CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR

CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR
Chapter Fifty Four

Chloe sat stiffly at the very back of the bus, her arms folded tightly across her chest.

She stared out the window, but the blur of trees and fields passing by meant nothing to her. Inside, she felt completely crushed.

Why Aurelia?

Of all people, why did Caelum have to choose her?

Her jaw tightened, and she bit the inside of her cheek hard, fighting the heat that burned behind her eyes.

She had fixed her hair that morning, applied just the right amount of gloss on her lips, even chosen the prettiest shade of pink for her nails.

She had thought today would be her moment. And still… he ignored her.

She forced a small laugh under her breath, though it wasn’t funny. So he looked right past me.

He must have seen how cute I looked today. He had to. And yet, he still chose Aurelia?

The thought stung like a blade.

Piper, sitting across the aisle, didn’t seem too shaken.

She had her headphones in, her face calm, though her eyes occasionally flickered toward Caelum.

She had liked him for months, but she was used to keeping her feelings locked up.

Seeing him pair with Aurelia didn’t crush her the way it did Chloe. Piper wasn’t about to cry or break down—she had trained herself not to hope too much.

At least, not out loud.

“Out of all the hot girls in class, he still picked an old school,” Mandy muttered from beside Chloe, loud enough for her friend group to hear. She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, her tone sharp, almost mocking.

Liz leaned closer, adding fuel. “Like, I don’t even get it. I’m honestly starting to think Aurelia begged him. I mean, she doesn’t even belong in his league. Maybe she pressured him or something.”

Mandy snorted in agreement. “Exactly. It doesn’t make sense otherwise.”

But Chloe didn’t reply. She didn’t even blink. She just sat there, silent, her nails digging into her palms.

Their words didn’t comfort her; if anything, they only made the ache worse.

Because deep down, she knew Aurelia hadn’t begged. Caelum had said that name himself, calmly, like he meant it. And that was what cut the deepest.

The bus rolled on, and the once-lively atmosphere had dulled.

Conversations were softer now, groups huddled in whispers instead of loud songs. Even Clara had stopped singing, though her energy hadn’t dimmed completely.

She was too caught up in Aurelia’s shock.

Aurelia, on the other hand, still couldn’t wrap her head around it. She sat pressed against the window, her reflection staring back at her like she was looking at a stranger.

Her chest still felt tight from the way everyone had turned to stare at her after Caelum said her name.

She turned toward Clara, her voice low. “I still don’t get it.

Why would he write my name? There were so many other people he could have picked. It doesn’t make sense.”

Clara leaned in, her face glowing with excitement, unable to hide her grin.

“Girlll, it’s a sign. Don’t you see? He feels comfortable around you. Maybe he trusts you. Beauty and brains—how could he not?”

Aurelia frowned, shaking her head. “No, Clara, don’t make it sound like that. It’s strange. He barely talks to anyone, and now suddenly he wants to be paired with me? What if he has silent plans to set me up or something? You know I don’t trust people like that.”

Clara rolled her eyes playfully, nudging Aurelia’s arm.

“You’re overthinking. Maybe he just sees what everyone else refuses to admit—that you’re smart, reliable, and not fake. Do you really expect him to pick Chloe? Or Mandy? Or Liz? Or even Piper?”

Aurelia bit her lip. “Even if not them… there are other girls. Attractive, popular girls. Why me?”

Clara shrugged. “Why not you?”

Aurelia didn’t answer. She pressed her forehead lightly against the cool window and tried to slow her racing thoughts. The more she replayed it in her head, the more unsettling it became.

She didn’t want to admit it, but Clara’s words left a tiny crack in her doubt.

What if Caelum really did see something in her?

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At the back of the bus, Chloe finally snapped out of her silence when Liz whispered again. “It’s fine, Chloe.

Aurelia probably won’t even last a week as his partner. He’ll regret it.”

But Chloe’s throat burned as she forced herself to nod. Her pride wouldn’t let her cry here, in front of everyone.

Still, her insides twisted with humiliation. All she could picture was Caelum’s indifferent face as he said Aurelia’s name, like it was the simplest choice in the world.

Mandy leaned closer, whispering in her ear, “Don’t worry. We’ll find a way to turn this around.”

Chloe didn’t respond. She just kept her eyes on the road outside, pretending to be lost in thought, while her heart quietly broke.

And Piper? remained Silent.

But silence wasn’t really who she was—not always.

Piper used to be different. She used to sit with Chloe, Mandy, and Liz, laughing the loudest, tossing sharp comments at anyone who dared look their way.

Back then, her voice carried weight, her confidence turned heads. She had been part of the noise, part of the drama, and she liked it.

But things changed. Somewhere along the line, the bond cracked. Chloe became sharper, more territorial, and Piper slowly drifted out of the circle.

Maybe she had walked away, maybe they had pushed her out—it was hard to tell now. All she knew was that the girl who once laughed the loudest was now sitting on her own, with her headphones in, pretending the world didn’t sting.

So when Caelum chose Aurelia’s name, Piper didn’t scoff or throw insults the way Chloe did. She didn’t roll her eyes or whisper schemes like Mandy and Liz.

She just sat there, quiet. But inside? Inside she was breaking.

Her heart thudded painfully against her ribs as the name echoed in her mind—Aurelia.

She told herself she didn’t care, that it wasn’t a big deal.

But if it didn’t matter, then why did her chest feel so tight? Why did her jaw ache from how hard she was clenching it?

She twisted the cord of her headphones, staring blankly at the seat in front of her. It wasn’t that she thought Caelum would definitely choose her… but a small, foolish part of her had hoped.

Just a flicker of belief that maybe he had noticed her once, in some small way. But he hadn’t.

What hurt even more was watching Chloe react. Chloe could afford to be loud about her anger, throwing glances, muttering bitter words.

Everyone noticed Chloe’s pain because she demanded it. Piper couldn’t. She had lost that privilege the day she stopped being “one of them.” Now, her feelings stayed locked inside her chest, unnoticed, unspoken.

And yet, the jealousy was there. Quiet, but burning. She hated that Aurelia got chosen, hated that Chloe was still bold enough to fight for attention, hated most of all that she herself didn’t even have the courage to say a word anymore.

The bus grew noisier, songs filling the air, students cheering, laughter spilling between seats.

Piper pressed her earbuds deeper into her ears, though the music wasn’t even playing. She just needed the shield. To everyone else, she looked calm—indifferent, even.

But if anyone had looked closely, they would have seen the way her lips pressed into a thin line, the way her hands shook slightly against her lap. Inside her, the words screamed, de
sperate and raw:

It should have been me.

The bus rolled on steadily, carrying them closer to the camp.

The once-fun songs had died down completely now. All that remained was the low hum of the engine, the occasional cough, the shuffle of feet.

Inside, the air was heavy—not with noise, but with emotions unspoken.