The cafeteria hummed with life, an orchestra of clinking trays, lively chatter, and the occasional burst of laughter. As I stepped through the entrance, scanning the sea of familiar faces, Baihe spotted me immediately. Her hand shot up, waving me over with the enthusiasm of someone who had a secret to share.
"Overachiever spotted!" Baihe teased as I slid into the seat beside her. I rolled my eyes playfully, glancing at Yike's scowl.
"Let me guess," I said, eyeing the open book in front of him. "You're trying to disprove Ptolemy and Galileo at the same time?"
Baihe snorted, but Yike's glare sharpened.
"Laugh all you want, but at least I'm putting in the work. Unlike someone who coasts through school on sheer luck."
There it was—that edge in his tone. For as long as I'd known Yike, he'd seen me as his rival.
And no matter how hard I worked or how much time I sacrificed for track events, he always assumed my achievements came easy. His constant need to compete had turned even the simplest interactions into challenges.
"Luck?" I echoed, forcing a calm tone. "Maybe you mean multitasking. It's not my fault I can juggle running and school better than most."
"You mean skipping class for practices while still beating the rest of us," he snapped.
"Some of us actually have to study to stay at the top."
"Okay, gladiators, cool it," Baihe interjected, raising her hands. "Let's not turn this into a lunchroom battle royale. Yike, you're still at nine in the rankings. It's not like Taryn's stealing your spot on purpose."
"Nine isn't first," Yike muttered, his pencil tapping harder.
I sighed, feeling the familiar weight of his resentment. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed Yike would always see me as the person standing in the way of his success.
As the tension settled uneasily between us, Baihe leaned closer to me, dropping her voice.
"You have heard about the latest post, right? It's all anyone's talking about. Daylight saving time and the eclipse this Friday—apparently, it's going to be some rare celestial alignment."
I nodded. "Jia had also been buzzing with excitement about it for a day now. She'd even managed to tie it back to her endless fascination with constellations. Plus, she's convinced that this alignment is symbolic or something. Knowing her, she'll probably have a whole presentation ready for us by tonight," I said, half-smiling at the thought.
"That's a good one but have you seen this yet?" she asked, her voice brimming with intrigue. She turned her screen toward me, revealing a post trending across half the school.
The headline read: Celestial Eclipse: Daylight Saving Time and the Eclipse Collide in Cosmic Harmony
I blinked at the screen, raising an eyebrow. "Let me guess. Conspiracy theories about how the eclipse is going to bring eternal darkness?"
"Not quite, but close," Baihe said, grinning. "Apparently, this alignment isn't just rare—it's, like, astronomically rare. People are saying it could mess with technology, change weather patterns, or even—get this—affect our moods and people."
"Or it's just a shadow on the moon," I said dryly, taking a sip of my water.
Across the table, Yike suddenly glanced up. I caught the flicker of interest in his eyes before he quickly turned his attention back to his notebook. It was subtle, but I could tell he was listening.
"Come on, Taryn," Baihe said, rolling her eyes at me. "Lighten up. You have to admit it's cool. I mean, think about it—daylight saving, the eclipse, the rumors about Principal Rui superstition. It's all coming together."
I smirked. "Yeah, I'll admit it's cool. But if you're banking on Rui's giving us an early dismissal over superstition, you might want to start drafting Plan B."
"I don't need Plan B," Baihe shot back, wagging her phone at me.
"This post already has over three hundred likes and one hundred fifty comments. People are saying they won't let the school ruin their chance to see the eclipse."
Yike's pencil tapped against his notebook, drawing both our attention. He stopped abruptly, looking almost self-conscious. Then, without lifting his head, he muttered, "It's not just a shadow on the moon, you know."
I frowned, surprised he'd chimed in at all. For once, there was no edge to his voice—just a quiet certainty.
"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously.
He hesitated, his grip tightening on the pencil. "The alignment," he said finally.
"It's... unique. The gravitational forces during events like this can have strange effects—on tides, on the earth's crust, even on people."
Baihe leaned forward, her curiosity visibly piqued. "You're saying there's actually something to all these theories?"
Yike shrugged, his expression unreadable. "I'm saying it's more complicated than you think. But I wouldn't expect you to care about that."
And just like that, the walls were back up. He turned away, shutting down the conversation as abruptly as he'd started it.
I bit back a sigh, resisting the urge to press him further. If Yike wanted to retreat into his bubble of rivalry and aloofness, I wasn't going to chase him out of it.
"Well, that's ominous,"
Baihe said after a beat, breaking the awkward silence.
She glanced at her watch and grimaced. "Come on, we'd better get to class before Mr. Chao decides to fail us."
The three of us filed into the Science classroom just as the bell's sharp ring cut through the hallway chatter.
I slid into my usual seat by the window, Baihe claiming the spot to my left. To my right—unavoidably close—Yike settled in without so much as glancing my way.
The air between us felt heavier than usual, a quiet storm waiting to crackle.
I tried not to let his presence distract me, focusing instead on the faint hum of the air conditioner and the rhythmic click of Mr. Chao's shoes as he entered the room.
He adjusted his glasses with a practiced precision, his gaze sweeping over the class like a radar locking onto its target.
"Settle down," he commanded, his voice clipped but not unkind.
"Today, given the upcoming celestial event, we'll be delving into the science of eclipses and orbital mechanics. Let's see if you've been keeping up."
The room quieted instantly except for those students that ignored his presence. Tension wrapping itself around us as Mr. Chao's gaze lingered on a few students that did not pay attention.