Chapter 38 Silence
Morning light spilled through the thin curtains, turning the room pale gold. Dust floated in slow circles, like little ghosts caught in the air.
Lila sat on the edge of her bed, still half-dazed from sleep. For a second, she forgot where she was until she saw the blue tape dividing the room and remembered.
Nora’s side looked exactly as it did the night before. Books lined in perfect order. The framed photograph now faced outward again, upright, gleaming faintly in the sunlight.
Lila swallowed. She didn’t remember Nora turning it up. Maybe she’d dreamed of it. Maybe she hadn’t.
Nora moved suddenly, pushing her blanket aside. She sat up without looking at Lila, her blond hair falling forward as she reached for something under her pillow, a small silver chain, thin as thread. She held it for a long moment before putting it around her neck.
“Morning,” Lila said softly, trying to sound normal.
Nora didn’t respond right away. Then, in a low, distracted voice, “You talk in your sleep again.”
Lila blinked. “Did I?”
“You said her name.” Nora’s eyes met hers gray and flat. “Ruby.”
Lila froze. Her mouth went dry. “I’m sorry. I didn’t.”
“Don’t apologize.” Nora stood, brushing her hair back. “Just don’t let her follow you here.”
The words hit like a slap.
Lila looked down at her hands. “She’s not, she’s gone.”
Nora tilted her head slightly. “Some people don’t stay gone.”
Lila didn’t know what to say. Her heart was thudding too fast. The way Nora said it was calm, quiet, certain, which made her skin prickle.
Before she could respond, there was a knock on the door.
Nora turned sharply. “It’s open.”
Three girls came in laughing, all blond, like her, all dressed in soft beige and denim. Their laughter filled the small space, light and cold at the same time. The one in front carried a cup of iced coffee and wore a smirk that didn’t reach her eyes.
“Morning, Nora,” she said brightly, then noticed Lila. Her expression changed, interest flickering for a second. “Oh, so you’re the new one.”
Lila stood awkwardly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Hi,” she murmured.
The girl’s smirk widened. “You’re the one from East Hall, right? The red-haired girl’s roommate?”
The room seemed to shrink. Lila nodded once. “Yes. That was me.”
The second girl giggled. “You really moved on fast, huh?”
“Trina,” Nora said quietly, without turning around. “Don’t.”
Trina shrugged. “What? I’m just saying.”
The third girl whispered something, and they both laughed again. Lila felt her face burn. She picked up her backpack slowly, pretending not to hear, though every word felt like glass under her skin.
Nora said nothing. She just stared at her reflection in the mirror, brushing her hair with slow, deliberate strokes.
Lila couldn’t stand it anymore. She slung her bag over her shoulder and forced a small smile. “I..I should go to class.”
No one answered. Not even Nora.
As she stepped out of the room, the laughter followed her down the hall, fading only when the door shut behind her.
The corridor was quiet and empty. Lila walked faster, her breath uneven. The sting in her chest spread to her throat, and before she could stop herself, tears spilled down her cheeks.
She wiped them quickly, but they kept coming silent, warm, steady. It wasn’t just what they said. It was how small she felt again. How easily people could look at her and only see the story, not the person.
By the time she reached the exit, she had forced a smile back onto her face, weak, shaky, but still a smile.
Outside, the autumn air was crisp, smelling faintly of rain and wet leaves. Students moved across the courtyard, chatting, laughing, and alive. Lila blinked hard, trying to clear her eyes.
That’s when she saw him.
Asher stood by the entrance steps, hands in his pockets, watching her. His brow furrowed when he saw her face. “Lila?”
She stopped. “Hey.”
He stepped closer. “Were you crying?”
She shook her head quickly, forcing a small laugh. “No. Soap got in my eyes while washing up.”
Asher raised an eyebrow. “Soap?”
“Mm-hmm.” She smiled again, though her lips trembled. “Bad aim.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he let it go. “You sure?”
“Promise,” she said quietly.
For a second, he just looked at her, at the tiredness in her eyes, the faint red marks on her fingers from clutching her bag too tightly. Then he nodded, though the worry didn’t leave his face.
“Come on,” he said gently. “We should go.”
“Go where?”
“To the police station,” he said. “You remember what we talked about reporting the roses, the chocolates, the notes. You need to tell them.”
She hesitated. Her stomach twisted at the thought. “Do we really have to go today?”
“Yes,” he said firmly. “The sooner, the better.”
Lila sighed, shifting the strap of her bag. “All right. But can we stop by the café first? I haven’t had breakfast.”
“Of course,” he said, his voice softening. “You pick the table; I’ll pick the coffee.”
That made her laugh a little, and he smiled, relieved to see it.
They started walking together toward the edge of campus, the path lined with fallen leaves that crunched under their shoes. The wind carried a faint chill, but the sun was still warm on her shoulders.
It felt almost normal for a moment. And almost safe.
Asher glanced at her again. “So,how’s the new roommate?”
Lila hesitated. “She’s nice,” she said finally. “Quiet, but keeps to herself.”
He smiled slightly. “That sounds peaceful.”
“Yeah.” Lila’s voice was softer now. “She’s really welcoming.”
She didn’t know why she said it. Maybe she just wanted it to be true.
Asher nodded, kicking a pebble across the path. “I’m glad. You deserve a little calmness after everything.”
Lila forced another smile, but her mind replayed Nora’s words like an echo.Don’t let her follow you here. Some people don’t stay gone.
A small chill ran down her back. She rubbed her arms and looked ahead.
The wind rustled through the trees. A group of students passed them, laughing. The world kept moving, ordinary and alive, even while something inside her felt suspended like a thread pulled too tight.
When they reached the corner near the gate, Asher stopped, turning to face her. “We’ll get through this, Lila. Okay?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
He smiled. “Good. Then let’s go tell them everything.”
But as they crossed the street toward the bus stop, Lila glanced back once at the dorms. At her window.
A shadow moved behind the curtain slow, smooth, deliberate. It wasn't Nora’s silhouette. This one was taller.
She blinked hard, and it was gone.
Her breath hitched.
“Asher?” she whispered.
He turned. “Yeah?”
She hesitated, forcing a small shake of her head. “Nothing. I thought I left my notebook.”
“You can get it later,” he said. “Come on we’ll be late.”
Lila nodded, still staring for a second longer at that window.
It was empty and perfectly still now. Maybe it was her imagination. Maybe it wasn’t.
But she couldn’t stop thinking about Nora,, the calm way she’d looked at her that morning, like she knew something Lila didn’t.
And the photo. The photo that had somehow turned itself upright.
A flicker of unease curled in her stomach as they reached the bus stop.
Asher was talking about the police, about safety, about staying at his place again if she felt scared but his words faded into a blur. Lila’s mind was back in that room.
Back with the strange, quiet girl who said she didn’t like ghosts.
Lila’s phone buzzed, a new message from an unknown number. It was just a picture of her new dorm window taken from outside.