Conqueror of Daylight

Chapter 35: Where Is My Mind?

The school bell rings, marking the freedom of students from their classes.

Claire is spotted busy at her locker when Mary slams it shut with her characteristic flair for drama.

"Y/N asked you to the dance, and you didn't tell us?" Mary exclaimed with disbelief and excitement, misunderstanding the situation immediately.

Darci, the eager participant in school gossip, sidles up with a smirk. "Spill it, C-bomb, before Mare and I explode!"

Brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, Claire corrects the record with a shy smile. "Actually, there's not much to tell, except... I sorta asked Y/N."

The reaction is immediate: Mary and Darci gasp, the shock evident on their faces. Unable to contain her surprise, Darci blurts out, "Good, girl!"

Mary, however, is quick to play the voice of reason, or at least what she believes to be reason. "Excuse me, Darci. Do not celebrate. Educate," she scolds, her finger waggling as if she's about to reveal the universe's secrets.

"That's not how you do things, Claire. There are rules to being on top of the social food chain. What sort of world do you think we live in?" Mary lectures, her words echoing the unwritten code of high school dynamics.

Claire can't help but roll her eyes, a gesture hidden from her friends. "If only you knew," she murmurs under her breath, her mind swirling with the complexities of her life that far surpass the high school hierarchy.

Still caught up in the drama, Mary can't help but probe further. "But why did Y/N suddenly change? What about Jim? I thought you two were... you know."

Claire sighs, the weight of her secret world heavy on her shoulders. "It's complicated," she admits, her tone suggesting a web of emotions and circumstances her friends couldn't possibly understand.

Still reeling from the initial shock, Darci adds with a half-joking, half-serious tone, "I thought those rumors about you and Y/N were just... well, rumors."

"...Like I said, Darce, it's complicated."

Claire then spots Jim and Y/N at their lockers and waves cheerfully. Both boys wave back, but there's a slight stiffness in the air, a remnant of unresolved tensions.

Y/N, noticing the awkwardness, shares a quick, knowing look with Jim but decides to keep the moment light.

Meanwhile, Darci's curiosity is piqued. "What's the scoop? What did he say?"

Mary, always ready for some gossip, presses on. "Yeah, C-bomb. Spill it."

Caught slightly off-guard but maintaining her composure, Claire admits, "Well, I did ask Y/N to the fling, but... I haven't gotten an answer yet."

Darci's eyes widen in shock. "Seriously?!" Her genuine surprise is mixed with amusement and disbelief coloring her face.

Their conversation is abruptly interrupted by Toby's mishap with a locker door, which swings open and hits him squarely in the face. Toby sobs, not from the pain but from the sheer absurdity of his luck. "I can't feel my arms," he laments, trying to shake off the embarrassment.

Jim, trying to ease Toby's discomfort, jokes, "First day with the Warhammer, and you're already making enemies with lockers."

Y/N adds his two cents, "Careful, Tobes. At this rate, you'll be legendary for your locker battles before taking on any real trolls."

Toby, determined not to let the incident dampen his spirits, boasts, "Just you wait. When it counts, ol' Warhammer and I will be ready. Right, Y/N?"

Y/N nods, a smile playing on his lips. "Absolutely. Just maybe practice without the locker as an opponent next time."