It started again—slowly, subtly, like the unraveling of a thread.
Lila had pulled back, but now she was reeling Selene in.
Not all at once.
Just enough to make Selene notice.
Enough to make her question if she'd imagined the entire shift between them in the first place. ---
It began in the music room.
Selene was at the piano, fingers moving fluidly across the keys. The notes were soft, almost
hesitant, mirroring the thoughts twisting in her head.
Lila sat cross-legged on the floor, sketchpad balanced on her knees, just like always.
Only this time, she was watching.
Not just glancing.
Not just absentmindedly staring while lost in thought.
But really watching.
Selene felt it.
It was a tangible thing, pressing against her skin, making her fingers stumble over the keys.
She exhaled sharply, trying to ignore the way her pulse had picked up. "You're staring," she
muttered, not looking up.
Lila grinned, unfazed. "Maybe."
Selene swallowed, focusing on the music.
She wouldn't give Lila the satisfaction of asking why.
She wouldn't fall into whatever game this was.
But then Lila spoke again, voice light, teasing—
"You ever wonder what it's like to be the piano?"
Selene blinked, hands pausing mid-note. "...What?"
Lila tapped her pencil against the page, thoughtful. "I mean, think about it. It's always touched.
Always played. Always handled with care—or maybe not, depending on the person. But it never
gets to play itself."
Selene frowned. "That's a weird thing to think about."
Lila just shrugged. "Maybe. But I don't know. I think if I were a piano, I'd want to be played by
someone who knows how to make me sound beautiful."
Something in her tone made Selene's breath hitch.
She swallowed.
Lila wasn't just talking about the piano anymore.
And she knew it.
But before Selene could say anything, Lila turned back to her sketchpad, as if the conversation
had been nothing more than idle musings.
Selene let out a slow, steady breath, trying to push down the strange, tight feeling in her chest.
Lila was playing with her.
And the worst part?
Selene didn't know if she wanted her to stop. ---
Then there were the hallways.
It started small—Lila walking just a little too close, her shoulder brushing against Selene's as
they moved through the crowded corridors.
A casual touch, barely there, but enough to send Selene's pulse skittering.
Enough to make her hyper-aware of every point of contact, every fraction of an inch between
them.
One day, Lila really tested her patience.
They were at Selene's locker, the usual between-classes lull.
Lila leaned against the metal beside her, arms crossed, head tilted in that way that always made
her look like she knew something Selene didn't.
"You think too much," Lila mused suddenly.
Selene shot her a side glance. "What?"
"You're always thinking. Overanalyzing. It's exhausting just watching you sometimes."
Selene scoffed. "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize thinking was a crime."
Lila grinned. "It's not. But sometimes, I think you should just... let go."
Selene frowned. "Let go of what?"
Lila's gaze flickered down, just for a second, before meeting hers again.
"You tell me."
There was something too knowing in her eyes, something intentional in the way she let the
words linger.
Selene's breath caught.
But before she could process what had just happened, Lila had already pushed off the locker,
stretching like she was bored.
"Anyway, see you in the music room," she said, walking off without another word.
Leaving Selene there, staring after her, heart pounding, mind racing. ---
And then there was lunch.
Selene had been prepared for more of the same—more teasing, more games.
But today, Lila had something new in store.
She plopped down next to Selene, entirely too close, their knees knocking together under the
table.
Selene ignored it. Or at least, she tried to.
Lila, of course, did not.
She turned to her with a slow, lazy smile, resting her chin in her palm.
"You ever notice how you never get close to people?"
Selene stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Lila hummed. "I mean... you let people be around you. But you don't let them in. Not really."
Selene forced herself to take a bite of her food, as if she wasn't completely unraveling inside.
"And you think you're the exception?"
Lila grinned. "Oh, I know I am."
Selene almost choked.
She hated how easily Lila could do this—how effortlessly she could crawl under Selene's skin,
planting thoughts that refused to leave.
She hated that Lila wasn't wrong.
But she didn't want to admit it.
So she rolled her eyes. "God, you're insufferable."
Lila just laughed. "You like it, though."
Selene didn't respond.
Because she didn't trust what might come out if she did. ---
The worst part, though, was after school.
They were back in the music room, just the two of them.
Selene was at the piano, Lila on the floor.
It was comfortable.
It was dangerous.
Lila stretched out, arms above her head, letting out a soft sigh.
Selene tried—tried—not to look.
"You know," Lila mused, "I think you're scared of me."
Selene scoffed. "I am not scared of you."
Lila smiled. "Not in the normal way. But I think I make you nervous."
Selene's fingers tensed on the keys. "You have a high opinion of yourself."
Lila shrugged. "I don't think it. I know it."
Selene exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "You're ridiculous."
But she was looking at her now, and that was a mistake.
Because Lila was already watching her, something unreadable in her gaze.
Something intentional.
Selene felt it—the tension, thick, pressing, dangerous.
She swallowed hard. "What do you want from me, Lila?"
The words were out before she could stop them.
Lila tilted her head, considering.
Then—slowly, deliberately—she leaned forward, just a fraction.
Close enough that Selene could feel the warmth of her breath.
Close enough that, if Selene moved even the tiniest bit forward—
But then, just as quickly, Lila pulled back.
Grinning.
Nothing but a game.
"Nothing," she said lightly, standing up. "See you tomorrow."
And then she was gone, leaving Selene breathless, her heartbeat in her throat, her mind
spiraling.
She was losing.
Lila was playing a game Selene hadn't even realized she had joined.
And the worst part?
Selene wasn't sure if she even wanted to win.