"Raise it a little higher, it looks crooked from here." Selene shouted instructions to Thea, who was putting colorful paper on one of the food stands for this festival. She held the bottom of the folding ladder firmly as Thea moved to put up the paper.
"Is it okay?" asked Thea, looking down. Sweat dripped from her forehead, her hair tie was slightly messy, and a few strands of hair had come loose from the tie. But because her hands were covered in glue, Thea couldn't fix her hair tie; she didn't want her hair to smell like glue.
Selene gave her a thumbs up, nodding in satisfaction with the result. "You can come down now."
Thea breathed a sigh of relief and carefully climbed down the ladder. Selene held it firmly so it wouldn't sway. She heard the students around her whispering. When Selene turned her head slightly—while still holding the ladder—she saw her father entering the festival arena with the principal and the supervising lecturer.
"What's going on?" asked Thea when her feet touched the ground.
Selene smiled, pointing toward Alaric, who was looking around the festival arena. "My father is here. You know my father is the museum curator, and the museum will contribute to our campus festival this time."
Thea obviously knew that. She had visited the museum managed by Alaric several times, as she loved history and, of course, because her role required her to wear a Persephone costume. Their conversations at the museum couldn't be avoided. But Thea kept it a secret from Selene; for Thea, it was to remain her little secret with Alaric. She only mentioned that she had visited the museum, without revealing her meeting with Alaric.
Besides, it was just a simple meeting between two people who loved museums and history.
"That's great... I just found out your father will be contributing to our campus event," Thea praised. Her praise was sincere; she truly admired Alaric.
Selene smiled broadly. She knew her father was indeed great. And hearing her best friend praise her father made Selene even more proud.
But Selene didn't want to disturb her father, who was busy looking at the festival location with the principal, so she went back to helping Thea decorate the other stands. They only had a little more work to do before they could go home.
A few minutes later, Thea no longer saw Alaric; perhaps he had returned to the office with the principal and the supervising lecturer. Thea breathed a sigh of relief; for some reason, Alaric's presence made her nervous. She didn't want to be overconfident, but she felt that Alaric had glanced at her occasionally while she was busy decorating the booth with Selene. And for some reason, when she turned her head, her gray eyes met Alaric's golden brown eyes.
The man smiled slightly at her when their eyes met, not feeling nervous or embarrassed at all for being caught. Then she responded to Dr. Bernard's words. Alaric's attitude was too calm and controlled, making Thea feel jealous that she couldn't act like that when she was around Alaric.
The girl glanced at the watch on her wrist. It was 5 PM, already late afternoon. No wonder some students had started packing their things, some already wearing backpacks and running out of the festival grounds because it was time to go home. After tidying up some paint and decorative paper, Thea walked to the sink to wash her paint-stained hands.
"So you're here, Persephone."
Thea sighed dramatically. "Selene... I told you not to call me that."
"Why? You're going to be Persephone at the campus festival." Selene chuckled as she washed her hands next to Thea. "You looked so beautiful in that dress earlier. You played Persephone really well. It's a shame Papa came when you had already finished rehearsal and weren't wearing the costume anymore."
Thea grimaced inwardly. Why did Selene suddenly mention her father? But she had to admit that Selene was right. If Alaric had come earlier, she would still have been wearing the costume. The costume she wore earlier wasn't the main costume for the festival day, but at least the duplicate costume was good enough.
How would it feel to have Alaric's golden brown eyes staring at her in Persephone costume? Would she feel more anxious but also excited? Thea bit her lip and rubbed her thighs together unconsciously. For some reason, when she realized that Alaric's glance had made her a little excited, she now felt strange again.
'What's wrong with me?'
"Thea..."
"Ah, yes?" Thea dried her hands with a tissue.
"My dad is waiting in the parking lot. Come home with me."
"Huh... no, I can take the bus..." But seeing Selene's excited face, Thea didn't have the heart to refuse her. She threw the tissue in the trash and nodded. "Okay, if it's not too much trouble."
Selene smiled contentedly. "Great, I'm glad to hear that you've finally accepted my invitation."
Thea followed Selene to the parking lot, realizing that Selene was right. She had always refused every time Selene offered her a ride home when they had no more classes at the university. Thea refused because she didn't want to bother Selene, especially with the rumors that she was only taking advantage of Selene's wealth. But this time... Thea accepted Selene's invitation. She should have been able to refuse because Alaric was there. Thea bit her lip, damn it, she didn't realize she actually wanted to be near that man again.
Alaric's black car was waiting in the parking lot, and Alaric was standing by the car checking his phone. Selene called out to her father as she ran towards him, Thea followed behind her.
"Are you done?" asked Alaric, putting his cell phone in his pocket.
"Yes, today was quite tiring." Selene sighed, her black hair looking a little messy. "Oh yes, Dad, I'm taking Thea home with us. Is that okay?"
Alaric turned to Thea and smiled warmly, his warm brown eyes looking at Thea as she was bathed in the afternoon sunlight. For some reason, the fatigue Thea had been feeling earlier slowly faded away when she saw Alaric.
"Not at all. Besides, we're going in the same direction as Miss Elwood's house."
This man addressed Thea more politely when he was in front of Selene. It was very different when it was just the two of them, thought Thea. Remembering the moments when it was just the two of them, Alaric called her Thea, just Thea, without adding Miss and without feeling shy. In fact, Alaric's dominant aura was very noticeable, as if he wanted to emphasize to Thea the side of himself that he couldn't show in front of other people.
Selene exclaimed happily. "Come on in, Thea." She got into the car, sitting in the passenger seat next to Alaric.
Thea reached out to open the back door of the car, but Alaric's strong hand beat her to it, opening the door for her. "Please..."
That smile... a smile that was different when Selene was around. For some reason, Thea liked this smile better; it seemed more dominant, as if it were a secret between the two of them, because Alaric only smiled like that in front of her.
Thea muttered a thank you and got into the car with a pounding heart. The scent of leather and a hint of amber filled her nose as she sat in the car. The car slowly drove out of the campus and along the highway of Calvenhart.
"The preparations this time were very tiring, I feel quite nervous because I'm on the committee." Selene began telling her father about their activities earlier while preparing for the school festival. Classical music from the car radio accompanied them on their way home.
"It's natural for you to feel nervous because the festival is coming up soon." Alaric responded softly. "Papa is sure everything will go smoothly because you have prepared everything."
Selene smiled contentedly at her father's praise. Meanwhile, Thea sat behind Alaric, silent, listening to the father and daughter's conversation. Seeing their closeness, Thea felt pain, not because she was jealous. Why would she be jealous? It was just that she was struck by the fact that Alaric was Selene's father, her best friend. There was a distance between them. Their conversations at night in the Grayson family home and in her apartment meant nothing, that's how it should be, right? Thea realized that Alaric probably just thought it was a polite conversation between a father and his daugther's best friend.
"Thea, you're also feeling nervous because the festival is coming up soon and you're going to be Persephone."
Thea startled when Selene called her name, easily drawing her into the conversation. Thea swallowed hard; she had already imagined herself wearing the Persephone costume and she liked it, but she still lacked confidence.
"Of course I feel nervous and also... anxious. I still feel unworthy because there are other students who are more deserving..."
"Bullshit, you'll look stunning."
Thea's gray eyes widened when Alaric cut her off abruptly. Alaric stared straight ahead at the highway, which was starting to get crowded. Selene chuckled and nodded in agreement with her father's words.
"I've discussed it many times with several committee members, and they agree that you are suitable. You have to be more confident, Thea."
Thea was stunned and touched by Selene and Alaric's compliments. She smiled and nodded. The car continued to drive in silence. Selene was busy playing with her phone and Alaric continued to drive. But occasionally their eyes met, as if there was a form of comfort and appreciation from Alaric to Thea through the rearview mirror.
Thea clenched her fists, yes, she could definitely be Persephone.