Chapter 4 – AGlimpse Behind the Silence

IT ALL HAPPENED IN A BLINK—WELL, AT LEAST FOR EVERYONE ELSE. FOR FIORA,

TIME HAD JUST… PAUSED.

SHE WAS WALKING SLOWLY TOWARD THE THIRD BENCH IN THE DUSTY LITTLE

COLLEGE BADMINTON HALL. EVERYONE ELSE WAS LAUGHING, SHOUTING, RUNNING

BEHIND THE SHUTTLE LIKE LIFE WAS A FESTIVAL. BUT LUCA SAT THERE — QUIET,

DISTANT, LIKE THE NOISE NEVER REACHED HIM.

HE HAD HIS EYES CLOSED, HEAD TILTED SLIGHTLY AS IF TRYING TO BLOCK

SOMETHING INSIDE HIS OWN MIND. HIS RIGHT HAND RESTED FLAT ON THE BENCH.

FIORA, STILL NOT SURE WHY, WALKED UP AND GENTLY PLACED HER PALM OVER

HIS.

AND THAT'S WHEN SHE SAW HER AGAIN.

THAT SAME WOMAN. PALE. FROZEN EYES. STANDING RIGHT BEHIND LUCA —

STARING, AS IF GUARDING HIM. HER PRESENCE HIT FIORA LIKE A FREEZING WAVE.

HER HEART STOPPED. THE VOICES AROUND HER TURNED INTO A LOW BUZZ. IT WAS

JUST HER… AND THAT STARE.

THEN IN ABOUT 3 OR 4 SECONDS, IT ALL CAME BACK—NOISES, MOVEMENT, THE

WORLD SPINNING AGAIN.

LUCA OPENED HIS EYES.

“OH HEY, FIORA… WATCHA DOIN?” HE SMILED WEAKLY, LIKE HE HADN'T NOTICED

ANYTHING WRONG.

SHE TRIED TO ACT NORMAL, BUT HER HAND STILL RESTED OVER HIS. “YOU OKAY?”

“YEAH, JUST A LITTLE HEADACHE… ACTUALLY, I GET THIS OFTEN. SINCE I WAS A

KID, REALLY. SOMETIMES IT COMES IN FAST, SOMETIMES SLOW. I’VE GOTTEN USED

TO IT NOW,” HE SHRUGGED.

SHE LOOKED AT HIM, A LITTLE SHOCKED. “BUT WHY ARE YOU NOT PLAYING? OR…

LIKE, WHY DO YOU ALWAYS LIVE SO ALONE?”

LUCA PAUSED FOR A SECOND. HIS EYES SCANNED THE NOISY COURT. “I DON’T LIKE

IT…”

“WHY?”

HE HESITATED. “MHM… NEVERMIND. LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS LATER.” HE GAVE A

FAINT SMILE.

JUST THEN, ALESSIA AND AURORA CAME CALLING. “FIORA, COME! WE WANNA SHOW

YOU SOMETHING!

SHE GAVE LUCA ONE LAST LOOK AND WALKED OFF, BUT HER HEAD WAS SOMEWHERE

ELSE ENTIRELY.

THE WHOLE DAY SHE KEPT THINKING ABOUT HIM. WHY IS HE LIKE THIS? WHY

DOESN’T HE TALK MUCH? AND WHAT WAS THAT WOMAN AGAIN… WAS SHE EVEN

REAL?

LATER THAT EVENING, FIORA SAT IN THE GARDEN WITH AURORA, TRYING TO BRING

UP THE TOPIC.

“HEY, AURORA… THAT GUY LUCA… DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HIM?”

AURORA SIPPED HER ORANGE JUICE. “UGH, ALL BOYS ARE LIKE THAT. HE’S PROBABLY

JUST SOCIALLY DEAD. OR MAYBE HE HAD A HEARTBREAK AND NOW HE'S LIVING IN A

MOODY MOVIE.” SHE GIGGLED.

FIORA DIDN’T LAUGH. SHE JUST LOOKED AWAY, DEEP IN THOUGHT.

THAT EVENING SHE WALKED BACK HOME WITH ALESSIA AND AURORA, THE WIND

CALM, BUT HER MIND ANYTHING BUT. THE NEXT FEW DAYS WERE THE SAME — LUCA

AND FIORA EXCHANGING RANDOM GLANCES, SHORT TALKS, SUBTLE SMILES. TWO

QUIET SOULS BUMPING INTO EACH OTHER IN A LOUD WORLD.

ONE EVENING, AS THEY BOTH SAT NEAR THE CANTEEN STAIRS, WATCHING THE SKY

MELT INTO ORANGE, FIORA SPOKE UP.

“WANNA GO OUT FOR COFFEE SOMEDAY? JUST… A LITTLE BREAK FROM ALL THIS

COLLEGE MADNESS.”

LUCA LOOKED AT HER, A LITTLE SURPRISED AT FIRST, BUT THEN HIS LIPS CURVED

INTO THAT SOFT, TIRED SMILE.

“YEAH. I'D LIKE THAT

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