Chapter 44 The New Transfer Student
Elena POV
The morning sun hit my eyes as I hurried across the courtyard. The time was rushing late.
"Elena! Wait up!" Liam’s voice echoed from behind.
I did not reply, quickening my pace toward the main entrance. He ran up right to my side, his breathing heavy as he adjusted his bag. He began talking rapidly, his voice laced with desperate worry.
I kept my lips pressed into a tight line as we walked through the crowded hallways. We were near our classroom when a sudden shift in the atmosphere made me look up.
Groups of students huddled near the lockers, pointing directly at us.
"Those are the ones from the medical tent," a girl whispered loudly. "I heard a wild wolf attacked their camp on the ridge."
"Yeah, and someone said they saw the wolf's dead body left behind in the woods before everyone evacuated," a boy replied.
My heart skipped a beat, an icy chill washing down my spine.
Three classmates suddenly stepped out, blocking our path. "Liam, Elena, who actually killed that wolf?" one demanded.
"Elena, can you tell us what you know about it?" another pressed, leaning in. "Or were the guides just lying?"
I lowered my head, keeping my eyes firmly trained on the ground.
"What are you doing out here this morning?" a sharp voice boomed through the corridor.
Our homeroom teacher marched down the hallway, her arms crossed tightly. "Why are you all standing around gossiping instead of being in your seats? Start going to your classes right now!"
The students scattered in all directions, hurrying into their rooms. I kept my head down as Liam and I finally stepped inside our classroom and moved toward our seats.
The final morning bell rang loudly. A few moments later, the heavy front door swung open and the teacher entered the room, tapping a stack of files on the podium.
"Class, settle down and pay attention," the teacher announced. "Before we begin our lessons today, we have a new transfer student joining our class."
She gestured toward the open doorway. A girl with a bright smile stepped across the threshold, smoothing down her new school uniform. It was Maya.
The teacher cleared her throat. "Please make her feel welcome," she told the class before turning to Maya. "Go ahead and find somewhere to sit."
Maya nodded, leaving the front of the class and walking down the narrow aisle.
She scanned the rows, but her footsteps suddenly stopped right by our desks. She stood completely still, staring intensely at the seat next to me. Following her line of sight, I looked over at Daniel sitting beside me. His face was pale and his fists were clenched tightly against the wood as he stared right back at her.
"Maya, what are you standing there doing?" the teacher questioned with a slight frown. "Please choose an available desk so we can begin.
Maya tore her eyes away from Daniel, hurrying down the row. She walked straight toward the open space right beside Liam, pulling out the chair and sitting down.
Liam looked at her in surprise, forcing a small, uneasy smile onto his face as she settled in next to him. I watched from my desk, a sharp, bitter pang shooting straight through my chest. I tightly gripped the edge of my notebook, forcing myself to look away.
The teacher tapped her chalk against the blackboard to regain our attention. "Now that everyone is seated, I have an announcement to share from Seraphina's family," she stated quietly.
The entire room grew completely quiet, the students leaning forward. "Due to recent events, her family has decided that she will no longer be coming to our school. She is traveling abroad to continue her education there effective immediately."
A collective gasp rippled through the room. I looked down at my desk, my trembling hands hidden beneath the wood.
The teacher turned back to the chalkboard, the screech of her chalk filling the silent room. Maya leaned closer to Liam’s side, her long hair brushing his shoulder as she pointed at a line in his notebook.
I forced my eyes away, staring blankly out the large glass window beside my desk.
……….
During the break, Daniel and I sat together at a quiet corner table in the school cafeteria.
I stirred my food slowly, looking across the table at him. "What happened back there?" I asked quietly. "When you looked at Maya, it seemed like you had seen her before."
Daniel stared down at his tray, his expression tight as he closed his mouth to speak. Before a word could leave his lips, a shadow fell over our table.
"Elena, right?" Maya's voice broke in as she stepped directly up to our side.
I offered her a brief nod, keeping my hands in my lap.
Maya smiled before turning her gaze onto Daniel. "Hi, Daniel. It has been a long time," she said softly.
Daniel gave her a single, stiff nod before looking away.
A second later, Liam reached our table carrying a tray of drinks. He took a seat right next to Maya, and we all started eating our food.
Maya picked up her chopsticks, casually starting a conversation. "So, Liam was telling me so much about the school before I transferred," she began, asking a few questions about the classes, which Liam quickly answered to keep the conversation moving.
Once Liam finished speaking, Maya turned her focus completely toward Daniel. She leaned forward slightly, her eyes scanning the two of us.
"I've been noticing you two in the classroom," Maya said, her eyes locking onto Daniel. "This is honestly my first time ever seeing you be friends with someone apart from Liam. Are you two in any relationship?"
The question caught me completely off guard. I instantly choked on my food, coughing as I tried to clear my airway.
Before I could even reach for a napkin, both Daniel and Liam moved at the exact same time. They picked up their cups and pushed them across the table, offering me their drinks.