I managed to push the disturbing news aside and focus on my afternoon schedule.
First, a grueling two hours at the library, where I truly did bury myself in quadratic equations and logarithms, my phone safely silenced in my bag. The focus felt good; it was a way to keep my mind sharp for the real challenge tomorrow.
Afterward, as planned, I met Chloe and Rishi at the local cafeteria, "The Daily Grind,"for some much-needed decompression.
RISHI: (Taking a massive bite of a chocolate chip cookie) So, you're locked in for the Algebra II makeup. You're giving it 100 percent. Does this mean the era of the 'dream man drama' is officially over?
LUNA: (Stirring my iced coffee) Officially over. The man in my dream was just a highly detailed hallucination, probably caused by my anxiety about the Pythagorean theorem. My brain has decided that real-world problems are more important.
CHLOE: (Grinning) Excellent. We like this focused, math-nerd Luna. Though I still think you should have done an investigative report on the green-eyed phantom. Think of the viral content!
LUNA: The only thing I'm investigating right now is the relationship between log x = y and my sanity. Now, tell me about Sarah's ridiculously elaborate birthday plans. Let's talk about things that are harmless and entirely predictable.
We spent the next hour laughing, sharing gossip, and indulging in terrible cafeteria food, successfully burying the morning's unsettling highway whispers under layers of teenage triviality. I was fully engaged, cheerful, and completely convincing.
By the time I walked home, my mind was sharp, my alibi was set, and the excitement for my attic exploration tomorrow night was building.
Unknown to Luna, the man she was unknowingly praying for—Atlas, the Observer's heir—lay broken in a hospital bed a few hours away. And the hit-and-run that felt so disturbing was the very event designed to shatter his life and drive him, when he woke, directly into hers.
The forces of destiny were at work, using a tragic accident to orchestrate the meeting that would unlock both their lives.