❝The universe is full of stars. If it weren't for them, the galaxies wouldn't be bright and the night sky would be a lifeless veil of blue because one can rely on the moon only for so long. The universe wouldn't be itself if all those stars -althoug...
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IT HAD BEEN a while since Lyla had set foot on the second floor of the academy, the Cerulean Floor.
Hilary looked around the people gathered at the beginning of the dark blue painted hallway. She didn't expect they would be coming, not after the impolite and abrupt manner she left from the training room. Part of her was sure they wouldn't take her behavior to heart, but she wasn't going to receive their understanding for granted.
She scanned the faces present and noticed one was missing.
The slash of disappointment didn't have the chance to develop. The familiar figure running, ascending the stairs two at a time appeared in her line of vision, and Hilary was surprised when relief washed over her.
Tyson stopped in front of them, resting his hands on his knees. "Sorry I'm late," he said between short gasps in an effort to regain his breath. "I had to take care of something."
Hilary's lips twitched into a fake scowl. "You're five minutes late. How dare you?" she asked.
What had meant to be teasing didn't have the anticipated reaction. Tyson lifted his head, his piercing ocean blue eyes pinning hers. "It couldn't wait," he told her, his voice firm as he stood his ground against her.
Hilary fell a step back the others didn't pay heed to, startled. "I was joking," she mumbled, her cheeks starting to burn slowly with shame.
Tyson's eyes widened. An attempt at humor was a first for Hilary. "Oh." He scratched the back of his neck, sheepish. "I thought you were serious." He shrugged. "I guess it was a false alarm."
Johnny folded his arms. "You didn't get into any trouble, did you?" he asked. Tyson was the kind of person who would turn in two to five minutes late. The guys wouldn't make a deal out of it if they hadn't known Tyson's reckless nature to get meddled in a fight for the smallest of insults from people he barely hung out with or were playing a role in his everyday life. He wouldn't tolerate rudeness just because someone was in the spirit of being an asshole.
"Why would you think that?" Tyson asked, quite indignant, then pursed his lips at Johnny's pointed look. "Can't blame you, but no, I didn't get into a fight. I was in Davidson's office, sorting some papers out for the academic ID." He stared at the ceiling, his smile dreamy. "Eighteen has never felt so good," he told them, shaking his head.
Lyla crossed the distance to him, looping an arm around his waist. "Glad to see you're taking this seriously," she told him, patting him on his chest and tugged him down to her height to rub his hair, drawing a laugh out of him.
"As impossible as it may seem, I am growing up."
Kai watched the exchange between Tyson and Lyla, the eyes Lyla refused to admit to herself were worth all the stars of the sky indecipherable. The sharp way she spun on her heel when Gloria and Sylvia told her with mock-courtesy to stalk off yesterday had gotten on his nerves. They had no right to show and force her with their attitude to leave just because they wanted him for themselves.
