Escape // Lumity

Chapter 15: It's Starting To Snow

I sat alert when I heard a knock on my window, my writing paused to a halt.

It was the middle of the night, and I had been doing school work for hours. Honestly, after everything that went down in the past few days, you'd think I'd get a break every once in a while. I had an important quiz tomorrow and too many homework that I'd put off in the last couple days – titan forbid something out of the ordinary happens again.

I hadn't quite worried about Amelia and her weird mother anymore after all that went down. It's been about a day, and so far, I hadn't seen any sign of another Hawks anymore, and Amelia wasn't at school earlier. I don't know why, and I didn't care enough anymore to know why. I just want to be able to worry about normal things again, like school, and doing things with Luz, and the twins occasionally being on my back about something stupid.

Admittedly, I always assumed the worst now whenever something unexpected happens, so I debated for a while if I'd answer the knocks on the window, but whoever that was behind it kept persisting, and it's becoming really hard to focus on the homework I was answering. I could only hope whatever's waiting for me behind the curtains was capable of eating me alive, because I'd rather just be eaten alive than have to deal with anything other than academics at the moment.

With a sigh, I pushed myself off my seat and made my way towards the window. Well, Amity, let's see what other thing is going to bother you and cause you distress tonight. Whatever it was, at least, I'm sure it couldn't be any worse than my parents.

I uncovered the curtains, and what met me almost made me step back. Surprisingly, there I saw someone I hadn't expected at all, perched on my window, her head turned back so that she was looking at something below her. My brows furrowed. "Luz? What are you doing here?"

I quickly opened my window to let her in, which made her turn around to look at me. Before she could hop in, though, her eyes went wide, and in quick motion, she had slipped backwards from my window which sent me to panic. I reached out to her instinctively, catching her in time before she could fall completely. Titan, I don't remember her being this heavy. I exerted my best efforts in pulling her up, anyhow, and eventually we succeeded in saving her from some serious injuries.

I pulled her into my room finally, both of us panting as the adrenaline subsided. When I took a good look at her face though, she seemed sort of... mesmerized, about something. She was staring at me, her labored breaths coming in and out of her chest, and it confused me and it kind of made me conscious about whether there was something on my face. Taking a last exhale, I looked at her in question and asked, "what?"

She tilted her head a little bit, and her cheeks turned... a faint pink? "Your hair." She gasps under her breath, her eyes dilating a little more. "I've never seen your hair untied before."

I couldn't stop the heat from rushing to my cheeks. I was barely piecing words in my head when Luz continued with, "Amity, you look so pretty."

Okay, well, maybe I do have the energy to indulge in this more than I do my homework.

I decided to defuse the bomb that was ticking inside of me. Don't explode now, Amity. It felt like fairies were swarming inside my stomach, and suddenly I couldn't look her in the eyes anymore. "What? It's just my hair untied." I scoffed, feigning nonchalance, but truly I was dying inside... in a good way? I was going to add something to that, but I'd realized my hand was a bit warmer than it was before, so I looked down on it. When I further realized that Luz's hand was still on mine, well, my cheeks must've failed in concealing my affections once again. I quickly let go, as did she – she must've noticed it the same time I did.

"Anyway," I continued, chuckling to relieve whatever tension there was, though I'm willing to bet it just sounded uneasy more than anything. "What are you doing here? Isn't Eda worried that you're out this late?"