All Chapters of When Silence Met Fire: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Maya woke Monday morning to her phone buzzing on the nightstand. She grabbed it. Her mother's name on the screen. Have you packed yet? She typed: Mostly. Mostly isn't packed. I know, Mom. You leave in two weeks. I know. I love you. Love you too. She set the phone down. Stared at the ceiling. Jess was still asleep. Her breathing slow and steady. The suitcase sat open on the floor. Still half-full. --- At 9, she walked to the dining hall alone. The Monday crowd was thin. Students with coffee. Someone reading at a corner table. She got oatmeal and found a seat near the window. Her phone buzzed. Idris: You up? Yeah. Eating oatmeal. Exciting. Thrilling. You? Studio. Professor hates the revisions. Again. That's five times? Six. I've lost count. You'll figure it out. I know. Just tired. Sleep tonight. You too. Jess okay? She's asleep. I didn't wake her. Good. Let her rest. I will. Love you. Love you too. She pocketed the phone. Finished her oatmeal. --- At

Maya woke Wednesday morning to the sound of rain. She lay still, listening. Not the soft drizzle from before. A steady downpour, heavy against the glass. The room was gray. Jess's bed was empty, sheets tangled, pillow on the floor. Her phone showed 8:15. No messages. She sat up. The suitcase was still open. Still almost full. She'd been avoiding it for days. She grabbed her phone. Jess: Class cancelled. Rain flooded the lower floors. Staying in the library. Meet you later? Maya typed: Okay. She set the phone down. Stared at the suitcase. --- At 9, she walked to the dining hall alone. The rain was coming down hard. She didn't bring an umbrella. By the time she reached the door, her hoodie was soaked. The dining hall was sparse. A few students with coffee. Someone reading at a corner table. She got oatmeal and found a seat near the window. The glass was streaked with water. She watched it run. Her phone buzzed. Idris: Studio flooded. Lower floors are closed. They sent us

Maya woke Friday morning to her phone buzzing on the nightstand. She grabbed it without looking. Idris's name. Can you come to the studio? She squinted at the time. 7:15 AM. Now? Please. She swung her legs out of bed. Jess was still asleep, face buried in her pillow. Maya pulled on jeans and a hoodie and slipped out the door. --- The architecture building was empty at this hour. Her footsteps echoed in the stairwell. The third floor hallway was dark except for the light spilling from his studio. She pushed the door open. Idris was standing at his desk. The model sat in front of him. The one with the tilted roof. The off-center windows. The one that looked like it was falling. He turned when she entered. "I'm turning it in today." She crossed the room. Stood beside him. "How do you feel?" "Terrified." She looked at the model. The lines that shouldn't work. The angles that shouldn't hold. "It's going to be okay." "You don't know that." "I know you." He was quiet for a

Maya woke Sunday morning to an empty room. She sat up. Jess's bed was made. Pillow fluffed. Blanket tucked. A neatness she hadn't seen since the first week of the semester. The suitcase was gone from Jess's side of the room. Maya stared at the empty space for a long moment before she found the note. Gone to breakfast. Meet me at the dining hall. Don't panic. — J She read it twice. Her hands were shaking. She didn't know why. She dressed quickly. Jeans. The gray sweater Jess said made her look soft. She didn't bother with her hair. The hallway was quiet. Sunday morning. Most students still asleep. She walked fast, not running, but close. The dining hall was sparse. A few students with coffee. Someone reading at a corner table. She scanned the room. Jess was at their usual table. Two cups in front of her. She looked up when Maya approached. "You're not panicking," Jess said. "I'm not panicking." "You're panicking." Maya sat across from her. "Your suitcase is gone." "I took

Maya woke Tuesday morning to gray light and the weight of the last day pressing down on her chest. She reached for her phone. 6:47 AM. Her flight left at 2 PM. Idris had texted at 4 AM. Can't sleep. She'd been awake too. She hadn't answered. She typed now: You still up? His response came immediately. Never went to sleep. Why not? Didn't want to waste the last hours. Her thumb hovered over the screen. What time do you need to leave? Airport by 11. I'll drive you. You don't have to. I want to. She set the phone down. The room was empty. Jess's side was bare. The closet door was open. Nothing inside. She dressed slowly. The blue sweater. The one Jess said made her look confident. She didn't feel confident. --- At 8, she walked to the dining hall alone. She got oatmeal. Found a seat near the window. Ate without tasting. Her mother texted: What time is your flight? 2 PM. I'll be there by noon. Okay. I love you. Love you too. She set the phone down. Finished her oat