dissipated. “No,” she cried again, now aware of her tears.
The exhaustion was engulfing her now. She couldn’t keep her eyes open. Sleep would soon claim her there on the hardwood. She was too tired to move.
But just before she drifted away entirely, she heard, “Olinia, are you alright?”
: : : : :
The bell rang and Legann slid out of his desk chair. School was officially over for the week. His presentation with Lillie had gone well enough. It would definitely get him a passing grade, and , at this point in his life , that was all that mattered.
Legann grabbed his things and headed out, stopping once at his locker before exiting the building. He pulled up short outside, though, when he didn’t find Olinia’s car anywhere. He blinked. Olinia was never late.
He reached into his jacket pocket for his phone, thinking that maybe he’d missed her text. Nothing. This wasn’t like her. He dialed her number, but it rang until he got her voicemail. After three more calls of the same thing, he gave up and texted her. Silently, he searched for her mind, but was greeted with only dark, blank space. Legann decided she must have fallen asleep. There was no other reason for her lack of communication – unless Sazx had returned to his Nagreth ways and killed her. That seemed a little unlikely though since he’d kissed her recently.
“Need a ride?”
He turned and found Lillie watching him, her keys in hand. He shook his head and forced a smile. “No, thanks. I’m fine.”
“Really?” She raised an eyebrow. “Your sister has never been late before.”
“Do you keep tabs on me?” Legann blinked.
She let out a short laugh. “I was joking.”
“Oh.”
“Come on,” she began for the student parking lot, “I’ll take you home.”
Legann sighed and followed after her. “I might be out of your way, or make you late to something.”
She grunted. “Like what, an empty house? My dad’s hardly ever there.”
Her car was close. It was a shiny, silver Honda Accord, only a couple years old. Lillie ran a hand through her spiky hair before she opened the back door on the driver’s side, dumping her book bag on the seat. “Go ahead and get in,” she told him.
“Thanks.” Legann slid into the passenger seat.
Once Lillie was inside as well, she started the car and backed out of her spot. “So, where do you live?”
“Do you know where Greenbank Road is? I’m over there.”
“Oh, okay.” She nodded. “I’ve been down there before. It’s pretty, lots of trees.”
“Yeah, it’s not bad.”
“Have you lived there long?”
“No, just a little more than a year.”
She nodded again and they fell silent while she drove. After a moment, Legann asked, “Is this your car?”
“Now it is,” she answered, somewhat hesitantly. “It used to be my brother’s.”
Legann winced. The only brother she had ever mentioned having was dead. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not like I’m the only one to have lost a family member.” She glanced at him. “The rumor at school is you’re an orphan.”
“The rumor?” Legann raised an eyebrow. “You’re pretty blunt, aren’t you?”
“Sorry, I just think it’s silly when people try to cover up a death with words like ‘passed away,’ as if that would make the truth easier to swallow,” she retorted. “When a person dies, it means they’re dead. No amount of pleasantries is going to change that.”
Legann couldn’t help but stare at her. “You know, more people should think that way.”
“I know.”
They were to his street now. Legann pointed to the entrance of his long driveway. “That’s my house. You can just drop me off at the street. You don’t have to take me to the door.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Thanks for the ride.”
“No problem. I hope your sister’s okay.”
“I’m sure she’s fine.” He opened his door and stepped out. “I bet she’s taking a nap and forgot to set an alarm or something.
The exhaustion was engulfing her now. She couldn’t keep her eyes open. Sleep would soon claim her there on the hardwood. She was too tired to move.
But just before she drifted away entirely, she heard, “Olinia, are you alright?”
: : : : :
The bell rang and Legann slid out of his desk chair. School was officially over for the week. His presentation with Lillie had gone well enough. It would definitely get him a passing grade, and , at this point in his life , that was all that mattered.
Legann grabbed his things and headed out, stopping once at his locker before exiting the building. He pulled up short outside, though, when he didn’t find Olinia’s car anywhere. He blinked. Olinia was never late.
He reached into his jacket pocket for his phone, thinking that maybe he’d missed her text. Nothing. This wasn’t like her. He dialed her number, but it rang until he got her voicemail. After three more calls of the same thing, he gave up and texted her. Silently, he searched for her mind, but was greeted with only dark, blank space. Legann decided she must have fallen asleep. There was no other reason for her lack of communication – unless Sazx had returned to his Nagreth ways and killed her. That seemed a little unlikely though since he’d kissed her recently.
“Need a ride?”
He turned and found Lillie watching him, her keys in hand. He shook his head and forced a smile. “No, thanks. I’m fine.”
“Really?” She raised an eyebrow. “Your sister has never been late before.”
“Do you keep tabs on me?” Legann blinked.
She let out a short laugh. “I was joking.”
“Oh.”
“Come on,” she began for the student parking lot, “I’ll take you home.”
Legann sighed and followed after her. “I might be out of your way, or make you late to something.”
She grunted. “Like what, an empty house? My dad’s hardly ever there.”
Her car was close. It was a shiny, silver Honda Accord, only a couple years old. Lillie ran a hand through her spiky hair before she opened the back door on the driver’s side, dumping her book bag on the seat. “Go ahead and get in,” she told him.
“Thanks.” Legann slid into the passenger seat.
Once Lillie was inside as well, she started the car and backed out of her spot. “So, where do you live?”
“Do you know where Greenbank Road is? I’m over there.”
“Oh, okay.” She nodded. “I’ve been down there before. It’s pretty, lots of trees.”
“Yeah, it’s not bad.”
“Have you lived there long?”
“No, just a little more than a year.”
She nodded again and they fell silent while she drove. After a moment, Legann asked, “Is this your car?”
“Now it is,” she answered, somewhat hesitantly. “It used to be my brother’s.”
Legann winced. The only brother she had ever mentioned having was dead. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not like I’m the only one to have lost a family member.” She glanced at him. “The rumor at school is you’re an orphan.”
“The rumor?” Legann raised an eyebrow. “You’re pretty blunt, aren’t you?”
“Sorry, I just think it’s silly when people try to cover up a death with words like ‘passed away,’ as if that would make the truth easier to swallow,” she retorted. “When a person dies, it means they’re dead. No amount of pleasantries is going to change that.”
Legann couldn’t help but stare at her. “You know, more people should think that way.”
“I know.”
They were to his street now. Legann pointed to the entrance of his long driveway. “That’s my house. You can just drop me off at the street. You don’t have to take me to the door.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Thanks for the ride.”
“No problem. I hope your sister’s okay.”
“I’m sure she’s fine.” He opened his door and stepped out. “I bet she’s taking a nap and forgot to set an alarm or something.
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