The words startled her. Hannah met her side eyes. "Sorry," she mumbled and felt her hands start to shake.
"Hey, it's okay," Lacy quickly said and grabbed the beaker from her hand so she wouldn't drop it. For a minute, she forgot where she was and was back to that room where Hannah was screaming and crying and she was trying her best to calm them all down. "It's okay, Hannah."
"Miss Austin, Miss Kross, is there a problem?"
Everybody turned to them. Lacy's muscles tensed, Hannah glared at Harris like she wanted to throw him through a wall. "No," she snapped.
"Everything's fine," Lacy's voice was more gentle but shaky.
"I think now's a good time for a switch," Harris announced, his voice monotonous, and he dinged the bell on his desk.
Hannah was quick to leave the desk. Lacy felt her heart drop to her stomach.
When Stiles saw Isaac make his way to Lydia, his eyes went wide. "Uhhh, Lacy!" He panicked and grabbed the girls arm, tugging her out of her seat. "Lydia needs a partner."
Lydia quickly looked over her shoulder. Lacy's jaw dropped. "Uhhhh—"
The boy dragged her to the desk. "Here we go. Perfect. This is perfect," said Stiles and he laughed, the two girls are staring at him blankly. His laughter stilled. "Right. Okay. Have fun you two."
"Gosh, he's so weird," Lydia huffed.
Lacy exhaled a laugh through her nose. "Yeah, and he's been in love with you forever now."
She pulled a face. "Yeah, that's a pass."
"Stiles is sweet. He's loud, obnoxious, and hyperactive, but he's sweet." Lacy stared at the side of her face, then she frowned. "Are you okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Lydia questioned, not making eye contact as they continued with the experiment.
Lacy gulped anxiously. "You had a panic attack during class. You won't look at me. You've barely said a word to me since that night you came over to my house. . .it's kind of like you're avoiding me."
Lydia faltered and finally, she looked her way. "I'm not avoiding you, Lacy,"
Lie. It was always easy for Lacy to tell when Lydia lies. She aways tried smiling but it was tight, she always looked at your forehead or chin rather than in your eyes, and her nostrils flared. "Why didn't you tell me you went missing?" She asked and Lydia tensed up. "When you came over that night. Why didn't you tell me?"
Silence. They stared at each other intensely. Lydia jaw was so tense that it hurt her teeth and she seemed to completely forget about the experiment. "Why would I?"
Ding. "Switch."
Lacy barely had time to register the way her heart dropped to her stomach. Lydia left the table and Lacy's gaze was fixated on where she once sat. It was painful to hear, especially from somebody she was once friends with. Is that what changed? Were they not friends anymore? In the amount of time she was gone, did Lydia forget about everything they shared with each other? Or did it mean nothing this whole time?
Stiles sank into the open seat. "You alright?" He asked, eyes darting around every inch of her face.
Lacy, her face solemn, lifted her eyes to his. "Have I been wrong this whole time? Does Lydia just. . .not like me anymore?"