my temples.

She gave me a sympathetic look. "Wanna come with me? Some fresh air might help with that headache." She knelt to tie her sneakers, then stood up, nudging her head toward the hallway.

"Uh, sure," I mumbled, shuffling back to my room to grab my shoes.

We walked quietly down the dimly lit hallways, each sound amplified in the silence of the early morning. The walls held a hushed stillness, and the faint buzz of lights seemed to follow our steps as we made our way to the stairs.

"Technically, we're not supposed to be out of our rooms this late," Ophelia whispered with a mischievous grin. "Unless we're getting water or going to the bathroom. But...  if Mr. Dean is awake he'll let us walk the track."

I laughed softly. "Well lets pray," We walked down the main stairs that lead into the main hallway. 

"He should be in here," Ophelia said, her words slightly drawn out as we stepped into the gym. She led the way toward a small office tucked in the back, tapping on the door.

"Mr. Deann!" she called in a sing-song voice.

A few moments later, a man poked his head out from behind the door, a warm smile on his face. "Oh, hi, Ophelia," he said, his voice carrying a hint of a southern drawl.

"Good morning!" she chirped back, putting on her most charming smile. "I was wondering if Sienna and I could go out and walk the track for a little while?"

He looked at us, clearly amused. "Sure, go ahead. I'll be out there in a bit to keep an eye on y'all," he replied, nodding with an easy smile.

With a grin, Ophelia turned, gesturing for me to follow her. We made our way across the gym and pushed through the back doors, stepping out into the early morning chill. The air was crisp, and a light fog settled over the track, blurring the outline of the rising sun.

Ophelia took a deep breath, looking out at the mist-covered field with a small smile. "So... I'm guessing last night was your first time smoking?" she asked, her gaze lingering on the track, lost in thought.

"Yeah, I've never really been into that kind of thing," I admitted, letting the fresh air fill my lungs. The cool morning air felt refreshing, and I could feel my headache easing bit by bit.

Ophelia chuckled softly. "You handled it pretty well... I've never seen Ekko not be tense while high," she giggled, laughing at the thought of us laughing at animal sounds.

I rolled my eyes but laughed along. "Really? He made it seem like he was always was like that," I admitted, shaking my head.

She nodded thoughtfully, her expression softening. "He has a hard time warming up to new people," she said quietly. We began to walk around the track, our steps sinking slightly into the dewy grass lining its edges. "So seeing him calm like that with you makes me happy."

I glanced over at her, her expression calm but pensive. "Oh," I said looking down at my feet. "Is it normal for people here to smoke?" I asked, not really used to people my age causally smoking. 

"Yeah," she replied, shrugging. 

We walked in silence for a while, taking in the peacefulness of the misty track. The early light was soft, casting long shadows, and for the first time in a while, I felt like I could breathe.

Eventually, the cold began to seep through our jackets, and we decided to head back into the building. As we reached the hall leading to our rooms, Ophelia turned to me, that warm smile of hers still glowing.

"Thanks for walking with me," she said, her eyes kind.

"Yeah, of course," I replied, smiling back before stepping into my room and closing the door softly behind me.

But even as I lay back on my bed, exhausted, my mind kept drifting back to Ekko. What did Ophelia mean when she said he didn't usually warm up to people? And if that's true, why me? He'd barely spoken to anyone else the way he did with me. Why did he let his guard down so easily?

There was something magnetic about him, like a mystery that was just out of reach. He carried this quiet confidence, a look in his eye like he was always three steps ahead of everyone else. It felt like he had everything mapped out in his head, like nothing surprised him. But there were moments — like last night when he was laughing at silly animal sounds — when he seemed... different. Lighter, somehow.

And then I wondered, was that his way of hiding something deeper?