Page 47 of The Alchemists

“You should submit it for the Midsummer Revue.”

“I can’t submit a piece for the Revue!” She couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it.

His brow wrinkled. “Why not? You’re good enough.”

“Do you know how many people at this school literally hate me just for existing? Why would I give them anything they can use as ammo?”

Sebastian looked genuinely surprised, like he’d forgotten he was hanging out with a pariah. Then he looked resolute.

“I’ll do it with you.”

“What! You will not.”

“We could. We could do it together—if you want. If you think I’d be good enough by then.” In the blue night and golden lamplight, his eyes were dark and vivid. It was hard to believe that he was the same person she’d thought she’d seen outside the dueling club.

“What are you doing?”

“What?” It was his turn to frown.

“Why would you do that?”

“Do what?”

She stared at him. “I know you don’t want to tell people about this, and that’s fine. I get it, I really do, trust me.” Her voice caught and she had to pause, face reddening. “You care what people think about you, so why would you offer to get on stage with someone who would destroy your reputation when you can’t even tell your roommates that we’re working on the Elumnara together?” It all came out in a desperate rush, more than she had meant to say.

He fixed his gaze on the ground, and his normally soft hair—sweat-stiffened and standing up at odd angles—cast spiked shadows on the floor. “I don’t know what to say.” He sounded ashamed. “I’m not trying to hide this, I swear. It just feels so…”

She understood his silence then, if not his words. “Private,” she finished.

“Yeah.” His lips, which usually looked imperious, were pressed together in an unsure line. “I do care what people think,” he admitted, hugging his arms.

“I know⁠—”

“No.” His interruption shocked both of them, eyes sparking as they caught the light. “I care about what people think, but…” He glanced at her, making sure she was really listening. “I think I care more about what you think.”

Lily’s heart stuttered to a stop. “W-hat? Why?”

“I don’t know. I guess because I feel like myself around you. Like, my actual self.”

She considered. “You don’t have to be the person people expect you to be.”

“That and, I think it’s because we’re friends. At least I think we’re friends.”

Something inside her fractured then, in the best possible way. “We’re friends. If you want.”

Friends.

“I do want.”

She wanted to laugh. How many hundreds of nights had she lain awake, imagining what it would be like to have real friends, who took her as she was and liked that Lily best of all? Now she had her first actual best friend ever, and it was Sebastian Fucking Allsaires.

Laughter overtook her so hard she almost choked, and tears sprang to her eyes. She wiped them away with the back of her sleeve, laughing some more, until Sebastian joined in and their fit became circular.

SEB

“Wake up.” Then, “Sebastian? Your phone is ringing.”

He opened his eyes, no idea where he was. Beneath him, something vibrated. Slowly it came back: the secret room, the wait for security.