It was the first day. The first day of this insane plan to save Seira Fallon, the girl who, despite haunting my past, was now my only hope to prevent my family's future deaths. I couldn't shake the feeling of how ridiculous this was—trying to save someone I didn't even care about, all for the sake of protecting my family. But as crazy as it seemed, there was no turning back now. If saving Seira was the key to keeping my sisters alive, then I'd do whatever it took.
Walking into class, I made my way toward her. Seira sat at her usual spot by the window, her face buried in her arms as if she were trying to hide from the world. She hadn't changed much—short bob haircut, bangs covering her eyes, the same quiet presence. I glanced at the empty seat next to her. Her friend, the one who always sat there, was out sick. For the next week, that seat would remain empty—at least until I decided to fill it.
I approached the desk without a second thought and pulled out the chair, the legs scraping against the floor. Before I could even sit down, Seira snapped up and glared at me.
"You can't sit there," she said, her voice sharp, surprising me with its sudden hostility.
I paused for a moment, taken aback by her reaction. Wasn't this the same girl who'd liked me for seven years? The same girl who used to get excited if I so much as glanced her way? Now she was acting like I was intruding on her space.
"Why not?" I asked, my tone a little more clipped than I intended. "Your friend's sick. She won't be here for a week."
Seira's expression faltered, her confusion evident. "How do you know that?" she asked, suspicion lacing her voice.
I froze for a second. I knew because I had been here before. I had already lived through this week once, though I wasn't about to tell her that. Instead, I kept my mouth shut, figuring silence was better than saying something that would make me look crazy.
Seira stared at me for a moment longer, like she was trying to figure out if I was playing some kind of joke. But even though she looked confused, she still didn't want me sitting there.
"Still," she insisted, "you can't sit here."
I could feel my irritation building. What was her problem? Wasn't this the same girl who'd spent half of her high school years mooning over me, following me around like a lost puppy? And now, all of a sudden, she didn't want me near her? What had changed?
Without saying anything else, I dropped into the seat anyway, ignoring her protests. I didn't have time to waste on her mood swings. The longer I played nice, the more time I wasted. I wasn't here because I wanted to be. I wasn't sitting beside her because I liked her. I was sitting here because I had to. If sitting next to Seira for a few days was what it took to save my parents and my sisters, then so be it. I could tolerate her for that long.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed people staring at me. My friends, the other students—they all looked at me like I had just grown a second head. I'd never been the type to sit near Seira, let alone make conversation with her, and now, here I was, sitting next to her like we were suddenly friends. I could hear a few whispers, people nudging each other and throwing curious glances in my direction.
Let them stare, I thought, my jaw tightening. I didn't care. They had no idea what was at stake. Saving my parents was all that mattered, and if sitting next to Seira meant getting closer to the truth, then so be it.
But sitting next to her was… awkward. More awkward than I'd imagined. Seira refused to look at me. She didn't say a word. She kept her head down, her lips pressed into a thin line, as if she was trying to pretend I wasn't even there. The silence stretched between us like an invisible wall, and for some reason, it bugged me. I wasn't here to make friends, but the tension was suffocating. I had to say something.
"So…" I started, my voice awkward and stiff. "How's it going?"
No answer. Seira didn't even glance my way.
I tried again. "What's your favorite class?"
Nothing. She kept ignoring me, her silence like a brick wall. My attempt at conversation fell flat, and I had to bite back the urge to snap at her. It was just like before—she was still as annoying as ever. I had forgotten how frustrating it could be, trying to get a response out of her when she didn't want to give one. This was the same girl who had written me love letters for years, and now, she acted like I didn't exist. It was maddening.
Then, out of nowhere, Seira finally spoke. "Why are you sitting here?" she asked, her voice quieter than before, but there was an edge to it, as if she didn't trust my sudden interest.
The question hit me hard, a reality check I hadn't expected. Yeah, why was I sitting here? I was supposed to be saving her life, sure, but suddenly sitting next to her like this, after ignoring her for so long, was strange. Even I had to admit it was weird.
I couldn't tell her the truth, though. Couldn't explain that I had been thrown into some twisted loop of reality, forced to relive moments I barely remembered, all for the sake of preventing more deaths. I couldn't tell her that I wasn't doing this because I wanted to, but because I had no other choice.
So I just stayed silent.
Seira stared at me for a moment, as if waiting for an answer, but when it became clear I wasn't going to give one, she sighed and turned back to her desk, burying her face in her arms once again.
I sat there, the awkward silence returning, my mind spinning in circles. I hated how complicated this had become. I hated how much Seira's presence bothered me, how every interaction with her felt like a constant reminder of the mess I'd been dragged into. She was still just as clingy and annoying as she had been back then. Even now, after her death, she somehow managed to make everything about her, pulling me into her orbit against my will.
But I couldn't forget the bigger picture.
Save her, save your family.
I reminded myself of that simple fact. I had to keep my eyes on the goal. Even if she drove me crazy, even if every second beside her felt like torture, I had to endure it. Because in the end, it wasn't about her. It was about my parents. It was about saving the people I loved.
And for that, I could put up with Seira Fallon's annoying presence—no matter how much it grated on my nerves.