SERAPHINA'S POV
I don't go to meet Artemis in the teacher's lounge until Jasper has found the nurse, and Olivia receives the attention she needs, now that she's awake.
Eventually, she falls asleep once more. This time, however, we're assured that she's really just sleeping, not slipping back into a coma. I can finally breathe again.
When she wakes up, we can get her to testify against whoever it was, and finally have Morgan right where we want him. Somehow, in the end, being patient and doing absolutely nothing paid off.
I knock three times on the door leading to the teacher's lounge and walk in, expecting to see only Artemis-but he's not alone.
With him is the entire campaign team. The moment our eyes meet, Alice jumps up, popping a bottle of champagne just as everyone else in the room screams 'Congratulations!'
I'm stunned and surprised, taking a moment to look around before Alice and Juliet rush in to hug me. I can't help but chuckle now, reveling in this precious, happy moment as I hug them both back.
Gabe stands to the side, silently watching, offering only a small nod as a sign of respect. I return it before reluctantly prying my eyes away from him.
"You did it, Sera," Alice chimes in, pulling away to perform a little dance as an expression of her excitement. "Somehow, you managed to win against Morgan."
"I knew she could do it. The moment she walked into this school, she turned the entire social hierarchy on its head," Juliet boasts on my behalf.
I laugh nervously at their praise, unsure how to react to all this attention.
"It's not official yet, though-just speculation. For all we know, there could be another hiccup, maybe even something relating to why a human can't hold a place of power."
"Nonsense," Artemis interjects.
For the first time since entering the room, I meet his intense blue eyes. Clear and warm. I can't hold his gaze for long before looking away.
For some reason, I'm too nervous to maintain eye contact.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure there's no foul play that'll ruin your chances of winning," he assures me, his smile tugging at my heartstrings.
I say nothing, nodding nervously. The air turns almost awkward, until Juliet refocuses my attention with the most bizarre announcement.
"We have to celebrate this victory!" Juliet exclaims.
"What?" I respond, puzzled.
"I agree with Juliet. Think about it-you've risen from the ashes, survived countless bullying attacks, and taken charge of the Omegas. Despite Morgan's taunts, you emerged victorious," Alice adds dramatically, fanning the flames of this party idea I'm suddenly not keen on.
"If I throw a party, who would even show up?" I ask, pointing out that I'm still the human outcast of the high school.
The room goes silent. Everyone looks at me as if I've lost my mind.
"No offense, Sera, but-have you gone mad?" Alice questions.
"I don't think I have," I reply cautiously.
"Things aren't the same as they were when you first arrived. Now you have more than just a few friends; you've got the support of the entire Omega population at school. People have grown to love you for who you are-because you've shown us that being small isn't a weakness. There's strength in numbers," Alice delivers this valiant speech, all in a bid to convince me.
"If you throw a party, we'd need to worry about a venue large enough for the number of people who will show up," Juliet adds, already planning the whole thing in her head.
They're right, right?
I mean, I do kind of owe everyone a night of peace and fun after all that's happened-a night to symbolize the end of our oppression and a new era free from Morgan's tyranny.
"You're right, I guess," I concede.
The moment I give in, the duo bursts into a cacophony of chattering, each throwing in different ideas for the plan. I quickly feel overwhelmed; after all, my roommate just woke up, and I've only just realized that I'm winning an election.
"Okay, that's enough," Artemis interjects. "The rest of you can leave."
"Darn it," Juliet mutters, hugging me swiftly before turning to leave.
Alice pulls her off me and they both exit, pausing to wave goodbye before shutting the door. Finally, the room falls silent, and I can feel myself breathing again.
"Congratulations," Artemis speaks up, drawing my attention back to him. "Again."
He says it casually, eyes pinned on me, standing in what might as well be his safety zone-a significant distance away from me. As if there's an invisible boundary between us that he's hesitant to cross.
But tonight, that distance feels like an infinite space, and I can't bear it. Ignoring any reservations, I close the gap in two determined strides and pull him into a hug.
The moment our bodies make contact, I sense a jolt go through him, like an electric charge. His entire frame tenses, as if my hug is a question he didn't expect and doesn't know how to answer.
But I hold on, anchoring myself to him for just a few precious seconds.
"Thank you," I whisper, my voice tinged with something I can't quite name.
I've been on an emotional rollercoaster lately. It feels like I'm going through a second puberty. I pull away when the 30 seconds mark hits, before the storm can break, swiping at the residual tears beneath my eyes.
"I know I'm acting weird. Just-a lot has been going on," I admit, almost breathless.
"I understand. Jasper told me about Olivia waking up. That's wonderful news. Believe me, within a week, this whole Morgan fiasco will be behind us. Once his goons confess, it's over," he says.
I find it easier to trust him now, to rely on his words. A pang of guilt hits me for being so hard on him lately. He's been trying to get on my good side, even if he occasionally stumbles.
"What are you doing later?" I ask.
He looks at me and chuckles after a moment's pause.
"Okay, now you're not acting like yourself. Who are you and what have you done with Sera?" he jokes.
I can't contain the laughter that bubbles up, even if I tried.
"I'm serious. I want to do something nice for you... as a sort of payback." The words feel lighter as they leave my lips, as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
He seems to ponder on it for a while-though I suspect he's pretending-before locking eyes with me.
"I'll try to round up everything I have to do this evening before 7."
"Okay... I'll see you then," I say, slowly backing away toward the door. My fingers twitch with anticipation, and my heart does a nervous little skip.
"It's a date." He winks, and the atmosphere between us suddenly becomes electric.
"Artemis, it's not a date!" My cheeks are hot and my voice is fierce with denial. It's not a date. Date translates to something more. And simply put, there's nothing more.
Just a Sera and Artemis hangout.
"Sure it isn't," he replies, a mischievous smile curling his lips. The look in his eyes holds a secret, like he knows something I don't.
Ugh!
Frustrated, yet weirdly excited, I turn and walk out the door. I don't want to get into a battle of words over the nature of tonight's hangout
Though I'm usually irked by Artemis' teasing and playful arrogance, today, it leaves me with a comforting smile.
I make my way through the school, aiming to leave before the rush. But there's another stop to make-art class. I peek through the door, a little uncertain.
Our encounters have always been a game of chance, not planned meetings.
And as if fate is on my side, I find Lucian there, at the back of the empty classroom. Dressed in an apron splashed with colors, he's immersed in painting, earbuds playing a melody only he can hear.
It's a vivid image, one that resonates with the lone wolf aura he always carries.
I linger, watching him paint, captivated by how engrossed he is. There's something pure in his focus, a sense of dedication that's almost so raw and intriguing.
I don't want to interrupt him; I just want to stand here, capturing this moment as if it's a piece of rare, uncut gem, beautiful in its untouched essence.
By pure chance, his eyes move to the left and meet mine. A jolt courses through me; I'm taken off guard and pull my head out of the doorway, hiding as if I haven't already been caught.
My heart is pounding so loudly in my chest, it's almost deafening.
"Sera?" he calls my name softly, further unsettling my emotions.
Taking a few deep breaths, I muster up the courage to peek back in, this time walking in with heightened nerves.
"Hey, Lucian."
"What are you doing here?" he inquires, pulling the earbuds from his ears and standing up to approach me.
The proximity sends tiny tremors of anticipation through my body.
I find myself suddenly speechless, which is so unlike me. Every second he looks at me, my heart does these acrobatic flips-double, then triple-and I'm too tongue-tied to string my words together.
I swear, it's like those first weeks all over again.
"W-well, I'm sure you've heard the news about the investigation?"
"Yeah," he smiles, and it's enough to make my knees feel like jelly. "Congratulations, Sera."
"Thank you," I manage, my voice barely above a whisper. For a fleeting moment, I lose myself in his silver eyes and start to wonder if the old feelings for him are resurfacing. "Also, Olivia's awake."
"That's good news!"
"Yeah, it is. I wanted to share it with you first because of the encouraging words you offered last time we spoke."
"I'm glad I could be of some help," he replies.
Nodding nervously, I try to put on my best chill façade, but it crumbles spectacularly.
I slip on some wet paint on the floor and fall backward. My heart leaps into my throat, but before I know it, he quickly reaches out, catching me by the hips and pulling me toward him.
For a brief, heart-stopping second, our bodies are close, and I can feel my pulse race, urging me to acknowledge feelings that I thought I'd killed off after the stunt he pulled.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah," I stammer, the short-circuiting in my brain making it difficult to string a coherent sentence together.
I mean, technically, I'm not okay, not with the way my heart is doing somersaults and my skin is tingling where he's touching me.
"You were saying something?" he adds, grinning slyly. All the while, his arms still hold me against his body.
Motherfucker knows what he's doing!
That smug grin is a dead giveaway.
"Yeah, there's going to be a party... I'd like you to come?" As the words spill out, they sound less flattering than what I'd envisioned.
His eyes spark, and that smile lingers. "Of course, I'll be there."