a sun that never sets

CHAPTER THREE | STORIES AROUND THE BURNING BONFIRE

THERE HAD BEEN drama over the summer holidays. Self-improvement and studying weren't the only things people had been getting into. Couples had broken up and gotten back together, friend groups had fallen apart and reformed. But some hadn't. And now we were left picking up the pieces in the first week of school, trying to figure out what had changed and what hadn't.

We heard no news of Queenie Gates and Clark Ford getting back together. Maybe this was finally the end of that toxic cycle, but I knew better than to hold out hope for that. We'd all held our breaths last year, and we'd all be disappointed again and again and again. And I wasn't even that close with Queenie or Clark. God only knew what either of their actual friends thought of the constant soap opera-level drama.

When Yunji came into my room that afternoon, she caught me in the middle of trying to shove a bag of my winter clothes onto my wardrobe with magic. I was far too lazy to move the chair over, and so was trying to lift the bag with my purple magic, but it was far heavier than I'd originally realised.

"What on earth are you doing?" Yunji asked, brows creased as she stepped into the miniscule little room.

I glanced over at her before my gaze immediately snapped back to the bag of clothes precariously balanced on a cloud of purple. "Moving shit on my wardrobe. With magic. Because why not?"

"Let me help you." And then a puff of sky blue joined my purple until we finally lifted the bag onto the wardrobe and had it carefully placed there, making sure it wouldn't fall down.

"So. Why are you here?" I asked, eyeing her. "Something to say?"

"Tea."

"Oh?"

"James Withington has a girlfriend."

My eyes bulged. "What?"

It was partially shock, but it was also partially the fact that this was Luo Yunji saying this with the calmest expression on her face, with not an inch of sadness visible. Luo Yunji, who Adelina and I had both agreed most definitely had a massive crush on James Withington that she didn't dare admit.

Had she gotten over that during the summer holidays?

She blinked, nonplussed, staring at me. "Is it that surprising?"

"Yes." The words left my mouth before I could stop myself. "I mean, no. But also kind of yes. Actually, it's not that surprising, but at the same time, I really didn't expect him of all people, and so soon..."

Yunji lifted one brow. "Are you done?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, I just found out. And found her account. She's from Kathryn Hoverdean's School for Young Women and Girls."

"Kathryn Hoverdean?" I asked, frowning. "That's not that good of a school."

"It's top one hundred," Yunji said with a shrug. "Look."

And then her phone was shoved into my hands, and I hummed as I zoomed in on one of the girl's selfies. Blonde hair, blue eyes, light freckles. In the picture she wore heavy makeup, and she was at some kind of music festival. Her dress was black and skimpy, the kind of dress that my parents would beat me up for wearing but was considered normal here.

I swiped out to look at her username. Francesca Stevenson.

"She's called Francesca?" I asked incredulously. "Seriously?"

"Does she not look like someone to you?"

I blinked, scrolling back down to the picture. "I mean, this is most girls here..."