silver charms

CHAPTER 1 - SPRING

The first day back from spring break always felt like a performance. I tugged at my schoolbag strap, smoothed the front of my skirt, and pretended it was wrinkled even though it wasn’t. It wasn’t about wrinkles, it was about looking like the version of myself I wanted people to see: organized, polished, normal. Keystone smelled faintly of disinfectant and pencil shavings, exactly as it always did. The building never seemed to change, even when I had. Cool metal pressed against my collarbone under the fabric of my blouse. The pendant from last year’s solstice ritual sat hidden, unnoticed by anyone else, though I found myself touching it whenever I felt unsteady. Hidden charms never hurt anyone.
“Selene!” someone called out. I turned just in time to see Benjamin waving at me from down the hall, his backpack slung over one shoulder, a half-smirk already tugging at his mouth. The act of being “normal” suddenly felt less exhausting.
“Hi, Benjamin,” I said, forcing my smile into something casual. Around him, I never felt like I had to fake quite as much. “How was Spring Break?” I tilted my head just enough to make the question look effortless. “Boring,” he groaned as he fell into step beside me. “No quests, no anime marathons. I almost started a D&D campaign by myself.” he said with a small pout on his face. “Sad,” I replied flatly, though a laugh stirred in my chest. Somehow, Benjamin always made even the dullest hallway conversations sound like a comedy skit. We passed the trophy cases, sunlight catching on the glass. My eyes flicked to a shadowed corner, darker than it should have been. The pendant felt suddenly heavy against my skin. I walked a little faster, just enough to keep at Benjamin’s side instead of trailing behind.

I noticed that the hallway seemed darker than usual, when I looked up, I saw some lights weren't working today and then I heard Ben's voice in“do you remember how we first met?” He asked as he looked at me, sometimes it felt like he stared into my soul instead of my physical body, “yeah. . .at the party before Easter break of seventh grade? Why are you asking?” I asked as I raised my left eyebrow. “Well, we're in year eleven now. . .it's been so long since we started being friends since year seven,  it's been like. . .” Benjamin’s smirk widened into something more mischievous, the kind of look he usually got right before cracking a joke at someone’s expense. But instead of words tumbling out fast, he just studied me, eyes sharp and unreadable. For a second, it felt like the whole hallway had gone quieter, lockers slamming, footsteps, the shrill squeak of sneakers, all of it dimmed. “Five years?,” he finally said,  stretching the word like he was buying himself time, I nodded as I let out a light hum, “yes. . . .it would be five years." I answered, there was silence between us, I didn't even bother trying to listen to anything but Benjamin until he decided to open his mouth again, “shouldn’t we… do something about that? About it being five years, I mean.” I tilted my head, waiting. His eyes sparkled in a way that made me both curious and slightly uneasy. “Maybe hang out? Just us?” he suggested, and his voice carried an edge of seriousness I wasn’t used to hearing from him. I felt my lips twitch upward before I could stop myself. My chest did this annoying fluttery thing, like I’d just missed a step on the stairs. It wasn’t a bad idea, not at all, I actually wanted to say yes immediately, but my brain decided to stall, overthinking every possible meaning behind the words “just us.” Would it be awkward? Would people assume things? Did I want them to assume things? I don't want the others in our friend group to think about our private hangout? Wouldn't they think it was romantic? I didn't want them to think it was romantic, only if I knew I would spiral into this, Benjamin's eyes lingered on me like he was trying to read my whole soul in one glance. The seconds stretched too long, I swear I almost saw his little smirk falter for a second, just for a second,  and my smile started to feel shaky, so I dropped it and shifted back into my neutral mask. Only then did he open his mouth again to say another thing, lightly, almost too casually: "Don't worry. We can  hang out with the others later.” that relieved me more than it should've, “sure, just us.” I replied, I tried sounding normal, I really did try, but my voice sounded awkward and a little quieter than usual, and just like that, the moment snapped back to normal, Benjamin stared at me somewhat weirdly as he pushed open the door to the biology lab like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.