Book 1: The Chaos Keys

Chapter Thirteen: Ethan☄️

Ethan held the gemstone of his pendant in his hand as he looked around the cafeteria. He quickly spotted Lilith, who also glanced in his direction. However, she quickly diverted her gaze, and he looked away. She was talking to Melody, so he felt it best to dodge them both.

He tried to spot another familiar face, but the buzzing cafeteria was just a mass of unwelcoming strangers. Until he spotted an unwelcoming person, but at least it wasn't a stranger. The green-haired girl was sitting at a table in the very corner, with her dog beneath her table. She was taking what looked like half a handful of pills. He noticed a few people whispering and gesturing vaguely in her direction. He wasn't sure if he just imagined it, but it almost seemed like she wasn't just alone because she wanted to be, but because no one wanted to sit with her.

He tentatively walked over to her table and slowly sat across from her when she didn't yell at him to leave.

"What do you want?" Aspen asked in a voice parallel in irritation to his father's voice.

"Have you seen Lexi?" He asked, hugging his bag and tilting his head.

She glanced up at him with a rather cold look as if trying to deter him from speaking to her. But Ethan didn't budge.

"No," was all she said as she looked at the cafeteria wall.

"Can I eat here then?" He asked quietly. He found his voice sounding a little sadder than he meant for it to.

He had not seen Alexis at all since the beginning of school, and he was beginning to wonder if he was avoiding him as well.

She stared at him for a long moment before she let out a small sigh.

"Fine."

He smiled, and she rolled her eyes a bit, taking out one of her textbooks and beginning to read something. He pulled out the sandwiches Alexis had given him for lunch and began to eat them in silence, watching Aspen read.

"Aren't you going to eat?" He asked, rocking himself a bit. Without being able to stare into his pendant, he was visibly struggling to keep still.

"I ate already." She said bluntly, turning the page without sparing so much as a glance.

"No, you didn't. Lunch just started." He said with the slightest hint of confusion, munching on his sandwich contently.

"I'm not hungry," Aspen said through gritted teeth.

"But it's lunch, and you couldn't have eaten since this morning. How are you not hungry?" He probed.

She slammed the book on the desk, and he jumped a little. She was glaring fiercely.

"If you're going to be here, no more questions, okay?" She hissed.

He nodded quickly, and she exhaled sharply, picking back up the textbook. He decided to observe the book instead, which seemed to be a History textbook. He realized he'd never noticed her in his History class, which made him confused.

"Are you-" He started. However, when she glared at him over the book, he slowly closed his mouth.

He finished his lunch in silence, observing random things around the cafeteria. At last, he ended up staring at Aspen's service dog, who was solemn and silent, lying beside his food bowl. He was watching everything around him, and his ears flicked towards Aspen every time she so much as shifted. He had his black service dog vest and a leash tucked into his collar so it wouldn't get in the way. He looked at the gold plate on the collar, and there was "Maximus" and Aspen's number right under it.