In Aid

5. Decisions, Decisions

"M-Maybe we should eat outside," I said quickly, taking my tray from Rikki.

"Don't be ridiculous. It's windy outside and empty in here."

I looked back at the men. Mr A gestured for me to come over, but I felt rooted in place. If the people sitting at the table were vacuras and the men I'd met a few days ago were sitting with them, did that mean they were vacuras too? The stupid part of me was curious, but those strange men were really none of my business. In response to his gesture, I shook my head.

I followed Rikki to the other side of the cafeteria and sat down with my back to the rest of the room. I reached for the drink she got me and took two huge gulps.

"Something the matter?" Rikki asked through a forkful of rice.

"Not at all. I told you that you can stop worrying about me. I'll be fine." Her eyes shifted to something behind me, and her eyebrows drew together. "What's wrong?"

"I think one of them is headed this way," she whispered, eyes growing wide.

"One of what?" I asked. She started making weird faces and I didn't realize she was trying to tell me to turn around until I felt the presence behind me. I slowly turned around and looked up at Mr A who looked a touch annoyed compared to when I saw him at the table with Mr S. "Hello, Sir. How may I help you?"

"When you are finished with your meal, I would like to speak with you." Mr A looked down at me expectantly. Though I felt like the underlying tone was an order and not an option.

"Don't worry, Zed. I'll wait for you in the library," Rikki said.

She must have not noticed how reluctant I felt in joining this strange man, but I knew she was only trying to be helpful.

I wasn't all that pumped to find out what would happen if I refused. "Sure. I'll come over to your table when I'm done," I responded. Being next to him made me feel pint-sized and it had little to do with his height.

Mr A bowed his head to Rikki before he left.

"I thought you said you've never seen a vacura," she whispered harshly.

"I didn't know he was one," I muttered.

"Is he, like, a friend of yours?" she asked.

I could see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to make sense of why someone like me would be involved with someone like Mr A. "Absolutely not." That was where the conversation ended.

When we finished eating, I returned my tray and said my prayers as she left. God, I knew karma was going to catch up to me eventually, but I'm sorry for being a whiny little bitch these past few days.

Just as I was approaching the table, all eyes suddenly turned to me, making me stop. One of the guys with blond hair waved and said something in a language I could not understand. "I'm sorry, I... only speak English," I said, though I wasn't sure if it mattered. If he didn't speak English, then he wouldn't have understood what I said.

Mr S smiled and shook his head, saying something to the members of the table that caused all of them to look at Mr A who was leaving the table. When he passed Mr S, he slapped his shoulder. It sounded like it hurt, but Mr S just laughed, along with the rest of the table.

"Come," Mr A ordered.

I followed him out into the courtyard which was nearly empty seeing as most people had either gone to classes or left campus. Almost everyone we passed stared at us with unease in their eyes as they looked between us. Like, yeah, I know. I wasn't fond of attention, so I needed to get this conversation with him over as soon as possible so I could rejoin Ricky.