ROOM 7
Chapter Thirty-Five: The Question
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The night after Freya's proposal, the room was still buzzing.
Dinner was louder than usual. Mica and Calix had outdone themselves. The table was crowded with plates. Yuri was telling the story of the proposal for the fifth time. Ci N was adding details Yuri had missed. Felix was sketching something in his notebook. Ash was laughing at something David said. Care and Cole were arguing about wedding photography. Freya and Erdix were holding hands under the table.
Lyra was quiet. Alex was quiet. They sat at the end of the table, shoulders almost touching, plates half-full. She was better now—stronger, steadier, sleeping through the night. But she still leaned toward him without thinking. He still sat where she could reach him. They didn't talk about it. They didn't need to.
Felix noticed. He noticed everything.
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Part One: The Table
The meal was winding down. Plates were pushed back. Yuri was reaching for dessert. Care was stealing Cole's. Ci N was calculating the probability of who would get the last slice.
Felix set his fork down. Looked around the table. At Freya and Erdix, hands intertwined. At Jay and Keifer, shoulders pressed together. At Care and Cole, arguing about frosting. At Mica and Calix, sharing a plate. At Ash and David, sitting close. At Lyra and Alex, side by side, not touching, close enough.
He leaned forward. "So."
Everyone looked at him.
"Everyone here is a couple now. Or almost a couple." He looked at Care and Cole. They were holding hands under the table. He looked at Jay and Keifer. She was wearing his jacket. He looked at Lyra and Alex. They were sitting in the space between them.
"Except you two."
Lyra's fork stopped halfway to her mouth. Alex's hand went still on his glass.
Felix smiled. "When are you going to confess?"
The table went quiet.
Lyra set her fork down. "Confess what?"
Felix tilted his head. "You know. The thing everyone's been waiting for. The thing Ci N's been calculating for months. The thing—"
"We're best friends," Lyra said.
The words came out flat. Quick. Like she'd practiced them.
Felix looked at her. "Best friends."
"Best friends," Alex said.
The table was very quiet.
Felix leaned back. "Best friends who hold hands in the dark. Best friends who make each other coffee every morning. Best friends who sleep on the floor beside each other's beds when one of them is sick. Best friends who—"
"We're best friends," Lyra said again.
Felix looked at her for a long moment. Then he nodded. "Okay."
He picked up his fork. Went back to his food.
The table started moving again. Yuri reached for the cake. Care went back to stealing Cole's frosting. Freya leaned into Erdix. Jay put her hand on Keifer's knee.
But everyone was watching. Everyone had been watching for months.
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Part Two: The Escape
Lyra stood up. "I need air."
She walked to the door. Alex stood up. Followed her.
The door closed behind them. The room was quiet for a moment. Then Yuri spoke.
"Best friends."
"Best friends," Mica said.
"Who hold hands in the dark."
"Who make each other coffee."
"Who sleep on the floor."
"Who—"
"Yuri," Jay said.
He closed his mouth.
Ci N was writing. "Page 283. Felix asked. Lyra and Alex denied. Probability of confession within the week: 34.2 percent. Probability of confession within the month: 67.8 percent. Probability of—"
"Ci N," Rakki said.
He closed his notebook. Picked up his fox. Held it.
Felix was still at the table. His plate was empty. His hands were folded. His face was calm.
"I pushed too hard," he said.
Jay looked at him. "You asked."
"They've been dancing around each other for years."
"They've been dancing around each other since they were kids."
He nodded slowly. "I know."
He stood up. Walked to his desk. Sat down. Opened his notebook.
Ash watched him. "He's worried."
David put his hand on hers. "He'll figure it out."
She looked at him. "Will they?"
He didn't have an answer.
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Part Three: The Hallway
Lyra stood by the window at the end of the hall. The city was spread out below. Lights. Cars. People moving. Everything the same. Everything different.
Alex stood behind her. Not touching. Close enough.
"Best friends," she said.
"Best friends."
She didn't turn. "He asked when we're going to confess."
"He asked."
She was quiet for a long time. "What are we supposed to confess?"
He didn't answer.
She turned. "Alex. What are we supposed to confess?"
He looked at her. His face was calm. His eyes were steady. His hands were in his pockets.
"I don't know."
She stared at him. "You don't know?"
He stepped closer. "I know that you're my best friend. I know that I've been your best friend since we were five years old. I know that I'd do anything for you. I know that I'd—" He stopped.
She waited. "You'd what?"
He looked at her. "I'd wait."
She went still. "Wait for what?"
He didn't answer. He just stood there, in the hallway, under the lights, looking at her like she was the only thing in the world worth seeing.
She stepped back. "We should go inside."
"Okay."
She walked toward the door. He followed. She stopped with her hand on the handle.
"Alex."
"Yeah."
"What are we?"
He looked at her. "We're us."
She stared at him. "That's not an answer."
"It's the only answer I have."
She opened the door. Walked inside. He followed.
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Part Four: The Room
The room was quiet when they came back. People were scattered. Yuri was on his bed. Mica and Calix in the kitchen. Care and Cole at the table. Freya and Erdix on the couch. Ash and David by the window. Felix at his desk. Ci N on his bed, fox in his lap.
Lyra walked to her bed. Sat down. Picked up her book. Didn't open it.
Alex walked to his bed. Sat down. Picked up his book. Didn't open it.
Ci N watched them. His pen moved. "Page 284. Return. Book acquired. Not opened. Probability of reading tonight: 4.7 percent."
Rakki looked at him. "You're calculating again."
He closed his notebook. "I'm always calculating."
She took his hand. He held it.
Jay watched from her bed. Keifer beside her.
"They're not going to talk about it," she said.
"They're never going to talk about it."
She looked at him. "How do you know?"
He looked at Lyra. At Alex. At the space between their beds. At the way they were both holding books they weren't reading.
"Because they're scared. And when they're scared, they pretend nothing's wrong."
She leaned into him. "What if they never stop pretending?"
He put his arm around her. "Then we help."
She looked up at him. "How?"
He looked at Lyra. At Alex. At the way she kept glancing at him. At the way he kept glancing at her.
"I don't know yet."
She closed her eyes. His arm was around her. His hand was in her hair. The shark was beside her.
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Part Five: The Night
The lights went out at eleven.
Lyra lay in her bed. The book was beside her. Unopened. She could hear Alex across the room. His breathing was uneven. He wasn't sleeping.
She wanted to call out to him. Wanted to say something. Wanted to ask him what he meant when he said he'd wait. Wanted to tell him she'd been waiting too.
She didn't. She lay in the dark, listening to him breathe, and didn't say anything.
Alex lay in his bed. He could hear Lyra across the room. Her breathing was soft. He knew she wasn't sleeping. He knew she was waiting. He knew she wanted him to say something.
He didn't. He lay in the dark, listening to her breathe, and didn't say anything.
Ci N's voice from his bed: "Page 285. Both awake. Both pretending to sleep. Probability of sleep within the hour: 23.1 percent."
Rakki pulled him closer. "Ci N."
"I'm helping."
She kissed his cheek. "You're observing."
He was quiet for a moment. "Same thing."
She didn't answer. She held him. He held his fox.
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Part Six: The Morning
Lyra woke before the sun. She lay in bed, listening to the room breathe. Sixteen people. Sixteen people who were something to each other. She could hear Alex across the room. His breathing was even. He was sleeping.
She got up. Walked to the kitchen. Made coffee. Black. No sugar.
She made two cups.
She looked at the second cup. The steam rose. The coffee darkened. She picked it up. Held it. The warmth seeped through the paper.
She walked to Alex's bed. Set the cup on the table beside him. He stirred. His eyes opened.
"Lyra?"
She walked back to the kitchen. Picked up her cup. Drank it standing at the counter.
Alex sat up. Looked at the cup. Looked at her. He picked it up. Drank it.
She didn't look at him. He didn't say anything.
Ci N watched from his bed. His pen moved. "Page 286. Coffee. Two cups. One given. One received. Probability of conversation: 12.3 percent."
Rakki looked at him. "You're calculating again."
He closed his notebook. "I'm waiting."
She took his hand. He held it.
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Part Seven: The Day
The day passed like any other.
Lyra went to class. Alex went to class. They met in the courtyard. Walked back together. Sat on the couch. Ate dinner. Didn't talk about the night before. Didn't talk about the hallway. Didn't talk about the coffee.
Felix watched them from his desk. His notebook was open. His pen was still.
Ash sat beside him. "You're not drawing."
He looked at his notebook. At the blank page. "I'm thinking."
"About them?"
He nodded. "They've been best friends for twenty years. They've been in love for longer. They've been dancing around each other since they were kids. And they're still dancing."
Ash looked at Lyra and Alex. They were on the couch. Not touching. Close enough.
"What if they never stop?"
Felix picked up his pen. Drew a line. "Then we keep asking."
Ash smiled. "You're going to ask again?"
He drew another line. "Every day. Until they answer."
She leaned against him. He kept drawing.
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Part Eight: The Night
The lights went out at eleven.
Lyra lay in her bed. The coffee cup was still on Alex's table. Empty. He'd drunk it. He'd drunk the coffee she made for him.
She closed her eyes. She could hear him breathing. Across the room. Two beds away.
"Lyra."
His voice was soft. Just for her.
She opened her eyes. "Yeah."
"Thank you. For the coffee."
She smiled in the dark. "You're welcome."
He was quiet for a moment. Then: "Best friends make coffee for each other."
"Best friends make coffee for each other."
"I've been making coffee for you for years."
"I know."
She waited. He didn't say anything else.
She closed her eyes. She could hear him breathing. Steady. Even. He was sleeping.
She didn't.
From across the room, Ci N's voice: "Page 287. Coffee acknowledged. Feelings not. Probability of sleep: declining."
"Ci N," Rakki whispered.
He closed his notebook. Picked up his fox. Held it.
"I'm waiting," he said.
She kissed his cheek. He closed his eyes.
The room was quiet. Sixteen people. Sixteen people who were something to each other. Something that didn't need a name.
Lyra lay in her bed. The coffee was gone. The cup was empty. Alex was across the room. They were best friends. That was what they'd always been. That was what they'd always be.
She closed her eyes.
She didn't sleep.
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End of Chapter Thirty-Five