After Death, Love Unveiled (Elara and Lysander)

Lizzie stood next to Daphne, her gaze drifting over to Elara, who was quietly sitting in the bleachers, minding her own business.

In a surprisingly thoughtful move, Elara grabbed a few bottles of water and handed them out to the girls around her, even to the ones who had been gossiping about her not too long ago.

They weren't in her class, so of course they talked shit. But after hanging around her a bit, they realized she wasn't as bad as they'd thought

The girls accepted the water, and suddenly, their judgmental stares turned softer.

Lizzie leaned in close to Daphne, her voice a low hiss. "What the hell is she up to? Trying to win people over?"

"Could be," Daphne replied, barely glancing at Elara. "Lysander's here, so she's probably trying to make herself look good in front of him. Same stunt she pulled when she was chasing Asher, remember?"

Lizzie's jaw dropped. "You think she's after Lysander now? Are you fucking serious? Oh my god, she's out of her damn mind! There's no way Lysander would go for someone like her. I mean, com on, after all the older guys she's hooked up with? Who the hell would want her?" Daphne stayed quiet.

"I've never seen anyone so shameless, Lizzie muttered, her voice dripping with contempt. 'She's not even low-key about it- going on and on about older guys like it's something to be proud of. And get this-I just saw her flirting with Crispin! Seriously, does she have to throw herself at every hot guy she sees?"

Daphne sighed, sounding a little tired of the whole thing, "Look, she's got her own game going on. She's not just here for the classes, alright? Honestly, it's kinda sad. If she had any decent role models in her life, maybe she wouldn't be this... messy. "Sad? Really? You're too soft, Daphne. Always trying to find the good in people," Lizzie snapped

Despite her tough talk, Lizzie never actually had the guts to say any of this to Elara's face. She only felt brave when she was whispering behind her back.

Soon enough, the game kicked off, and Elara settled in, iced water in hand, eyes glued to the action.

From the start, the game had a weird vibe. It wasn't long before both Crispin and Asher got hit with fouls, making the crowd sit up, wide-eyed. Things were getting intense way faster than usual

Asher, on the other hand, was laser-focused. He wasn't just here to play ball-he wanted to outshine Lysander and, more importantly, make sure Elara noticed him again.

Sure, he acted like he didn't give a damn, but the thought of her brushing him off? Yeah, no. He had to remind her who the real deal was

But then Crispin showed up, basically shadowing him, blocking him at every turn, making sure Asher couldn't even get close to Lysander.

Meanwhile, Lysander was on autopilot. Oakridge High's team was solid, but compared to Lysander, they looked like amateurs. He made it all seem effortless

After a few shots, Lysander was starting to look way too laid-back.

Elara hung back, quietly watching how out of sync he was with the rest of the crowd.

While Asher was busting his ass out there, giving it everything he had and getting shut down at every turn, he looked like he was just playing for the hell of it.

By the end of the second half. Elara could see their rest area clearly. Lysander glanced at Crispin, who was practically drowning in sweat, and raised an eyebrow. "Why the hell are you trying so hard today?" Crispin's eyes hadn't left Asher the whole time, which was unusual.

Crispin snickered. "Some chick called me ugly. Gotta prove her wrong, right?"

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Lysander just gave him a lazy smile and didn't seem to care.

After downing the last of his water. Crispin turned and spotted Elara sitting in the stands. Flashing a cocky grin, he yelled, "So, how about it? Do I look good or what! Your boy Asher didn't stand a chance against me, did he?" As Crispin ran his mouth. Lysander shot him a sideways glance. Crispin felt a sudden, weird chill run down his spine, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why

Compared to Crispin's bravado, Elara couldn't help but notice Lysander's complete indifference toward her. Even when Crispin looked over. Lysander stayed cool, not even batting an eyelash

That was just Lysander-always distant, never one for attention. But honestly, that only made him more interesting to her. Elara grinned and shouted. "Lysander, you were incredible!"

Crispin scoffed, elbowing Lysander. 'She's doing that just to piss me off. We had a fight a few days ago, and she's still mad

Lysander gave him a quick glance and muttered. "Is that right" He didn't bother looking at Elara, but if one looked closely. they might catch the faintest flush creeping up the tips of his ears.

When the second half kicked off, Lysander was all business. Earlier, Asher had managed to snag the ball a few times, even with Crispin on him, but now that Crispin wasn't guarding him at all. Asher couldn't do a thing. Every play seemed to land in Lysander's hands, and he was unstoppable. By the end. Crestview Senior High was utterly

crushed.

The biggest loser was Asher. People used to compare him to Lysander, saying they were evenly matched. But after today's game, it was clear Asher didn't even belong in the same league.

Watching Lysander dominate. Elara was buzzing with excitement. She couldn't believe how blind she'd been before-never really seeing Lysander for who he was, never understanding just how talented he actually was. Looking back, she realized she'd completely misjudged him. What a fool I'd been, she thought.

Lizzie and Daphne had come to cheer for Asher, but now they were completely dumbfounded. Over on Elara's side, Lysander's fans were going absolutely nuts, screaming like maniacs.

Elara could barely contain herself. eyes glued to Lysander as she let out this tiny squeal she probably didn't even realize she made.

Lizzie shot her a side-eye and muttered. "Pretty sure she's forgotten we're supposed to be cheering for Crestview. Honestly, thank God Lysander's not into her because that d be fucking nauseating"

As soon as Lizzie finished speaking. Lysander walked straight up to the stands and stopped dead in front of Elara. The crowd of girls around them completely lost their shit

Elara, still in awe, looked up at him, wide-eyed. "You were amazing, she breathed, barely getting the words out.

Lysander's voice came out low and smooth, like velvet, "Got any water?" His tone sent a shiver down her spine. How could someone be so talented and have a voice like that? It wasn't fair.

One of the girls nearby practically threw a water bottle at him, but Lysander didn't even blink at her. His eyes stayed locked on.

Elara.

She fumbled a little, grabbed a bottle, and handed it to him, repeating softly, "You were amazing."

Those words hit him hard. She caught the subtle bob of his throat as he swallowed. If they weren't surrounded by people, God only knew what he'd have done

He took the bottle from her and drained it, never taking his eyes off her.

Crispin, who had spent the entire damn day trying to get Elara to notice him, just stood there, stunned. All his efforts, and here came Lysander, swooping in and stealing the spotlight without even trying But what really fucked with Crispin's head was that Lysander wasn't the type to care about girls. Ever.

He always brought his own water to games, never accepted anything from anyone, and kept his distance from everyone. He was the definition of untouchable.

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Want, could it be? Did Lysander actually... have a thing for Elara?' he wondered in shock. Crispin couldn't believe it.

Lysander finished the water, handed the bottle back to Elara, and said, "I'm gonna go change. Wait for me, we'll head out after school

Elara nodded, barely containing her excitement. "Okay," she said, trying not to sound too eager, but failing miserably.

As Lysander turned to leave, Crispin stood there, still in shock. "Lysander... you know her?"

Without even missing a beat, Lysander looked back and said calmly, "I'm chasing her."

Crispin just stared, speechless.