Chapter Text
Lunch was the same as always, noisy and messy. People were moving everywhere, trays clattering, somebody yelling across the room about homework, someone else laughing too loud. Sophia didn’t care about any of it. Her focus was stuck on the girl across from her.
Manon had her chin in her hand like she was bored, but there was that little smile she always wore, the one that made her look like she knew something Sophia didn’t. Her hair kept slipping into her face, and she didn’t bother fixing it, which only made it worse for Sophia because she wanted to reach over and push it away.
Sophia pretended to focus on her food. She poked at her pasta like it was the most important thing in the world, which it was but with the way Manon’s eyes flick toward her every so often, it made the pasta seem less significant then, just when she thought she was safe, Manon spoke.
“You’re quiet today.” Her tone was casual and lazy, but the look in her eyes were soft.
Sophia almost choked on air. “What? No, I’m fine. Totally fine.”
“Fine,” Manon repeated, dragging the word out, she was... testing it. “That’s what people say when they’re not fine.”
Sophia shot her a weak glare and kicked at her under the table, though her foot only brushed against her ankle. “You’re annoying.”
Manon just laughed, and Sophia had to look away before her own face gave her away. She shoved another bite of food into her mouth, chewing way too fast, trying to act normal when nothing about her felt normal around Manon.
The thing was, Manon never seemed to try. She could lean back in her chair with her arms crossed and look like she owned the whole cafeteria. While... Sophia was busy counting how many times she had blinked in the last thirty seconds just so she wouldn’t get caught staring again.
Then someone from across the room called her name. Lara waved her over, shouting something she couldn’t make out. Sophia gave a quick laugh, small and polite, but it was enough. She turned back to find Manon’s expression had changed.
Her fork was resting against her tray, her eyes narrowed just slightly. “Lara's hilarious, huh?”
Sophia frowned, caught off guard. “What?”
“You were laughing at her,” Manon said, and there was this strange tone to her voice. Not mean enough to be anger, not gentle to a degree to be nothing either.
It hit, and Sophia couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. “Wait… are you jealous of Lara?”
Manon immediately scoffed, sitting up straighter. “Me? Jealous of Lara? As if.” She crossed her arms like that would prove her point, though her lips had started to pout a little. “her jokes aren't even that funny.”
Sophia leaned forward, her grin widening. “Oh my god, you are jealous.”
“I’m not.”
“You so are.”
Manon turned around and look at Sophia, slower. Sophia’s laughter lightened until it was barely there.
“Even if I was,” Manon mumbled, her voice dropping, “so what?”
Sophia’s smile faded into something gentler. “So nothing,” she said quietly.
The crash of a tray hitting the floor broke it apart, and the moment vanished as quickly as it came. Sophia jerked back, cheeks burning, while Manon shoved a piece of bread into her mouth.
At the next table, two girls were watching, whispering and laughing behind their hands. Neither Sophia nor Manon noticed. Both of them still thought they were being subtle.