The next day at school, Eliza tried to ignore the whispers buzzing through the halls. The gym fight had spread like wildfire—each version more dramatic than the last. It seemed like every time she passed a new group of students, the story had somehow escalated. By the time she reached her locker, she'd heard at least five different accounts, ranging from Lucifer landing a flying kick to Zach summoning backup like a mafia boss.
Eliza groaned, pressing her forehead against her locker for a moment. "This is ridiculous," she mumbled, trying to will away the headache forming behind her eyes.
Ava leaned against Eliza's locker, scrolling through her phone with an unimpressed snort. "Wow, apparently Lucifer threw Zach across the gym like some action hero," she drawled, shoving her phone under Eliza's nose with a wicked grin.
Eliza squinted at the screen, a poorly edited video with dramatic captions making her groan louder. "Right, because that sounds realistic," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "Next, they'll say he's secretly a vampire or something."
Ava snorted. "I mean, with that whole brooding thing he's got going on, wouldn't be too shocking. Honestly, I'd believe it."
Eliza rolled her eyes, stuffing a book into her bag with more force than necessary. "Can we please talk about literally anything else?" she grumbled, cheeks warming when Ava smirked knowingly.
Ava grinned, not missing a beat. "I don't know, he did look pretty intense yesterday," she said, waggling her eyebrows. "All dramatic and stuff. Real main character energy."
Eliza swatted her arm, face going red. "He was just being an idiot," she mumbled. "Zach was being worse. Honestly, they're both ridiculous."
"Preach," Ava sighed, draping an arm over Eliza's shoulders. "Boys are like, legally required to be dumb at least once a day. It's science."
They made their way to the cafeteria, weaving through clusters of students. The noise was almost deafening—laughter, gossip, the clatter of trays and chairs scraping linoleum. Eliza tried to ignore the lingering glances, the hushed whispers that followed them. It felt like eyes were boring into her back with every step.
Lucifer was already at their usual table, one arm draped over the back of the seat, looking thoroughly unimpressed by the chaos around him. The cut above his brow was cleaned and bandaged, a stark reminder of yesterday's mess, but he seemed unfazed by the attention—leaning back with a bored expression, fingers tapping lazily against the table.
His eyes flicked up as they approached. "Took you long enough," he said flatly.
Ava rolled her eyes but plopped down beside him without comment. "Wow, you're not even suspended," she snorted. "Impressive. Coach must have a soft spot for morons."
Lucifer shrugged. "Coach gave us a lecture that was probably worse," he muttered. "And a week of detention." His tone was light, but there was a tightness around his eyes, a stiffness to his shoulders that hadn't been there before.
Eliza bit her lip, fingers fidgeting with the strap of her bag. "Are you… okay?" she asked a bit awkwardly, voice soft. Her eyes flickered to the bandage, heart twisting uncomfortably.
Lucifer huffed, rolling his eyes. "I've had worse," he said dismissively, but the tension didn't leave his shoulders. His eyes were shadowed, flicking to the side as if avoiding hers.
Ava snorted. "Wow, what a tough guy," she deadpanned, biting into an apple. "Next, you'll tell us you shook it off like Captain America or something."
Lucifer gave her a flat look. "Do I look like I have the muscles for that?"
"Fair point," Ava smirked. "More like Spider-Man before the upgrade."
Lucifer groaned. "Why are we friends again?"
Before Eliza could press further, a sharp voice cut through the cafeteria noise, biting and familiar.
"Well, well," Zach sneered, swaggering over with his usual posse in tow, eyes narrowed into slits. "Isn't this cozy."
Eliza's stomach twisted uneasily, fingers tightening around the edge of the table until her knuckles turned white. Her breath hitched, pulse fluttering with nerves.
Lucifer didn't even look up, expression flat and bored. "You need something, or just here to look stupid?" he said flatly, picking at a loose thread on his sleeve. The calm in his tone was almost chilling, like he couldn't be bothered to care.
Zach's lip curled, eyes darkening. "You're real cocky for someone who got lucky yesterday," he spat, fists clenched at his sides. His voice was too loud, drawing eyes and curious whispers.
Lucifer snorted. "Right, sure," he muttered dryly. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."
Zach's eyes flickered to Eliza then, a cruel smirk twisting his mouth. "Bet your little friends were impressed," he sneered, eyes glinting with something dark.
Eliza's heart stuttered, fingers curling tighter around the edge of the table. The air felt colder, the eyes on them heavier, and her breath caught painfully.
Lucifer's glare darkened instantly. "You better back off," he said coldly, voice dropping an octave. The threat was clear, barely restrained, fingers flexing with barely hidden irritation.
Zach's eyes narrowed, jaw working furiously, but the crowd's watchful eyes seemed to hold him back. His shoulders twitched with barely concealed rage, but with a scoff and a muttered curse, he finally turned on his heel, stalking off with his lackeys in tow, shoulders tense and furious.
The tension at the table hung thick for a moment, the buzz of whispers slowly picking back up around them. Ava let out a dramatic sigh, breaking the silence. "God, he's exhausting," she groaned, stabbing at her salad with unnecessary force.
Lucifer huffed, leaning back with a tired smirk. "Tell me about it," he muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. The adrenaline seemed to be wearing off, leaving shadows under his eyes.
Eliza hesitated for a beat, fingers curling nervously in her lap. "You… really shouldn't let him get to you," she said softly, voice hesitant but sincere. "It's not worth it."
Lucifer glanced at her, eyes tired but something in his gaze easing slightly. "Yeah, I know," he mumbled, exhaling sharply. "Easier said than done." His voice was quieter, the mask slipping for a fraction of a second.
Ava groaned, grabbing an apple from her tray and biting into it aggressively. "High school boys and their endless drama," she grumbled, voice muffled by the bite. "Unbelievable."
Lucifer snorted, shaking his head with a breath of tired laughter. "You're not wrong," he muttered, the corner of his mouth twitching.
For a moment, things felt almost normal again—like the tension had eased just a bit, the shadows less heavy. Eliza released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, a small, relieved smile tugging at her lips.
To be continued....