ROOM 7
Chapter Thirty-One: The Distance
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The week after Jay and Keifer's first real date, something shifted in Room 7.
Not the good kind. The bad kind. The kind that crept in without warning, cold and quiet, settling into corners where light used to reach. Alex started disappearing. Not all at once. Slowly. A missed morning here. An empty chair there. A silence that stretched longer each day.
Lyra noticed first. She always noticed first.
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Part One: The Missing Cup
Monday morning arrived gray and ordinary.
Lyra woke on the couch, her usual spot since the crash. Her hand stretched out automatically, searching for the shoulder she'd been leaning on for weeks. Her fingers met empty fabric. She sat up. The blanket was folded. The cushion beside her was cold. The space where Alex should be was empty.
She looked at the table. No coffee.
She looked at his bed. Made. Pillow straight. Blanket tucked. His bag gone. She stood. Walked to the kitchen. Yuri was pouring cereal. Mica was at the stove. Calix beside her.
"Where's Alex?"
Yuri shrugged. "He left early. Said something about the library."
She went back to the couch. Sat down. Stared at the door.
Jay found her an hour later. "You're still in your pajamas."
"He left without saying goodbye."
"He probably didn't want to wake you."
"He always wakes me. He always leaves coffee."
She pointed at the table. Empty. The spot where a cup should be was bare.
Jay sat beside her. "Maybe he forgot."
Lyra shook her head. "He doesn't forget."
She pulled her knees to her chest. Stared at the door.
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Part Two: The Hallway
She found him that afternoon outside his building.
He was walking fast, head down, bag heavy. She stepped into his path. He stopped. His eyes flickered to her face, then away.
"Alex."
"Hey."
"You left early."
"I had to study."
"You didn't leave coffee."
He shifted his bag on his shoulder. "I forgot."
"You don't forget."
He didn't answer. She waited. The seconds stretched. Students pushed past them, voices echoing off the walls.
"Alex. Look at me."
He raised his eyes. His face was the same. His jaw was tight. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"You're lying."
He stepped around her. "I have class."
"Your class isn't for an hour."
He kept walking. She watched him disappear into the crowd.
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Part Three: The Window
Tuesday, she waited by his building again.
He came out at four. Saw her. Stopped. For a moment, she thought he might turn around. Instead, he walked toward her. Slow. Measured. Like he was walking through water.
"Lyra."
"Alex."
"You shouldn't be here."
"I'm waiting for you."
He looked at the ground. "I've been busy."
"You've never been too busy for me."
He didn't answer. She watched his face. The way his jaw worked. The way his hands stayed in his pockets. The way he wouldn't look at her.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing."
"You've been avoiding me for two days."
"I've been studying."
She stepped closer. He stepped back. The movement was small. Barely noticeable. She noticed.
"You're pulling away."
"I'm not."
"You are. You won't look at me. You won't sit with me. You won't—" She stopped. Her voice cracked.
He looked up. His eyes were dark. His face was still. "I have to go."
He walked away. She let him.
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Part Four: The Note
Wednesday morning, she found a piece of paper on the table.
Her name. His handwriting.
I'm okay. Don't worry. — A
She read it three times. Folded it. Put it in her pocket.
Jay appeared beside her. "What's that?"
"A note."
Jay read it. Her face didn't change. "Maybe he just needs space."
"He's never needed space. He's never needed anything from me except—" She stopped.
Jay waited.
"He's never walked away from me."
She went to her bed. Lay down. Turned to the wall.
Ci N appeared beside Jay. "Page 265. Alex avoiding Lyra. Third day. Probability of return: declining."
"Ci N," Rakki called from across the room.
He walked back to his bed. Sat down. Picked up his fox. Held it.
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Part Five: The Shadow
Thursday night, Alex came back.
The room was dark. Everyone was asleep. Lyra was on the couch, eyes open, watching the door. She'd been watching it for four days.
He walked in. Quiet. Careful. He didn't see her at first. He went to his bed. Sat down. Put his head in his hands.
She watched him. The way his shoulders were tight. The way his hands pressed against his face. The way he sat alone in the dark.
She stood. Walked toward him. Her feet were quiet on the floor.
"Alex."
He jerked. His hands dropped. His head came up. His eyes were red.
"You've been gone for four days."
He stood up. "Lyra—"
"Don't. Don't say nothing's wrong. Don't say you've been studying. Don't—"
He walked past her. Toward the door.
She grabbed his arm. He stopped. Didn't turn.
"Look at me."
He didn't move.
"Alex. Look at me."
He turned. His face was pale. His eyes were dark. His hands were shaking.
"Let go," he said.
"No."
He pulled his arm. She held on.
"What is wrong with you? Why are you doing this? Why won't you talk to me? Why won't you—"
He pulled harder. She held tighter.
"Lyra. Let go."
"Not until you tell me."
He stopped pulling. His arm went slack. His head dropped. His shoulders slumped.
"Please," he said.
His voice was small. Broken. She'd never heard him sound like that.
She let go.
He walked to the door. His hand was on the handle. His back was to her.
"Alex."
He stopped.
"Please."
He didn't turn. Didn't answer. The door opened. He walked through. It closed behind him.
She stood in the middle of the room. Her hands were empty. Her arms were cold. Her chest was tight.
Ci N's voice from his bed: "Page 266. Alex left. Probability of return tonight: 12.3 percent."
Rakki pulled him down. Held him. He held his fox.
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Part Five: The Silence
Friday came and went without him.
Lyra sat on the couch. She didn't go to class. Didn't eat. Didn't move. Jay brought her coffee. She let it go cold. Mica brought her food. She let it sit. Ash brought her a blanket. She pulled it around her shoulders and stared at the door.
"He's not coming back," she said.
Jay sat beside her. "He'll come back."
"He's been gone for five days."
"He'll come back."
Lyra looked at her. "How do you know?"
Jay didn't have an answer.
Ci N walked past. "The probability of Alex returning tonight is 34.7 percent. The probability of him returning tomorrow is 52.1 percent. The probability of him returning this week is—"
Lyra grabbed a pillow. Threw it at him. He caught it.
"You have a catching problem," he said.
"You have a talking problem."
"I have a Lyra problem."
She stared at him. He stared back.
"The worst kind," he said.
He put the pillow on the couch beside her. Walked back to his bed. Sat down. Opened his notebook.
Rakki looked at him. "You're helping."
"I'm calculating."
She kissed his cheek. He didn't smile.
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Part Six: The Door
Saturday night, the door opened at midnight.
Lyra was on the couch. She hadn't moved in hours. The blanket was around her shoulders. The coffee was cold. The food was untouched.
Alex walked in. His bag was over his shoulder. His face was gray. His eyes were hollow. He stopped when he saw her.
"You're still awake."
"You're still gone."
He set his bag down. Sat on his bed. Didn't look at her.
She watched him. The way his hands were shaking. The way his jaw was tight. The way he sat like he was carrying something too heavy to put down.
"You've been gone for five days."
He didn't answer.
"Five days, Alex. You left without saying goodbye. You didn't leave coffee. You didn't answer my messages. You walked past me in the hallway like I wasn't there."
He sat very still.
She stood up. Walked to his bed. Stopped in front of him.
"Look at me."
He didn't move.
"Look at me, Alex."
He raised his head. His eyes were red. His face was the same. His eyes were different. Something behind them she'd never seen before.
"Just tell me," she said. "Just tell me what's wrong. Just tell me why you're doing this. Just—"
"I can't."
She stared at him. "Can't what?"
He stood up. He was close. Too close. His hands were fists at his sides.
"I can't be near you."
She stepped back. "What?"
He stepped forward. "I can't sit beside you. I can't make you coffee. I can't—" His voice cracked. He stopped.
She waited. Her heart was pounding. Her hands were shaking.
"I can't," he said again.
"Why?"
He didn't answer.
"Why, Alex? Why can't you be near me? Why are you pushing me away? Why won't you tell me—"
He grabbed her arms. His hands were tight. His face was close. His eyes were wild.
"Because I'm trying to keep you safe."
She stared at him. "Safe from what?"
He let go. Stepped back. His hands went to his face. His shoulders started shaking.
"Alex."
He shook his head. "I can't. I can't tell you. I can't—"
She grabbed his hands. Pulled them away from his face. His eyes were wet.
"You can. Whatever it is. You can."
He looked at her. His face was broken. His hands were cold. His voice was barely a whisper.
"If I tell you, you'll be in danger."
"I don't care."
"I care."
She held his hands tighter. "Alex. Whatever it is. Whatever you're scared of. We can figure it out together. We always figure it out together. We've been figuring things out together since we were five years old. This isn't different. This isn't—"
He pulled his hands away. Stepped back. His face closed. His walls went up.
"I have to go."
"Alex—"
He picked up his bag. Walked to the door.
"If you walk out that door—" She stopped. Her voice cracked.
He stopped. His hand was on the handle.
"If you walk out that door, don't come back."
He didn't move. His hand was on the handle. His back was to her.
"Don't come back, Alex. Don't come back and pretend nothing's wrong. Don't come back and leave notes on the table. Don't come back and walk past me like I'm a stranger. If you're going to leave, then leave."
He stood there. His hand was on the handle. His bag was over his shoulder. His shoulders were shaking.
She waited. The room was silent. The city hummed outside. The seconds stretched.
He opened the door. Walked through. It closed behind him.
She stood in the middle of the room. Her hands were empty. Her chest was tight. Her eyes were dry.
Ci N's voice from his bed: "Page 267. Alex left. Probability of return tonight: 4.2 percent."
She walked to her bed. Lay down. Turned to the wall.
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Part Seven: The Watch
The room was quiet that night.
Yuri sat on his bed, staring at the door. Mica and Calix held hands in the dark. Care and Cole sat by the window, watching the street. Freya had her camera in her lap, not taking pictures. Erdix was beside her. Ash sat on the floor, back against the wall. David sat with her. Felix had his notebook open, not writing.
Ci N was on his bed. His notebook was open. His pen was still. His fox was in his lap.
Rakki sat beside him. "You're not writing."
He looked at his notebook. At the blank page. At the numbers he didn't know how to calculate.
"I'm waiting."
She took his hand. He held it.
Across the room, Lyra lay on her bed. Her eyes were open. Her hands were empty. Her chest was hollow.
Jay sat beside her. "He'll come back."
"He's been gone for five days."
"He'll come back."
Lyra looked at her. "How do you know?"
Jay looked at the door. At the empty space where Alex had stood. At the handle he'd held.
"Because he's Alex. And you're Lyra. And he's been beside you since you were five years old. He's not going to stop now."
Lyra closed her eyes. "He already has."
Jay didn't have an answer.
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Part Eight: The Morning
Sunday morning came gray and cold.
Lyra woke on her bed. Her eyes were swollen. Her head was heavy. She looked at the table. No coffee. She looked at Alex's bed. Empty. She looked at the door. Closed.
She sat up. The room was quiet. Yuri was at the window. Mica was in the kitchen. Calix beside her. Care and Cole were at the table. Freya was looking at her camera. Erdix was looking at her. Ash was on the couch. David beside her. Felix at his desk. Ci N on his bed.
No Alex.
She stood up. Walked to the kitchen. Made coffee. Black. No sugar. She made two cups.
She stared at the second cup. The steam rose. The coffee darkened. She watched it until it went cold.
Then she poured it down the sink.
She washed the cup. Put it away. Walked back to her bed. Sat down. Picked up her book. Didn't open it.
Jay watched her from across the room. Keifer was beside her. His hand was on her back.
"She made two cups," he said.
"She always makes two cups."
He watched Lyra stare at her closed book. "He's not coming back today."
Jay looked at him. "How do you know?"
He looked at the door. At the empty space. At the silence.
"Because he's scared. And when he's scared, he hides. He's been hiding since he was a kid. He hides until he figures out how to fix things."
Jay looked at Lyra. At the closed book. At the empty table. At the space beside her on the couch.
"What if he can't fix this?"
Keifer took her hand. "Then we help."
She squeezed his hand. He squeezed back.
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Ci N sat on his bed. His notebook was open. His pen was moving. Numbers. Times. Probabilities. He calculated everything. The hours since Alex left. The minutes since Lyra poured the coffee. The seconds since she stopped looking at the door.
He closed the notebook. Picked up his fox. Held it.
Rakki watched him. "What's the probability?"
He looked at Lyra. At the way she was holding her closed book. At the way her eyes were fixed on the door. At the way her hands were empty.
"I don't know," he said.
She took his hand. He held it.
The room was quiet. Sixteen beds. Fifteen people. One empty.
Lyra sat on her bed. Her book was closed. Her hands were empty. Her eyes were on the door.
She waited.
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End of Chapter Thirty-One