The dining hall's chatter had faded into a dull hum around Ginny, an indistinct backdrop to her spiraling thoughts.
She poked at her salad with the tines of her fork, the crisp lettuce wilting under her attention. The tattoos. She didn't want to think about them, didn't mean to think about them, but they lingered like shadows in the corners of her mind. The harder she tried to push them away, the more insistent they became, coiling back like stubborn vines.
It wasn't just the tattoos themselves—the swirling, intricate lines of the octopus etched into skin. It was the book. The strange stillness of the group in that photograph. The quiet weight of Lucy's words. A bunch of disappearances. Ginny shivered, the memory making her chest feel tight.
At least Cass had been understanding when she canceled on him earlier, more so than she'd expected. She had half-expected a remark, a teasing prod about her ditching their usual tradition. But Cass had simply nodded, his sharp eyes studying her for a moment before saying, "Another time, then."
She hadn't mentioned Ollie, though. Not that Cass wouldn't understand. Probably.
Now, weaving through campus toward the quad, Ginny let out a slow breath, willing herself to focus on the present. Ollie was waiting for her, and this was supposed to be a distraction. A moment to reclaim some sense of normalcy.
As she approached the quad, she spotted Evie first, perched on one of the weathered benches with her laptop balanced on her knees. Her hair was tucked into a loose bun, strands escaping to frame her face as she hunched over the screen. She looked up at just the right moment, a bright grin lighting her features as she waved.
Ginny couldn't help but smile back, her pace quickening.
"Hey," she said as she reached the bench, settling down beside her. "I haven't been seeing you lately."
"Hey yourself," Evie replied, her tone as easy as ever. She gestured toward the laptop, where an intimidating array of formulas and diagrams covered the screen. "You know me. Just your friendly neighborhood nerd, studying until my eyes bleed."
Ginny laughed softly, her mood lifting despite the heaviness that still lingered at the edges of her mind.
"You need to pace yourself," she said lightly, leaning back against the bench. "There's only so much math one person can take before they combust."
Evie snorted, closing the laptop slightly but keeping it on her lap. Her sharp blue eyes flicked over Ginny, a teasing glint forming in their depths.
"Speaking of combusting," she began, her voice taking on a sing-song quality, "I hear you've been sneaking around with Mr. Smarty Pants of Quantum Physics. Care to explain?"
Ginny groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Oh my God, Evie."
"What?" Evie grinned wickedly, propping her elbow on the back of the bench and resting her chin in her palm. "You're so busted. I mean, I'd be hurt that you didn't tell me, but I get it. Lovebirds need their privacy."
"It's not like that!" Ginny protested quickly, though she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks.
"Uh-huh." Evie raised a brow, her expression entirely unconvinced. "So, you're telling me that the guy who lets you steal his jackets and buys you dinner isn't your boyfriend? Please. Even the pigeons around here could tell there's something going on."
Ginny shook her head, laughing despite herself. "You're impossible, you know that?"
"It's a gift," Evie said breezily. Then her tone softened, her teasing grin fading into something warmer. "But seriously, Ginny, nothing going on between you two?"
"Nothing! We're just friends," She smiled, the edges of her lips softening. "You're so annoying."
Ginny was mid-sentence, trying to defend herself from Evie's relentless teasing, when a hand suddenly ruffled through Evie's hair with deliberate mischief.
Evie groaned dramatically, twisting around to bat the hand away.
"Oh my God, Ollie, could you not?" Evie snapped, smoothing her now thoroughly mussed hair with exaggerated indignation. "You're more annoying than I am."
Ollie grinned, unapologetic as he leaned against the back of the bench, the sunlight catching in his messy chestnut hair.
"Why are you teasing Ginny?"
Evie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.
"Because it's fun," she replied, her voice dripping with mock authority. She jabbed a finger in his direction. "Don't you have somewhere else to be, Mr. Pretend Prince Charming?"
Ollie gasped, clutching his chest as if she'd wounded him. "Pretend? Evie, you cut me to the quick."
"Yeah, yeah," Evie retorted, shooing him with one hand. "Go on, then. Sweep her off her feet or whatever fake princes do these days."
Ginny was mid-sentence, trying to defend herself from Evie's relentless teasing, when a hand suddenly ruffled through Evie's hair with deliberate mischief.
Evie groaned dramatically, twisting around to bat the hand away. "Oh my God, Ollie, could you not?" she snapped, smoothing her now thoroughly mussed hair with exaggerated indignation.
Ollie grinned, unapologetic as he leaned against the back of the bench, the sunlight catching in his messy chestnut hair. "Why are you teasing Ginny?" he asked innocently, though the glint in his eyes betrayed his amusement.
Evie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Because it's fun, and someone has to keep her in check," she replied, her voice dripping with mock authority. She jabbed a finger in his direction. "Don't you have somewhere else to be, Mr. Pretend Prince Charming?"
Ollie gasped, clutching his chest as if she'd wounded him. "Pretend? Evie, you cut me to the quick."
"Yeah, yeah," Evie retorted, shooing him with one hand. "Go on, then. Sweep her off her feet or whatever fake princes do these days."
Ginny couldn't hold back her laughter, the sound spilling out as she watched the two of them bicker. Ollie turned his gaze to her, his grin softening as he held her gaze for a moment before he took an exaggerated step back.
Then, with a flourish that made Evie groan again, he dipped into an exaggerated curtsy, his head bowed just slightly.
"Milady," he said, his voice mockingly formal as he extended his arm toward Ginny, "Allow me to escort you before Princess Evie declares war and our kingdom falls into ruin."
"Lame." Evie muttered under her breath, though there was a smile tugging at her lips as she turned back to her laptop.
Ginny's laugh came easily now, her cheeks flushed from the sheer silliness of it all. "You're ridiculous."
But there was no bite to her words as she slipped her hand into his offered arm.
"Ridiculously charming."
"Eugh, barf." Evie called after them, her voice laced with feigned irritation. "Take him away, Ginny! Save me from his bad jokes!"
Ginny glanced over her shoulder, catching the playful glint in Evie's eyes before turning back to Ollie. His arm was warm beneath her hand, his steps steady and confident as they walked.
"So," he began, his voice light, "What's the plan?"
Ginny pretended to consider this, tapping a finger against her lips with exaggerated thoughtfulness.
"Hmm," she mused, drawing the word out as if the question truly required deep reflection. "I was thinking we could—oh, I don't know—walk around for a bit."
She glanced sideways at him, her lips quirking into a small smile.
"Get to know each other better. How's that sound?"
Ollie blinked, clearly caught off guard, and for a moment, his steps faltered. His hand reached up almost instinctively to rub at his cheek, a faint flush creeping across his face. But then his expression softened, a genuine smile spreading slowly, reshaping the surprise into something warmer.
"Careful, Ginny," he murmured, his voice low but teasing as he leaned closer, "Evie told me I'd be the one sweeping you off your feet. Looks like you're turning the tables on me."
Ginny laughed at that, a bright, effortless sound that made the tension in the air seem a little less heavy. She rolled her eyes, giving his arm a light shove.
"Don't give her more reasons to tease us," she said. "She's already insufferable enough."
"Hey, I'm not the one giving her ammunition."
They walked in comfortable silence for a while after that, the quiet punctuated by the rustle of leaves underfoot and the distant chatter of students scattered across the campus. The quad stretched out before them, a mix of manicured paths and sprawling green spaces that seemed to glow in the late light.
But they didn't get far.
"Ginny!"
The sound of her name, sharp and urgent, made Ginny stop mid-step. She turned instinctively toward the voice, her brow furrowing as she spotted Lucy weaving through the sparse crowd, her movements brisk and purposeful.
"Luce?" Ginny called, taking a step toward her. The smile she'd been wearing faltered, replaced by something more cautious. "What's going on?"
Lucy reached them quickly, slightly out of breath, her hands on her hips as though she'd just run across campus. Her camera bounced against her chest, the strap tangled around her arm, but she didn't stop to fix it.
"It's Cass," she said, her tone clipped, skipping any preamble. "He's in the clinic."