Chapter 05 - The Silent Race

After returning from lunch, I took my seat, trying to focus on the class, but my mind kept wandering back to the events that had just unfolded. Serena and Terry had gone off to their respective classes, leaving Elia and me in ours. The lecturer began discussing English literature, a subject I usually had no trouble with, but today, it felt like background noise. My thoughts were elsewhere—specifically, on the gaze Elia had given me when I removed my Ralph Lauren coat, the one that had been ruined by the spilled food.

That gaze—fixed, almost impressed—played over and over in my mind. Did it mean something? Was it just my imagination? The questions lingered, refusing to let me concentrate on the lecture.

As the class ended, everyone began packing up, eager to leave. I followed suit, gathering my things and heading out with the flow of students. The crowd surged down the stairs, and I let them pass, preferring to take my time. As the stairs cleared, I started to descend, but then I heard a voice—familiar and soft, calling my name.

“Ankit.”

I turned to find Elia standing at the top of the stairs, her expression unreadable.

“Are you leaving on purpose?” she asked, her tone carrying a mix of curiosity and something else I couldn’t quite place.

I blinked, momentarily confused by the question. It felt like déjà vu—the way she stood there, the way her hair moved with the slight breeze, the way her presence seemed to shift the entire atmosphere around us. She looked stunning, but that wasn’t new. What was new was the way I saw her now, with every detail of her etched in my mind.

“Leaving what?” I asked, pausing for a moment before my mind clicked into gear. A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips as I added, “Oh sorry, do you want to come with me?”

Elia’s lips curved into a teasing smile. “Although it was smooth,” she replied, her voice light but tinged with something deeper. She then lifted her hand slightly, revealing my forgotten coat.

I glanced at the coat, a hint of embarrassment creeping in. “I mean, it’s no use anyway. It’s ruined. But since you bought it with you, I’ll take it. Thanks.”

She rolled her eyes, stepping down to join me, the coat still in her hand. “You forgot it,” she said simply, handing it over.

I took the coat, and as I did, our fingers brushed for the briefest moment. There was a charge in that touch, something unspoken yet palpable. I shrugged the coat off and slung it over my shoulder.

“Is it really that hard to accept you forgot something?” she asked, her tone playful, but with an edge that suggested she wasn’t just talking about the coat.

I chuckled softly. “Okay, okay. I forgot. Can we move past this now?”

She smiled, a real one this time, as if she’d won some small victory. We walked together down the stairs, side by side, the silence between us comfortable yet charged with an undercurrent I couldn’t quite define.

As we reached the last step, Elia broke the silence again. “So, where are you heading?”

“I was going to the parking lot to get my car,” I replied, glancing at her. “Do you need a ride?”

Elia’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she shook her head. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass. My Porsche is parked nearby.”

I blinked, taken aback for a second. “Porsche?”

She didn’t respond immediately, just continued walking with that mysterious smile playing on her lips. We reached the parking area, and she led me to a private garage, opening the shutter to reveal a sleek, pink Porsche parked inside.

“Wow,” was all I could manage as I took in the sight. The car was a beauty, every inch of it gleaming and perfectly maintained.

Elia’s expression was impossible to read as she got into the driver’s seat. She started the engine, the powerful roar of the V12 reverberating through the air. As she pulled out of the garage and stopped beside me, she rolled down her window, her eyes locking with mine.

“So, wanna race, loser?” she asked, her tone playful yet challenging, as if she already knew the outcome.

I shook my head, smiling. “It’s no use, Elia. You’d win.”

She gave me that same smirk, the one that made me feel like she was always a step ahead. Then, without another word, she rolled up the window and drove off, leaving me standing there, watching her go.

I got into my own car, feeling a strange mix of admiration and curiosity. Who exactly was Elia? The more I learned, the more questions I had. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I checked my phone and saw several missed calls and messages from Terry, along with a couple from an unknown number.

I decided to call the unknown number first, and when the familiar voice answered, it all made sense.

“Hello,” Serena’s voice came through, light and teasing. “It’s the one who ruined your coat.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, hey Serena. Why did you call? And where did you get my number?”

“Terry gave it to me. We tried calling you earlier, but you didn’t pick up. We were going to ask you to join us for tea as our last class teacher was absent , but I guess you were busy.”

“I didn’t check my phone,” I admitted. “Are you still at the café?”

“No, we’ve already left. I’m home now, and Terry’s probably on his way too. Don’t worry about it.”

“Alright, thanks for the update. And for ruining my coat,” I added with a playful tone.

“Anytime,” she shot back, just as sarcastic.

As I drove home, I couldn’t help but reflect on the day. So much had happened—old friends, new faces, and a ruined coat that was somehow the least of my concerns. But as I thought about Elia and that pink Porsche, I realized today had been more interesting than I’d expected. And something told me it was only the beginning.