Chapter 145 Mask

Chapter 145 Mask
Skylar's POV

I looked back toward his usual seat immediately the class ended, already smiling, ready to ask if he wanted to grab something to eat before his next period.

He was already halfway to the door, shoving his notebook into his bag without bothering to zip it properly, moving faster than I'd ever seen him move.
My smile faded. "Elias?"
He didn't turn around, he kept walking, out the door and into the crowded hallway.
I stood there, confused, before I grabbed my own bag and hurried after him.

"Elias, wait." I dodged around a cluster of freshmen blocking the hallway, catching sight of him a few yards ahead. "Elias!"
He slowed, finally, though he didn't stop until I caught up and stepped in front of him, forcing him to either look at me or walk straight into me.
"Oh… Hi, Skylar." He said quickly, his eyes flicking over my shoulder instead of meeting mine properly. "What are you doing he….?"

"What am I doing?" I repeated, half laughing in disbelief. "I'm chasing you down the hallway because you practically sprinted out of class without saying a word to me. What's going on with you?"
"Nothing's going on." He shifted his bag higher on his shoulder, still not quite looking at me. "I just have somewhere to be."
"You're avoiding me." I crossed my arms, refusing to let him sidestep this. "Why?"

He exhaled, some of the deflection draining out of his posture all at once
He finally met my eyes. "I just figured, after yesterday, you'd probably want some space. From all of it….From me, probably."
"Why would you think that?"
"Because Ryan clearly doesn't want us together, Skylar." He said it plainly, no bitterness in it, just tired resignation.
"I saw the way he looked at me at the coffee shop yesterday. I'm not stupid. I know when someone's marking territory."

Something hot and defensive rose in my chest. "Ryan doesn't get a say in who I spend time with."
"Maybe not officially." His mouth twisted. "But you've known him your whole life, and I've known you for a few weeks. I'm not going to pretend I don't know how that math works out."
"That's not fair, Elias. You want to stay away because of my childhood friend."

"It's not about fairness, I'm just being realistic." He shrugged. "I don't need to make things complicated for you. I'd rather just step back."
"You're seriously avoiding me because of him." I said slowly. "Elias, that's exactly what he wants. If you back off because you're scared of Ryan, he wins, and I don't get a say in any of it either."

He hesitated, I could see him actually considering that, some of the certainty slipping from his expression.
"I don't care what Ryan thinks," I continued. "I care what you think. And if you don't want this, if you don't want to spend time with me, that's fine, that's your choice. But don't make that choice for me because you're worried about him."

For a long moment, he didn't say anything, just stayed at me, his eyes moving over my face.
"Okay," I said finally, taking a breath before I could talk myself out of it. "Since you clearly need it spelled out….Go out with me. This weekend, ” I paused before continuing. “Just the two of us, no philosophy homework as an excuse and definitely no accidental run-ins with anyone else."

His eyes widened, genuine surprise breaking through the careful distance he'd been holding all conversation. "You're asking me out."
"I'm asking you out," I confirmed. "Unless you'd rather keep sprinting away from me in hallways…your call."
A slow smile crept across his face. "No…I mean, yes. I'd like that. The going out part, not the sprinting."

"Good." I felt something in my chest ease and a little nervous all at once. "Saturday, then."
"Saturday," he agreed, the smile stayed glued on his face the rest of the way down the hallway.
He peeled off toward his next class with a small wave. I turned the corner alone, still smiling faintly to myself, when I stopped short….The hallway looked different.

Someone had covered nearly every inch of wall space with posters, deep black and gold, ornate masks printed across each one, elegant cursive announcing this year's theme. Homecoming: A Night of Masks. The date sat beneath it in smaller lettering, three weeks out.

My chest did something complicated and immediate, a rush of feeling I hadn't braced for.
I stepped closer to the nearest poster, tracing the edge of the printed mask with my eyes.
I stood there for a minute, just staring at it.

Homecoming had always been mine, more than any other event on the school calendar. It was my favorite thing about this school. My mom used to help me pick out dresses when I was little, long before I was even old enough to attend, both of us flipping through magazines at the kitchen table while she told me stories about her own homecoming. About the year she wore green and danced until her feet ached. It had become our thing, something just between us every single year since.

And a masquerade theme, of all things. Masks, mystery, the kind of night where you could be anyone for a few hours.
I didn't even realize I was still standing there smiling at a poster until someone bumped my shoulder on their way past, jolting me back into the noise of the hallway, students clustering around the other posters now, already talking over each other about dates and dresses and who was going with who.

"Three weeks," I thought, my fingers curling at my sides in excitement.
I already knew Ryan would have opinions about who I went with but this time I didn't care.
I pulled out my phone to text my mom but then I stopped, my thumb hovering over the screen. I put it away instead…
This year, for the first time, I wasn't sure I wanted her help picking the dress.