As the bell rang for lunch, I watched Seira stand up, gathering her things before heading out of the classroom. She didn't even look at me, but I knew where she was going—just like the last time. She always met up with her best friend Aaliyah from another class. A girl with ginger hair and green apple eyes. They'd been inseparable since childhood, closer to each other than most siblings.
I remembered hearing how Aaliyah reacted after Seira's death. She had been a wreck, screaming louder than Seira's own parents, as if part of her had died too. At least, that's what people said. The details had blurred for me by then, but I knew one thing: Seira's death had left a mark on everyone around her—except me. It didn't matter back then. She didn't matter.
But now, everything had changed.
As I sat at my desk, lost in my thoughts, my friend Ethan dropped down into the chair next to me. He had this bewildered look on his face, probably confused by what I'd done this morning. I could already feel the questions coming.
"Dude, why the hell are you sitting next to Seira Fallon?" Ethan asked, eyebrows raised. "You just left me to sit alone. What's up with that?"
I shrugged, not really in the mood to explain. "Everyone wants to sit next to you anyway," I said, dryly. "And look, I sat here, and someone just sat at my table."
Ethan gave me a look like I was crazy. "Yeah, but still. Come on, let's grab lunch. You're acting weird."
I agreed, but as soon as I stood up, I found myself heading toward the door where Seira and Aaliyah had gone. Without thinking, I followed them. Ethan trailed after me, confused as ever.
"Wait, where are you going?" he asked, voice laced with frustration. He was clearly expecting me to go hang out with our group like we always did.
"If you don't want to follow, you can leave," I said without looking back, my pace steady as I made my way to the cafeteria.
Ethan groaned but kept following me. His confusion didn't matter. I wasn't about to explain myself, not when I didn't fully understand what I was doing either. But I had to keep close to Seira. I had to know why she had been the first victim, what made her a target.
By the time we reached the cafeteria, I spotted Seira and Aaliyah sitting at a table near the window. Just like before, they were eating alone, waiting for their other friends to arrive. I knew Seira had more friends in other classes—ones she was closer to than anyone in our class. But they were always late to lunch, which gave me a small window of time to make my move.
I walked straight toward them, ignoring Ethan's questioning glance. Without asking for permission or waiting for an invitation, I pulled out the chair across from Seira and Aaliyah and sat down. Ethan, completely dumbfounded, just stood there for a second before slowly lowering himself into the seat next to me.
The moment I sat down, I could feel the tension ripple through the table. Aaliyah's sharp eyes narrowed at me, her shock quickly turning into annoyance. She was the first to speak.
"Our friends sit here," Aaliyah said, her voice clipped, clearly not amused by my sudden intrusion. "It's their spot."
I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. "There's no name on the table. It's free for anyone who wants to sit here."
Seira, who had been silently fuming beside her, finally looked up, her expression hardening as she glared at me. "You should leave," she said coldly, her voice low but laced with annoyance. "Both of you."
I raised an eyebrow at her, unimpressed. "Or what?"
Her eyes flickered, her irritation growing. "Or I'll throw my food at you," she snapped.
That made me laugh, though I could tell she wasn't joking. I wasn't intimidated, though. I knew something she didn't—something small but important. Seira had a little quirk, a weakness. She couldn't hold eye contact for more than five seconds without looking away. It was a strange habit, one I'd noticed before. I leaned forward and stared directly into her eyes, not blinking, not moving, just waiting.
One second… two seconds… three… four…
Right on cue, Seira looked away, her frustration palpable as she glared down at her food, refusing to meet my gaze again. It was such a small victory, but in this moment, it felt like I had the upper hand. Even if she tried to act tough, I could see through it.
"I'm not leaving," I said, my voice steady. "I'm staying right here."
Seira huffed, annoyed beyond belief. "Why are you even sitting here?" she asked, the tension in her voice obvious. "Go sit somewhere else."
I didn't answer her. Instead, I kept my focus. I wanted to understand. Why her? Why had the killer chosen her as the first target? Was it something about her personality? Was she really that annoying to someone else? Was there something deeper?
Before Seira could get up to leave, I noticed her friends had arrived, but they didn't sit down at the table. They took one look at me, sitting there with Ethan, and immediately turned around, deciding to sit somewhere else. I watched as Seira and Aaliyah's friends waved them over, signaling that they'd found a different spot.
Seira stood up, clearly about to leave with Aaliyah, but before she could walk away, I did something that shocked even me. I reached out and grabbed her wrist, holding her in place for a moment. The second my hand touched her skin, I felt a jolt of surprise—both from me and her.
Aaliyah's eyes widened in shock, and even Ethan looked like he couldn't believe what I'd just done. Seira, on the other hand, yanked her arm away from me so fast it was like she'd been burned.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Seira snapped, her voice angrier than I'd ever heard it before.
I didn't answer, but I looked over at her friends' new table. It was packed—no empty seats. "There's no room for you over there," I pointed out. "You don't have a choice. You'll have to stay here."
Seira and Aaliyah exchanged glances, and I could see the frustration bubbling beneath the surface. They both hesitated, clearly considering whether to leave anyway, but in the end, Seira sighed heavily and sat back down, followed by Aaliyah.
Ethan was still confused, probably wondering what the hell I was trying to accomplish, but he didn't say anything. He just sat there, silently watching the interaction.
Aaliyah, though, wasn't about to let things go so easily. She shot me a sharp look, her words dripping with sarcasm. "Great, just what we needed—a lunch date with Seth Carver. What a treat."
I smirked at her, not taking the bait. "You should feel honored."
Aaliyah rolled her eyes, clearly not amused, and I could tell she didn't like me. Seira, on the other hand, just quietly picked at her food, refusing to engage any further. Ethan tried to defend me, saying something half-hearted in my favor, but Aaliyah quickly shut him down, throwing back another sarcastic remark.
But I wasn't paying attention to their bickering. My mind was elsewhere, still focused on the bigger picture. I had no idea how to save Seira. I had no clues, no real direction. All I knew was that she had been the first victim, and somehow, it had to do with me.
I just had to figure out why.