The Saturday sun had already begun its slow climb when Elias's alarm buzzed, cutting through the silence of his room. He rolled over, groaning, though it wasn't laziness keeping him in bed—it was her. Wren. The memory of her subtle smile at the café, the way she tilted her head when answering his questions, lingered in his mind like a whisper he couldn't catch.
Dragging himself upright, he glanced at the clock. Too early for the world to be awake, but not for volleyball practice. He slid out of bed, his mind already running through the day ahead. Breakfast was a quiet affair; his parents were gone for the weekend, leaving him with the empty luxury of a house to himself. He scrolled absentmindedly through his phone while eating toast, half-listening to the faint hum of the morning outside. His thoughts kept circling back to Wren.
After breakfast, he grabbed his gear and headed out, the driveway gleaming in the soft morning light. His car, polished and spotless, reflected his own image as he climbed in. Driving to the court, Elias's thoughts refused to stay on the road. Every time he remembered her voice, calm yet mysterious, he felt that familiar itch of curiosity, the one that had been growing since the café encounter.
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When he arrived at the court, the team was already warming up. Marcus, always early and impossible to ignore, waved him over.
"You're late," Marcus called, tossing a ball in his direction with a smirk.
"Traffic," Elias said automatically, though he had left extra early.
Marcus raised an eyebrow, grinning knowingly. "Sure, traffic. Must be all that traffic thinking about…someone?"
Elias froze mid-drill, feeling a warmth creep across his face. "What are you talking about?"
Marcus laughed, low and teasing. "Don't act innocent. You've been distracted all week. Wren, huh? Heard y'all are doing a project together"
Elias tried to hide his reaction, but Marcus had already hit the mark. "I… I don't know what you mean," he muttered. "And yes we have a project together. Along with Maya and Theo"
"You totally do," Marcus said, tossing the ball lightly between his hands. "And it's not like you to do projects, guess She's got you curious."
"Curious," Elias repeated, testing the word as if speaking it could control it. "Maybe. But she's… complicated. Not someone you figure out in a single café visit."
"That's why it's fun," Marcus said, nudging him with his elbow. "You like a challenge, man. Admit it."
Elias couldn't help but smirk, shaking his head. "Maybe I do."
Practice went on, a blur of serves, spikes, and dives. Yet even as he moved, his thoughts kept drifting to Wren. He remembered the way she had carried the coffee tray effortlessly, the slight pause before she answered questions, like she was measuring every word. The more he thought about it, the less he understood—and the more he wanted to.
After practice, the team headed to their usual hangout spot, a quiet café just off campus. Marcus jabbered about last week's match, about which serves were weak and which spikes had been perfect. Elias nodded absentmindedly, sipping a soda, but his mind was elsewhere.
He was scanning the café, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.
Marcus leaned back and smirked. "You're thinking about her again, aren't you?"
Elias tried to mask his reaction, but Marcus's grin told him the game was over. "I… might be," he admitted, kicking at the ground.
"Bingo," Marcus laughed. "You've got it bad. Don't worry, man, I won't tease too much… today."
Elias laughed, a little breathless, and for the first time, he allowed himself to think freely about her. Her calm confidence, the way she seemed to exist entirely on her own terms—it intrigued him more than anyone had in a long time.
The rest of the day passed in a haze of mundane weekend activities: a short trip to the gym, a stop for snacks, and a quick detour to pick up some things from the store. Yet through it all, Wren's image lingered, quiet but insistent. Every time he thought he had pushed her from his mind, her smile, her voice, or the faint curl of her red hair would appear, reminding him that curiosity was now a constant companion.
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Back at home, the house was quiet. His parents were still away, leaving him with a rare pocket of solitude. He dropped his bag by the door and sank into the couch, staring out at the city bathed in the golden glow of sunset. His phone buzzed with team messages, but he didn't look. Instead, he replayed the café encounter, analyzing every detail.
Why had she been so vague in her answers? Why did she seem unaffected by all the rumors at school? And why did he feel, so strongly, that there was more beneath the surface—something he couldn't see yet?
Marcus's teasing echoed in his mind, and for some reason, it made him grin. Yes, he was thinking about her. Yes, he was curious. But that curiosity wasn't frustration—it was excitement. He wanted to understand her, piece by piece, and somehow, the idea of the chase thrilled him.
The sky darkened outside, city lights flickering on one by one. Elias leaned back, letting the quiet settle around him. His thoughts didn't slow—they moved in circles, weaving scenarios of meeting her again, of discovering the things she didn't tell anyone, of finally unraveling the mystery she carried.
Some mysteries, he realized, were worth chasing. And Wren was one of them.
By the time night fell, Elias was still wide awake. The quiet of the house seemed louder now, the shadows stretching across the walls like silent spectators. He couldn't stop thinking about Wren. Every image, every word from the café, kept replaying in his mind, sharper than before.
Impulsively, he grabbed his laptop from the desk in his room and opened it. Maybe he could find out something—anything—about her. He knew better than to dig too deep into rumors; that wasn't his style. But a little curiosity, a little research… surely that was harmless.
He typed her name into the school database and various social media platforms. Nothing. Or rather, almost nothing. Her profiles were either private, sparse, or… missing entirely. Some posts seemed to have been deleted. The emptiness was disconcerting. Most students had footprints online—photos, comments, shared posts—but Wren's digital presence was almost ghostlike.
Elias leaned back, eyes narrowing at the screen. "Who are you, really?" he whispered to himself.
He opened a few forums where students sometimes discussed rumors and gossip. A handful of threads mentioned a mysterious red-haired girl at the café, but all the posts were vague or had been removed. It was as if someone—or something—had deliberately erased traces of her.
That only made Elias more intrigued. He felt a thrill, sharp and insistent, run down his spine. There was something about her that resisted being cataloged, labeled, or understood. And that defiance… it was magnetic.
Marcus's teasing from earlier in the day came back to him, making him chuckle quietly. "Yeah, I do like a challenge," he muttered, almost to himself. But this challenge wasn't just a game; it was a puzzle, a mystery that teased the edges of his understanding. He wanted answers, but more than that, he wanted to understand her.
Hours passed, and still Elias scrolled through empty pages and deleted posts, each blank space feeding the curiosity that had grown all day. He finally shut the laptop, leaning back against his chair, staring at the ceiling. The quiet of the house felt different now, almost conspiratorial, as if it, too, was holding its breath for what was coming.
He didn't know when he'd see her next, or what he'd learn. But one thing was certain: he couldn't stop thinking about her. And somehow, he had a feeling this was only the beginning.
The glow from the city lights outside his window illuminated the room softly, casting long shadows across the floor. Elias closed his eyes for a moment, letting himself imagine her smile again, her calm, deliberate answers, and the little mysteries she left behind.
Tomorrow would come, as all days did. And with it, more questions, more chances… and maybe, just maybe, a step closer to Wren.