The bell rang, signaling the end of the break, and Monica stood nervously outside the door of her new classroom—Betha. She had spent the past few months worrying about her class placement, and now, standing here, she was finally about to step into the unknown.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The classroom was already half-filled with students, most of them chatting and sorting out their seats. Chelz was leaning lazily against a desk, his arms crossed and a bored expression on his face as he scanned the room.
"Yo, finally here?" he greeted her, stretching his arms dramatically.
Monica gave him a small nod, offering a slight smile, but her attention quickly shifted around the room. Most of the faces looked familiar, though she hadn't spoken to many of them before. There was Bona, sitting at the back, laughing with a group of girls. Their eyes met briefly, but Bona quickly looked away. Some things never changed, Monica thought. They still talked from time to time, but it was never quite the same as before.
As Monica settled into a seat near Chelz, their homeroom teacher, Miss Jenn, walked in. The chatter in the room quickly died down, and Miss Jenn set her papers on the desk, looking up at her new class.
"Good morning, everyone," Miss Jenn greeted cheerfully, adjusting her glasses. "Welcome to Betha. We're in for a long year ahead, but let's start by forming our class committee."
Monica sighed, already mentally preparing herself to sit through yet another round of awkward nominations. But at least they wouldn't be doing actual schoolwork today.
Miss Jenn started listing off the roles. First up, class monitor. Then assistant monitor, secretary, and so on. When it came time to nominate the treasurer, there was little surprise when Chelz was selected. With his easygoing nature and his surprising knack for numbers, he was practically the perfect candidate. He didn't protest, but the look on his face showed he would rather be anywhere else.
"Seriously?" Chelz muttered under his breath as he was handed the role.
Monica, on the other hand, didn't volunteer for anything. She wasn't interested in any position, and she was perfectly fine with staying under the radar for now. She was just hoping to get through the day without drawing too much attention to herself.
The morning passed quickly with more introductions and setting expectations. Miss Jenn reminded them that phones weren't allowed, which was nothing new, but students still whispered about who managed to sneak one in.
When recess finally arrived, Monica met up with Nana, Dan, and a few other friends near the canteen.
"So, how's Betha?" Nana asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she dug into her sandwich.
"Not bad," Monica said, resting her chin on her hand, "but I miss you guys."
"Of course, you do," Nana teased, nudging her.
Dan raised an eyebrow. "Bet you miss Lynx more."
Monica rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her lips. "He's in Omega, right? I haven't even seen him today."
But just as she said that, she spotted him walking alone toward the canteen. Lynx. Monica's heart skipped a beat. Without thinking, she stood up, grabbing her wallet and heading towards him.
Nana raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going?"
"Uh—getting food," Monica replied, her voice a little too quick as she headed off.
She didn't know why, but seeing Lynx walking alone made her feel an odd unease. He wasn't someone who usually sought out company, but still, she felt the sudden urge to be near him.
Lynx noticed her approaching but didn't say anything. He just stuffed his hands into his pockets, his expression unreadable as usual.
"Hey," Monica greeted, falling into step beside him.
Lynx glanced at her for a moment, his usual cool indifference apparent, before replying simply, "Hey."
The two of them walked in silence, neither of them rushing to fill the space with words. It wasn't uncomfortable, though. In fact, it felt oddly peaceful. The quiet between them felt natural, as though they didn't need to say anything to enjoy each other's presence.
When they arrived at the food counter, they each picked their usual meal. The act of silently choosing their food together felt like a small, comfortable routine.
Once they sat down at a nearby table, the silence continued. Monica glanced up from her meal to find Lynx calmly eating, his face relaxed. He seemed to be lost in thought, and Monica couldn't help but admire how easy it was to be with him like this. There were no expectations, no pressure—just a quiet, simple moment together.
As they continued eating, the silence remained, comfortable and familiar, neither of them speaking but somehow communicating more than words could. It was these moments with Lynx that made Monica feel a little more at ease with everything going on in her life.