Bench Buddies

Chapter - 15

After finally being released from Hecate's magic class, I made my way back to my dorm. I was a bit exhausted after trying so hard to stay alert in class. 

As I walked past the open field near my dorm building, something caught my eye. The weird lady from yesterday was sitting on the same bench again, her sketchbook open on her lap. The soft autumn light filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows over her as she worked, her wavy chestnut hair falling over her shoulder. 

Curiosity piqued, and with nothing better to do, I veered off course and made my way toward her. I could already feel the familiar, soothing scent of wildflowers and herbs as I approached, that same earthy fragrance I'd noticed the day before. 

"Hello, how are you?" I said as I plopped down on the bench next to her, perhaps a little too casually for someone who was interrupting a complete stranger. She didn't even look up, her hand still moving methodically over her large sketchpad with a pencil. I could see more of her face now: those soft, pink lips set in a small frown of concentration, her almond-shaped eyes locked onto her drawing.

"I'm Callum, by the way. Callum Brown," I continued, awkwardly trying to strike up a conversation. She remained silent, seemingly uninterested as her hand never paused.

I cleared my throat, trying again. "So, we kind of got off on the wrong foot yesterday. But hey, that's not the end, right? I don't really know anyone here. Honestly, you're the only person I've even spoken to since I arrived. How about we call it even? Two lonely students—could make for decent acquaintances." 

I glanced at her sketchpad, finally able to see what she was working on.

It was… amazing.

She was drawing a beaver—fat, chubby, and absolutely adorable—chewing on a twig. Beside the beaver, there was a small girl, feeding the animal with a bright, innocent smile on her face. The detail was astonishing. The way she had drawn the delicate features of the girl made it almost lifelike. I couldn't help but admire her skill, my lips curling into a smile.

"You're really talented," I said, genuinely impressed. She still didn't respond, her attention focused entirely on the drawing.

I remembered a random fact I had read about beavers somewhere, probably in one of those nature documentaries I used to watch when I was younger. Maybe that would get her attention. 

"Did you know that when beavers chew down trees, they pause to listen for cracking sounds? If they hear nothing, they keep going. But if it gets too loud, they stop and move away."

That got her. She lifted her head slightly, her almond-brown eyes finally acknowledging my presence. She gave me a slow nod, then turned back to her sketchbook. Well, at least that was some progress. She must like beavers, I guessed.

I decided to push my luck. "They're meticulous about building dams too, you know," I continued. "But sometimes I wonder... what if a beaver ever got tired of building dams? Like, halfway through, they just sighed and said, 'You know what, I'm done. I'm becoming a squirrel. They don't have to build anything.'"

At that, her lips twitched—a small, almost imperceptible movement—but it was there. The twitch then turned into a soft snicker, and before long, she was laughing. Really laughing, her body shaking with the effort to contain it. Her laugh was light and melodic, ringing through the air like a soft breeze, and for some reason, it felt like home. Like warmth. Like safety. 

Her laughter was contagious, and though I wasn't quite sure why, I found myself smiling along with her. It was the kind of laugh that made you feel good just hearing it. When she finally stopped, her cheeks were bright red, and she looked away, clearly embarrassed by her outburst.

"I'm... I'm not a student," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Wait, what?" I blinked, confused.

She hesitated, then spoke softly, her words so quiet I had to strain to hear them. "I'm a goddess. Eileithyia... the goddess of childbirth."

For a second, I just stared at her, my mind failing to process what she had just said. 'A goddess?'

"Oh," was all I managed to say. So, I've been casually teasing a goddess since yesterday. Nice job, Callum. Keep it up, and you'll be six feet under by next week.

The silence between us grew as I tried to figure out how to react. Was I supposed to bow? Apologize for not recognizing her? Offer her a sacrifice? But the longer I sat there, the more I realized she didn't seem to care. She wasn't expecting me to grovel or make a big deal out of it. In fact, she seemed almost... embarrassed, as if revealing her identity had made her vulnerable.

Eileithyia fidgeted with her sketchpad, her gaze downcast. "I like drawing animals," she mumbled, almost like an excuse for why she was sitting out here, sketching a beaver instead of doing something... godly.

"Yeah, I can see that," I said, glancing again at the drawing. "And you're really good at it. Honestly, I've never seen anything like this. It's almost like they could walk right off the page."

Her blush deepened at the compliment, but she didn't say anything, just shifted slightly on the bench.

"So, a goddess of childbirth, huh?" I said, trying to keep the conversation going. "That's... interesting. I guess you don't meet many people who would guess that right off the bat."

She gave a small shake of her head, her lips pressing into a thin line. "No... they usually don't."

I leaned back on the bench, unsure what to do with this newfound information. There were gods everywhere in this academy, sure, but sitting here, casually talking with one about beavers and dam-building squirrels was something else entirely. Still, I couldn't help but feel a little less alone sitting beside her.

"So," I said after a moment, "since we're already off to a weird start, how about we forget the awkward introductions? You're a goddess. I'm... well, me. And we both happen to like sitting on this bench. How about we be bench buddies, then?"

She blinked at me, her wide almond eyes showing a hint of confusion. But then, slowly, her lips curved into a soft smile—shy, but there.

"Okay," she said quietly. "Bench buddies."

And just like that, a strange but oddly comforting friendship began. I wasn't sure what the future held at this academy, especially with so many powerful figures around, but maybe having a goddess as a bench buddy wasn't the worst start.