The university student council room was a quiet, almost sacred space tucked away in a far corner of the administrative building, its high windows casting a soft, dim light over the single wooden table in the center.
The room was sparse, functional, with only three chairs pulled up to the table and a sleek row of shelves stacked with council files and binders in neat rows.
Cass and Lyle had taken two of the three chairs without a second thought, leaving Ginny the remaining spot and, somewhat awkwardly, leaving Lucy to settle by the windowsill, her feet dangling above the floor, looking out with childlike curiosity.
Ollie had dropped himself onto the floor near the table, leaning back on one hand while casually sipping from a small milk carton he must have picked up along the way.
He looked completely at ease, like sitting cross-legged on the floor in the middle of a student council meeting room was the most natural thing in the world. If anything, his relaxed posture only made the rest of them more aware of the stiffness in their own seats.
The silence was thick, filled only by the muffled hum of the campus beyond the closed door and the occasional whisper that passed between Lyle and Cass.
They spoke in low voices, just out of Ginny's hearing range, but she could see the slight furrow in Lyle's brow, the way his lips pressed together in that familiar, thoughtful way. Cass, by contrast, maintained his usual unreadable expression, his posture straight, hands folded neatly on the table, nodding subtly as Lyle whispered something in his ear.
Ginny glanced down at her untouched sandwich, trying to focus on anything but the unbearable awkwardness that was growing with each passing second.
She could practically feel Lucy vibrating with energy from across the room, her gaze darting from one twin to the other as though waiting for the perfect opening to break the silence.
And then, of course, Lucy found it.
"You know, I've never eaten lunch here before!" Lucy announced, her voice bouncing through the quiet room with unrestrained enthusiasm. She kicked her legs idly against the windowsill, a grin on her face that bordered on wonder. "I'm usually here for work stuff. You know—meeting with Pres Lysander."
She gave Lyle a little nod, acknowledging him with a dramatic flourish of her hand. "But those meetings… well, they don't always end how I want."
Cass's lips twitched in a barely-there smirk, and Ginny caught the faintest flicker of amusement in his eyes as he looked away, reaching for his water bottle. Ginny's shoulders tensed as she glanced over at Lyle, half-expecting him to brush Lucy off, but instead, he looked at her with genuine interest.
"Oh, I'm sorry about that," Lyle replied, his voice soft but apologetic. "I know the council rules can be… restrictive. Especially when it comes to the school paper."
Lucy waved him off, brushing the apology aside with a light laugh.
"Oh, no, it's not your fault, Pres. I know the rules are the rules, and you're just doing your job." She shrugged, her gaze drifting around the room as though taking it all in for the first time. "But still, being here for a normal lunch is… kind of surreal, honestly."
Ollie, who had been quietly observing the conversation from his spot on the floor, tilted his head, eyeing Lucy with a faint smirk.
"Pres Lysander?" he echoed, a hint of teasing in his tone. "You've got the whole formal thing down, don't you?"
Lucy grinned, looking entirely unabashed.
"Well, he is the president, and I like to keep things professional. Besides," she added with a dramatic sigh, "It keeps him from thinking I'm just here to pester him for favors. Which, admittedly, I sometimes am."
Ginny hid a smile, watching Lyle's cheeks tint slightly pink as he nodded, clearly amused by Lucy's honesty. It was rare to see him so at ease, even in this space he frequented daily. Normally, Lyle's posture was as carefully measured as his words, his every move a precise act, but here, with Lucy's openness drawing them all in, he seemed to relax, if only a little.
But then he sighed, rubbing his temples as though the weight of the day's meetings pressed heavily on him.
"Uh, Lucy, right?" he said gently, almost with a touch of resignation, "Can we just… skip the work talk? I've had back-to-back meetings since eight this morning. I'd like to have a normal lunch for once."
Lucy's eyes widened, and for the first time since they'd arrived, she looked almost chastened. She glanced at Ginny, giving her an apologetic little shrug.
"Right, right, of course," she muttered, the spark of mischief dimming slightly, though her natural enthusiasm could never fully be hidden. "I didn't mean to bring up work. Promise."
Ollie chuckled softly from his spot on the floor, taking another sip of his milk.
"You heard him, Lucy. It's lunchtime. So maybe give the man a break?"
Ginny stifled a laugh at the sight of Lucy's mock-offended look. She puffed her cheeks in a dramatic pout, throwing her hands up in mock surrender.
"Fine, fine. But only because Pres Lysander needs a break," she said, crossing her arms. "And only because I'm feeling generous."
Cass shook his head, a small smile curving on his lips. Ginny caught his eye, and he gave her a knowing look, as if to say, This is exactly why we keep our lunches limited to three.
For a moment, silence returned, each of them settling into the meal with an odd sense of camaraderie—one that, though entirely unexpected, felt strangely comfortable. Ginny even allowed herself to relax, the sounds of quiet chewing and clinking cups filling the air as they enjoyed the rare lull.
But naturally, the calm couldn't last long. Lucy, who had been eyeing Cass and Lyle as though dissecting some great mystery, suddenly straightened, a glint in her eyes.
"Hey, Pres—oh, wait, sorry, Lyle," she corrected with a wink. "You know, I've heard rumors about the council's midnight meetings. Apparently, some students think you're up to all sorts of secret schemes."
Lyle choked on his water, eyes widening as he shot her a bemused look.
"Midnight meetings?"
Ginny stifled a laugh, glancing over at Cass, who had raised an eyebrow, clearly just as surprised as his brother. "What kind of rumors are these?"
"Oh, you know." Lucy waved her hand vaguely. "Secret alliances, coded messages, secret meetings at a nearby church… all kinds of stuff. People say you two are running some sort of underground operation."
Lucy leaned in, eyes gleaming with mock seriousness. "Is it true?"
Ollie snorted from the floor, rolling his eyes. "What, are they supposed to be the university's version of the Illuminati now?"
Cass shook his head, clearly trying to keep a straight face.
"Lucy, I can assure you," Lyle said, voice calm but betraying a hint of laughter, "There's no underground operation. Just student council, plain and simple."
Lucy sighed dramatically, clearly disappointed.