After her father's tragic passing, Nora Davis is forced behind the scenes, nothing more than a stepping stone for others in their journey to stardom. When an opportunity presents itself, Nora, trapped under her stepmother's heel, takes it as her cha...
WARNING: This chapter may contain triggers. Please take caution as you read.
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Nora wasn't in Chemistry the next day or the day after. Eli tried to focus on Professor Fields throughout the lesson, but his mind kept wandering to the empty desk a few rows ahead. Jostlin students had a tendency to chat and gossip about the littlest things, and yet no one said anything about Nora being gone. That pissed him off.
What pissed him off more was that no one in the class was friends with Nora, so he couldn't get the details from any of them. It was unlike her to miss a lesson, but to miss more than one in a row?
"Alright everyone, break up into small groups and get started on your test review packets. Remember, these are due tomorrow," Professor Fields said, "anything you don't finish has to be completed at home."
Professor Fields barely finished her statement before Celine appeared in front of him, dragging Garth behind her.
She grinned at him. "You don't mind working with us, do you, Eli?"
Eli looked over her shoulder at the empty desk. "No, I guess not."
Celine yanked her chair over. Garth was slower, his eyes half-closed as he sunk down in his own chair.
"This shouldn't be too bad," Celine said, "the unit's pretty easy."
Celine ended up doing most of the work for the three of them. Halfway through, Garth slumped further in his chair and closed his eyes. And Eli couldn't get himself to focus enough to help. The empty desk a few rows down loomed in his peripheral vision. His gaze kept finding its way back to the wooden desktop as if somehow it had all the answers.
Nora had him twisted in knots. It wasn't until now, when she was gone, he realized just how much. He couldn't think, and his gut screamed at him that something was off. The reality was, he was only at ease when she was there. And when she wasn't, he felt like he couldn't quite breathe properly.
I can't breathe without you.
Eli blinked. He'd never been one to be blindsided by inspiration. Even with Nora, his muse, it'd started slow, like crafting with clay. His ideas came in calm, easy waves, and he was able to carefully mold his work into a shape resembling a song. Even then, he always started with a beat, a nagging melody that wouldn't leave him alone.
I can't breathe without you. These were lyrics. His heart forming its own words. And once it started, he couldn't get it to stop.
