By Chance | Complete |

Chapter Two

Lyra

Out of many of the foolish mistakes I've made, walking into the lunch room the next day seemed to rank. It was nearly the end of the lunch hour when I quickly went for the deserted corner table. I almost stopped when I heard my name from behind me but decided against it. I was more than likely hearing things.

When I sat down, I could see Sasha's red hair out of the corner of my eye. "Lyra!"

I looked up as she got to the table. "Hi, Sasha."

"Come sit with us, Teddy and River just went to get something. They'll be back soon." She held out her hand to me.

"It's okay, really. I have a few readings to catch up on."

She gave me a look, one that told me she wasn't buying that at all. She reached out and wrapped her hand around my wrist and gently pulled me from the table. "I want you to sit with us."

I couldn't understand why, nor did I think asking would give me the answer. I liked Sasha, I just wasn't the kind of person that fell into their group. I didn't fit into their lives. I was the opposite of them in more ways than one.

When we sat down, I felt awkward being at their table. While it was just Sasha and I, it still felt weird. I felt out of place.

"You should've come over." She told me as she opened her water. "I meant it when I told you you should sit with us sometime."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me, Lyra. I like you. Teddy already likes you too."

I guess I did like Teddy too, he was much nicer than the other desirables. We worked together at the bookstore his mother owned in town. We worked a fair bit of shifts together and talked very little throughout our shifts, but he was always very kind to me.

I nodded. "Teddy's nice."

"I didn't think I'd ever hear those words come out of your mouth," A voice said from behind me before moving around the table.

Teddy sat down beside Sasha and put his arm around her. "I can't believe you actually got her to say that she likes me. You did good, Baby." He caught her chin between his fingers, tilted her head back slightly before placing his lips on hers.

"Oh get a room," A voice huffed from beside me.

I turned my head slightly to find River Evers sitting a couple feet away from me.

"Just because you lost your girlfriend, doesn't mean you have to ruin our fun," Sasha shot back as she brushed her nose against Teddy's.

"I didn't lose my girlfriend," He mumbled, "I dumped her."

Emily.

Emily and River were the 'it' couple, that one couple everyone wanted to be.

"Yeah yeah, we know." Teddy pulled away from Sasha and gave me a smile. "You've met River, right?"

"Breify." I nodded.

"Unfortunately." River said at the same time.

Teddy narrowed his hazel eyes at him. "Seriously, Man?"

School went by fast, leading into the cool fall evening. Teddy and I both went to the bookshop after school together, since our shifts started at the same time. "I'm just going to clean up the back room," Teddy told me as he grabbed the broom and dustpan from behind the cash. "Call if you need anything, Lyra."

I nodded as I moved my fingers across the keyboard of the Macbook swiftly as I entered our new store inventory. There was about an hour left of our shifts, forty-five until we got to close the shop.