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I leaned back in my chair, drumming my fingers on my notebook as Johnny and Gibsie "argued" in front of me. Gibsie was buzzing about their plans to hit Biddies later, practically bouncing in his seat, while Johnny kept saying he didn't want to go, that he'd rather just go to the gym, then home and sleep. But Gibsie wasn't having any of it, going on and on about how he had to come out, no excuses.
Honestly, the idea of Biddies wasn't my thing either. The thought of a pint, some good music, and a break from everything was tempting, yeah, but between looking after my ma and da, cleaning out the horses, and just not loving the chaos of pubs in general, I wasn't sold. I'd probably still go, though, just to be with the lads. Even if sometimes, hanging with them felt like watching from the sidelines, especially when they got into those wild stories that made everyone roar with laughter.
The teacher finally cleared her throat, raising her hand to quiet everyone down. "Alright, everyone, quiet down," she said, cutting through the noise. "We have two new students joining us today. I'd like you all to welcome Blair and Eloise."
The names hit me like a shockwave. My stomach did this strange flip, like it had just dropped a few feet. I looked toward the door, and there they were—Blair and Eloise. My heart did this weird thing, skipping a beat when I saw Blair. It had been months since we'd last spoken, since Halloween. Halloween, when everything felt so...easy. But after what happened, I hadn't seen her since. Now here she was, walking into the classroom like some strange déjà vu.
The teacher continued, "Blair and Eloise, you can sit at the back next to Patrick and Hughie."
My heart pounded as they walked toward the empty seats beside us. Hughie looked over with a grin, giving me that knowing look he'd had since Halloween night. He and the others had been there, laughing and teasing when they'd seen Blair and me talking and sharing a laugh. Gibsie was relentless, poking at me for days afterward, saying I'd finally met my match. I'd shrugged it off, but now, as Blair made her way toward me, I felt my face heat all over again, as if they were right there teasing me now.
I tried to straighten up, acting casual, but Hughie noticed my reaction and shot me this wide, knowing grin. He was clearly amused, and I shot him a look back—a mix of "shut up" and "help me out here." Last thing I needed was for him or Gibsie to say something dumb and make it even weirder.
Blair slid into the seat beside me, her presence somehow feeling so close it was almost overwhelming. She glanced over, and when our eyes met, a jolt ran through me. I wanted to say something, but all the words tangled up, just like they had that night. There was so much I wanted to ask her, to talk about, but I couldn't quite bring myself to say any of it.
"Hey," I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Hey," she replied, her voice soft, almost hesitant, and there was a flicker of nervousness in her smile. It mirrored mine, like we were both trying to navigate whatever this was.
