48.
chapter forty-eight
a group hug
with Lillie

The pencil's empty whines filled the classroom. Thoughts of my friends' plans for the upcoming event, mixed with time closing in on Ash's farewell, ran rampant in my mind.

"Serena?"

I looked up at the sound of my name. A beautiful blonde girl stood near the doorway, a book clutched in her hand. I smiled, greeting her wordlessly.

"Running behind on assignments?" she asked, leaning into the classroom shyly. As if realizing what it implied, she waved her free hand urgently. "You're not alone."

Biting back the urge to mention how Ash had been fussing last evening about missing the dissection of a starfish, I crossed my legs. "I know," I whispered, gesturing for her to take a seat.

The girl obliged, slumping down in front of me and spreading her books and a couple of papers. "I'm not that far behind. I could help you... that is, if I understand."

I smiled appreciatively. "This is colour theory, and trust me, it gets boring."

Lillie chuckled, but it seemed more out of politeness than anything. "You really seem to be rubbing off on Ash. He says the same thing about med science."

A twinge of jealousy. I beat it down quickly. It didn't matter if she had stars in her eyes.

"Well, little do you know?" I mused, going back to my paper. The RGB method? That was easier said than done. The colour wheel seemed even worse.

"Serena, can I—can I tell something?"

I looked up from the textbook, catching Lillie off guard. The girl flinched, then began fiddling with the hem of her white frock, almost nervously. The only thing I could offer her to put her at peace was a weak hum.

"It's... Mom might have got the idea that I liked Ash because I—I might have, but I'm trying to move on now! I know it's wrong on my part, and that a void person can never—"

"Lillie," I interrupted firmly, although I doubted my face would be anything far from emotionless. "I get it." Then it crashed. I turned to her sharply, eyes widening simultaneously. "Wait, you are—"

A breath. That was all that was required. Maybe I had thought about it. Maybe the suspicion had crossed my mind the minute Lusamine admitted her status. But I had refused to believe it. "Yes. I don't possess magical blood. That's why Mom wanted to—to—"

The poor girl couldn't complete her sentence. Tears spilled down her blanched face like a water stream finally let go. I reached out, but our bubbles rejected the touch.

"Is that why y-you—"

"Yes!" she screamed, her sobs residing for a bare minute. "That's why I fell for Ash!"

Something within me fell silent. Maybe it was the sturdy thrum of our bond. I wanted to assure the blonde girl. Tell her he would have loved her if only he hadn't met me.

But I couldn't.

I couldn't lie to her; couldn't go against myself. Was sitting and staring all I could do?

A sudden moment twisted the blurry image of Lillie sobbing into her fists. I swallowed when the pencil dropped from my hand to the floor with a clink. My fingers trembled, catching another silhouette by the door.

"Ash..."

The girl hiccuped, quickly catching herself. She turned one hundred and eighty degrees away from the entrance, jabbing at her eyes with her kerchief.

I bolted to my feet, intending to buy the girl some time to save herself from embarrassment... admonishment, or even from a possible friendship break-up. But with the way Ash's emotions shot through my heart, I knew it was too late.

He had heard it.

And he was heading towards us, his jaws set and fists clenched. He didn't wish to be involved with any soothsayer stuff. Even meeting Lusamine had to be hardcore convincing on my part, the other day in the café.

I could only imagine him turning weary at Lillie's indirect confession. My mind reeled, trying to force my muscles to do something. Anything to stop him from hurting the girl, but I stood frozen.

It felt like history was repeating itself, only replacing Lillie with her brother, Gladion. Ash shuffled over, and without a word, embraced me. The spontaneous action had me sputtering against his ears, blushing and wondering where my hands went while Lillie stood rigid, green eyes wide with hurt and shock.

"Ash?"

The boy let go, tearing his gaze away from me to look at the girl. My heart skipped several beats when silence still held the throne.

"I suppose I'm worthy of Serena's title. I am a densehead, Lillie."

If at all, the compassionate, even diplomatic, tone was something I hadn't expected. My heart clenched. This boy was the kindest you'd get. A diamond in the rough. But how had he polished himself to go against everything he went through?

The traumas, the pain, physical and emotional scars that drew the lines across his headspace. In that moment, the vulnerable Ash had returned, leaving me speechless and bound without a hook to grab onto.

Lillie didn't seem to have noticed. Even if she had, she hadn't voiced it out. Fresh tears clouded the girl's green eyes, her hands reaching out.

But the bubble between them stopped her short. Her arms fell limp to her sides and she turned away, biting back the visible pain she was going through.

It was like the atmosphere had suddenly turned into something that stretched beyond the teenage words of love and heartbreak. It was more than the sappy and clichéd romances.

This was life.

The life where not all stories ended in kisses. Where not all tales were tragic.

This was life.

Ash turned to face me, a weak smile playing on his lips as he spoke. "But I was lucky enough to realize that Serena's the one for me. She's been the part of my soul ever since that fateful day I saved her from an accident. Ever since, she's been saving me, yeah."

I reached for his shoulder, running my hand down his arm lovingly. This was the guy who beat himself down to boost someone else up.

But he was yet to do something for Lillie.

"Hey, Lillie," I started, now taking hold of Ash's shoulders again. "Would you like a hug?"

The girl stopped short, shooting me a confused glance. I could feel Ash doing the same, so I turned to him with a wink and a whisper. "Do it, and you'll get something more later."

Without waiting for a response, I shoved him forward. If memory served right, it would work—if the non-magical blooded loved the one with magical blood truly, the latter would be able to embrace the former.

It didn't fail. Ash had caught the blonde in his arms rather awkwardly, forcing a blush against her pale face. Before he could withdraw, I moved myself so that I was holding him by his waist from behind.

"This is a group hug," I whispered into his free ear. "This is how love feels like, Lillie. And we'll be here for it whenever you need it, okay?"