It was lunchtime, and the crowded cafeteria buzzed with chatter and laughter. I dragged Regan, Bella, and Chloe along as we made our way through the sea of students. Bella insisted on taking us to the cafeteria today instead of the usual snack shop, and honestly, I didn’t mind. My stomach was rumbling, and I needed a proper meal after those tiring lectures.
We got in line, and when it was my turn to order, I made sure to tell the server one thing: “Please, no carrots in the salad. I’m allergic.”
The server, a tall girl with a blank expression, nodded quickly and scribbled it down. I didn’t think much of it as we grabbed our trays and headed to an empty table near the window. The sun streamed through, casting a warm glow over us, making it the perfect spot to relax and eat.
I picked up my phone to call Magnus. I wanted to tell him all about the boring lectures we had that day. As I dialed his number, my tray of rice salad sat steaming in front of me. Soon, Magnus answered, and his deep voice immediately calmed my nerves.
“Hey, Little Woman,” he greeted, his face appearing on the screen in a video call. I smiled at the sight of him, the familiar warmth flooding my chest.
“Hey, Magnus. Just finished class and finally getting some food,” I said as I picked up my fork, ready to dig in.
“Is it good?” he asked with a soft chuckle. “You better be eating well, Aria. You know I’ll have to come over there and check up on you if you’re not.”
I laughed. “It’s fine, don’t worry. Just rice salad... Oh, today’s lectures were *so* boring. I thought I’d fall asleep halfway through.”