lost little one

chapter 30

lia's pov:
as i woke up, i realized emilia was absent from school due to illness, leaving just hayden and me to meet up this morning.

i got out of bed and made it neatly. in my wardrobe, i grabbed blue skinny jeans, a black crop top and an oversized black hoodie.

after brushing my hair, i tied it up in a low ponytail and applied some light makeup.

putting on socks and trainers, i headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth. downstairs, mom was getting ready for work.

"good morning, honey," she smiled.

"morning, mom," i returned the smile.

we shared a hug, and mom planted a kiss on my head before we parted.

"breakfast, honey?" she offered.

"i can't, mom. meeting hayden. i'll grab something at school," i replied.

"okay, darling. are you coming to set today?" she asked gently.

"not sure, i'll text you," i shrugged.

"alright, sweet girl," she said.

"bye, mom. i love you," i told her.

"i love you too, sweetie," she smiled, kissing my forehead.

after saying goodbye to phoebe, i filled her bowls with food and water. another quick hug with mom, then i stepped outside and headed towards the coffee shop.

hayden's pov:
as i strolled towards the coffee shop, my eyes caught els engrossed in her phone. sneaking up to her, i gently tapped her shoulder.

she glanced up, a bright smile spreading across her face as she enveloped me in a warm hug. after a moment, we parted, still beaming at each other.

"i missed you, haybear," she said, her smile unwavering.

"missed you too, elle-belle," i replied, matching her grin.

"haybear, it's so warm," she complained.

"well, you are in a hoodie and jeans, els, that might be why," i chuckled.

"i get it now why you're in a t-shirt and shorts," she remarked.

"yep, exactly," i replied.

"can i put my hoodie in your bag?" she asked.

"i don't have my bag, but don't worry, i'll carry it for you," i reassured her.

"is that okay?" she inquired.

"of course," i affirmed.

as els shrugged off her hoodie, i looped it around my waist. "ready for school?" i inquired.

"absolutely, haybear," she chimed in.

side by side, we strolled towards school, exchanging playful banter along the way.

with every laugh and shared moment, i found myself increasingly drawn to her, though uncertain of her feelings towards me.

we arrived at school slightly late, finding ourselves in biology class with mr. johnson. while he wasn't too bad, there were days when he could be a bit annoying.

after quickly signing in at reception, we hurried to biology, attributing our tardiness to some playful antics earlier. upon entering the classroom, mr. johnson was nowhere to be seen, but we didn't think much of it and settled into our seats at the back by the wall.

i adjusted my chair and desk closer to the wall, while els struggled a bit with hers, so i lent her a hand. her chair ended up closer to mine than her desk was. as i leaned back against the wall, i casually draped my feet over els', eliciting a quizzical look from her.