The ghost system

16

"Fine, we'll fight after food."

"No!" Gunn planted his feet firmly into the ground.

Rhys could only marvel at Gunn who was more and more turning out to be his complete opposite. While Rhys thrived from thinking situations out and coming up with the most plausible solutions, Gunn was practically allergic to rationality. All he wanted to do was fight, immediately.

"Fight me now!" He balled his hands into fists ready to attack.

Otis and Rhys simultaneously stepped around Gunn and reached for the doors of the cafeteria, not caring about this demands in the slightest.

"NO!"

Gunn ran up behind them and shoved the two out of the way. He coiled his right arm around the door handles so that no one could open the doors, and with a crazy determined look in his eyes, he shouted at Rhys. "Man up and fight me now!"

"Hey!" A girl from behind the three snapped in disgust at Gunn. "Some of us want to eat."

"Yeah, seriously dude, move." More and more grumbles were being heard from the students approaching the cafeteria as they were being blocked from entering by Gunn.

Once again Gunn did not care about what anyone else thought, he only did what he wanted to and had no regrets. "Go eat dirt then, I'm not moving until..."

"Move."

The words were said as if a death sentence had been handed out, the threat of violence in the tone stopped everyone in their tracks.

The students all turned around to see who had spoken, but before they knew what was happening a fearsome bolt of electricity smashed through the angry mob of students and slammed Gunn against the metal doors. Gunn was pinned to the doors, shaking violently as the electricity wrecked through his body. All everyone could do was stare wide-eyed as the spectacle in front of them. It was not long before Gunn collapsed to the ground in front of the cafeteria as wisps of smoke wafted off his back.

Everyone caught a glimpse of the cold ruthless eyes that cared nothing about other people, and they all saw the three-striped juvenile tattoo below his blonde hair on the nape of his neck, like a mark of honour among the cold-blooded and dangerously strong.

Rhys glanced around to see a mix of expressions on the people's faces. The majority of people were painted with fear and alarm, though a few students looked impressed and even awestruck. One girl in particular was biting her bottom lip and staring at him with glossy eyes. Rhys glanced at his roommate's back walking into the cafeteria and felt a small shameful ache in his gut. He wondered what it was like to be someone who inspired such vivid reactions in other people. What was it like to be someone others paid attention to?

['It is glorious you know']

'What?' Rhys was snatched from his contemplation by the teacher.

['Having others fear and admire you, I mean. It is the privilege of the strong, something attainable if you would only work for it.']

"That was the guy from the orientation test." Otis breathed out shakily remembering the screams that came from the fourth corner.

"Yeah," Rhys sighed. "He's my roommate." There was a long pause wherein Otis stared at Rhys trying to determine whether Rhys was being serious or not.

"You're joking right?"

Rhys only shook his head as he watched his roommate push open the cafeteria doors and enter.