FALLOUT

Its been two weeks since the friendship of Elise and Delilah began, I have been at this school for only two months but I never seen Elise smile like this but I did not know her that well so maybe she smiles whenever she is behind the scenes.

But there is one thing I regret about making this friendship even become a thing. Its the constant nagging that Elise does about Delilah and Delilah does the same for Elise, and today was another day of nagging.

"I never had so much in common with someone." Elise said.

"Wow how nice."

"Stop being such a pushover."

"Of course I apologize for that."

"You don't even want to make your apology have meaning."

I just shrugged it off and kept looking at a book that I was reading.

"Hey Elise I have a question."

"What is it?"

"What if she were to switch sides what would happen then."

Elise heard this from me and had no words I just kept looking at my book. After some thinking Elise shrugged it off believing it was just random nonsense.

Then Mrs. Remira arrives and asks for the Physics assignment, it was the time for the submission day. I already had mine on the table. When I first got in this school I had some knowledge about the subjects that are being presented to us here, but after some studying I had a huge improvement on the subjects.

All the assignments were being handed in and Mrs. Remira was taking in a list for the people who submitted. Before it was our turn to submit Mrs. Remira called Elise to her.

"Elise Winters come to me pls." she said.

"Um Yes ma'am."

Elise went to Mrs. Remira.

"Can you take this to the headmaster its a report on the latest tests asks for him to sign it and if he wants to, he can check it out and fix some mistakes if needed."

Yes ma'am."

She took the report and as she was about to leave she asked me to submit her assignment with mine. At first I did not want to do it but then she gave me that glare of hers so I had no choice but to agree.

Then she left for the headmasters office, I stood up ready to submit until I saw Delilah ready to submit her assignment. So I went to her.

"Hey, Delilah."

She turned around, beaming.
"Oh, Sylvester! Everything okay?"

Her smile was polite friendly, even. I returned it faintly.

"Couldn't be better." I flashed a polite smile. "Actually, I'm here with a little favor from Elise."

She blinked in surprise.
"Elise?"

"Yep. She had to head out because Mrs. Westwood sent her somewhere. She asked me to make sure your assignment got submitted safely."

Delilah raised an eyebrow.
"Mine?"

"Well… yours and hers." I quickly corrected myself, playing it off like a slip. "But don't worry. Since you two always team up, no one will even notice the difference."

She hesitated for a moment.
"We didn't… actually work on this together, though."

I was surprised.
"Oh? That's odd. She mentioned you helped her with most of it. Even said your words really tied the whole thing together." I chuckled softly. "I thought she was just being humble."

Delilah looked a bit unsure now.
"I mean… I did glance at it briefly."

I tilted my head slightly.
"So, in a way, it's still yours, right?"

She hesitated.
"Well… I suppose you could say that."

I smiled, gently placing Elise's assignment on top of hers.

"Glad we sorted that out. Thanks for submitting your work, Delilah."

Before she could second-guess herself, I turned and headed off to hand in my assignment to the teacher.

Two whole hours had slipped by. Just as the final lesson wrapped up, the classroom door creaked open. Elise walked in, her hair a bit tousled and her cheeks slightly flushed not from embarrassment, but from the rush.

A few students glanced her way, whispering softly about her late arrival, but Sylvester's gaze followed her calmly as she settled into her seat without a word.

I rose from my chair, stretched a bit, and strolled over to her desk.

"You missed quite a bit," I said, his voice low and smooth, almost teasing.

Elise let out a soft sigh, rummaging through her bag as she replied, "Yeah, I know. The meeting ran longer than I thought."

"With the headmaster?" I asked, leaning on her desk with a curious, knowing smile.

She paused for a moment, then nodded slightly, handing him a sealed envelope.

"Mrs Westwood asked me to take some reports for tests."

"You've got him reviewing test reports now? That's impressive."

"It wasn't my idea," Elise replied quickly. "I just happened to be there when he mentioned it. He thought it'd be more efficient if I passed it along."

"Mm, I see," I said, studying her a bit more closely and noticing her conflicted expression.

Elise glanced down for a moment, as if weighing whether to share. Then, in a soft voice, she said, "He asked if I wanted to join the student council."

My eyebrows lifted in surprise, but I kept my reaction subdued. "The student council?" I echoed, a hint of amusement in my tone. "Well, well. Usually, it's the president who recruits students. For the headmaster to ask you directly... that's almost like a royal decree."

Elise laughed lightly. "It's not that serious."

"I'd say it is," I replied. "You know how close-knit that council is. For the headmaster himself to personally offer you a seat? Most people would drop everything for that kind of chance."

"I turned it down," she said simply.

I blinked. "You… turned it down?"

"I just don't have the time," Elise shrugged lightly. "I'm already swamped with classwork, and the council just feels… a bit showy."

I tilted my head slightly, studying her with that same unreadable calm. "You're either really brave or a bit foolish, Elise."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because most people dream of catching the headmaster's eye. Being offered a council seat without even applying is almost unheard of. If it were me," I smirked, "I'd have jumped at the chance before he finished speaking."

Elise chuckled softly. "Yeah, but you're way more ambitious than I am."

"Or maybe I just see opportunity where others see a burden."

I stepped back from her desk.

"But I admire it," I added, his tone softer this time. "Turning down power isn't easy… especially when it's handed to you on a silver platter."

Elise looked at me, a bit puzzled for a moment, but she smiled anyway.

The final bell rang in the background, and students started packing up their bags, chatting, and leaving in pairs or solo. The sun outside had dipped into its golden hour, casting streaks of orange across the windows.

I adjusted the strap on my bag and began walking toward the door.

"Well," I called over his shoulder without looking back, "you've had your royal audience. Now it's time to head back to the world of peasants."

Elise smiled as she stood to follow. "Guess I'm in good company then."