Everything seemed to happen fast. As she was turning to face the person that called her, she hid the book behind her back, in between her and her backpack. She didn't know why she acted this way, her body felt like it was moving by itself. Her pale brown eyes locked into two pale ones. "Are they green or blue?" she asked herself.

- Eli? repeated the guy who was wearing a familiar Jon Bovi shirt.

- Y-yes? she thought for a second. Wait, how do you know my name?

He laughed shyly

- So many people are talking about you, how could I not know your name?

- Ah... right, she sighed, this is why I hate changing schools at a random time in the year.

- You're like a prey circled by predators. He quietly said, looking away.

Her heart skipped a beat.

- What?

- Uh... sorry that slipped out. It's nothing important.

She opened her mouth, as she was about to ask for him to say it again, she felt the book she was keeping in her back slip. "No, no, no!" she thought, her eyes widely open as she knew what was about to happen.

- UHH, LOOK! she shouted, pointing to a window.

He looked over, surprised by how scared her voice sounded. Meanwhile, Eli caught the book and put it under her shirt, supported by her pants. He glanced back at Eli, even more confused.

- What was that for?

- Ah... I just thought I saw... a weird bird! It... it looked really big!

- Oh?

- Anyways, she changed the subject, I still don't know your name, mister mysterious.

He giggled, scratching the back of his head although it wasn't scratchy.

- I'm Ben, short for Benjamin. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Eli.

He bent down slightly, it somewhat looked like a little curtsy.

- Pleased to know you too, she replied. I need to drop off my backpack in my locker...

- Let's go, then. He smiled.

They both started walking towards the entrance of the library. Forgetting the book in her back, Eli walked out of the library without registering it. They kept talking now and then while walking.

The rest of the day went pretty fast, she forgot about the thin book still under her shirt as it took the same temperature of her body. As she got up at the end of her last class, it dropped on the ground.

"Huh?" she murmured.

"Oh right, shit" she remembered.

She looked around her to see if anybody saw the book falling. Luckily, nobody saw it and she put it in between two of her other books to hide it. She walked to her locker and slip the book in her bag. Her friend, Maya, decided to come see her before going back home. Maya almost didn't stop talking about rumours and gossip she heard in the day, asking Eli if she was bisexual as the rumour said. She nodded, since it was kind of true, but she considered herself more as pansexual. She knew very well that she could fall in love with anybody despise their gender. They both agreed on the fact that girls were very cute. 

Thirty minutes later, Eli got back home and locked her bike to the balcony's fences. "finally home", she sighed.

Her house, which was actually a duplex that her parents bought, was a little two floors red bricks house. Both floors had 3 rooms and 1 washroom. This was perfect for the needs of the small family and Eli felt comfortable there. Back to her other house, which was bigger and in a bigger city, she felt too little. As if everything was too much. But here, surrounded by the old 50 years old walls of the duplex, she didn't feel like there was too much space or as if it was too much for what they needed. It was a true home, according to her.

The steps leading to the second floor creaked under her feet as she was heading to her room. She threw her bag on her bed and took out the mysterious purple book, which looked more like a journal. She looked again at its cover, the same unknown name was written on the front cover page.

- Emytie Araile, she read. This is one weird name. Kinda dope though...

- Huh? 

Eli turned around to see her brother leaning against the doorframe. Since when was he there? 

- Need something? she asked, trying to act natural.

- I just wanted to know if I could borrow your headband to clean my face.

- Honestly I think you should just keep it by now, I barely even use it. 

She open her dresser and took out a red coloured headband. She threw it at her brother who catched it with one hand.

- Nice catch.

- Thanks, he smiled, also... is that- uh... nevermind.

- Is that what? You mean this? she asked while shaking the book to show what she was talking about.

- Yeah, but nevermind, I just thought I arleady saw it somewhere, but nah.

- Oh? Well... maybe? Where though?

- I don't remember, it doesn't matter, really.

He turned over and went back to the washroom before his sister could say anything else. This book really felt familiar, but he couldn't recall where he last saw it. "It's probably nothing important", he thought and started washing his face.

In the meanwhile, Eli felt her heart beat fast in her chest. She didn't know what happened, she didn't know why she was stressed. And finally, why was she always feeling like she needed to hide it? It was only a book, but at the moment she touched it, it felt as if she suddenly needed to protect it. 

But from what?