There's Something Against Us

Chapter 15

It takes me a moment to answer him.

"No," I clear my throat, "he wasn't in Chorus or English today." I watch as Johnny's face drops from this news.

"Oh...really?" His voice is sad, and it surprises me.

"Did something happen?" I examine him very closely, trying as best as I can to figure out what might have caused this sudden change in him. He shakes his head at me.

"It's nothing." Johnny turns towards the door, "..was just wondering." He swings it open, expecting me to go in first. As I enter I mumble a thank you to him, but my thoughts are somewhere else.

Mr. Saul smiles brightly at me. "Good afternoon." I mumble a hello. It's nice to see one person happy, at least.

"Afternoon Johnny!" Johnny greets him and then takes a seat next to me.

The chair's legs scrape against the floor as he pulls it out from under the desk - as it always does whenever Johnny takes a seat. He's not exactly graceful.

"Have you spoken to him since yesterday?" I look into Johnny's eyes, searching for some sort of answer.

"What?" He is taken aback by this, regarding me as if I asked him if he murdered a man, or some other ludicrous question. "What do you mean?" He speaks softer now, barely collecting himself.

"I mean-" I swallow nervously, "he seemed upset yesterday..." My voice trails off. He knows the rest, doesn't he? It's not like Johnny can't figure out why Steven would be upset. He was there as much as I was.

"I didn't talk to him." He dismisses my question.

Right before I can dig deeper, Mike enters at the most imperfect moment. I feel myself frown when he starts walking towards the seat to Johnny's right. I know I don't really know him, but I can't help that I don't like him.

Mike immediately begins to chatter with him, the both of them completely ignoring me. This must be what Steven feels like every time Mike is around. They continue babbling on until Mr. Saul begins writing notes on the board.

~~~

When we enter the lunchroom, Johnny drags me to sit with Mike...and to sit with Mike...is to sit with James...and to sit with James.....is to sit with Ted.

I take a seat next to Angie, the only other girl at the round lunch table. Today - unfortunately - we are close to the kitchen. And it smells so bad.

"Hey Mara," Angie smiles at me, a kind expression on her perfect, pretty face.

"Hi.." I smile back as best as I can considering the situation. Across the table, I feel Ted's eyes on us.

Why is he so creepy?

At least Angie has Johnny on the other side of her, I have some weird boy next to me I've never even seen before now. Nobody takes the time to introduce me, either. They must all know each other already.

"So..." Mike pipes up, "Party next Friday. I got the hook up." Something gleams in his eyes. The hook up?

I'm avoiding eye contact with anyone at all costs, but from the corner of my vision I see Angie stir. Mike keeps talking, and I just barely hear her whisper to Johnny, "You won't take anything too much, will you?"

Her voice is so small...so quiet - but she sounds concerned for him. James starts yelling before he has a chance to answer her.

"Johnny, Angie-" he bites into an apple, and with his mouth full he continues, "You two better be coming."

I glance up to see how stupid James looks talking with his mouth full, but instead Ted catches my eyes. He's... glaring.

As Johnny answers yes, Ted's mouth pops open.

"How about you, Mara? You should come." I'm speechless - to think... Me at a party! I- I couldn't!

"...You know Mara?" Johnny's question saves me from going into a full on panic. The table is silent, Mike finally shutting up about "the good stuff." Ted's eyes go from me to Johnny, stopping at Angie in between.

"Yes," He hisses. There's a challenge in his stare, as if he's ready to punch someone over it. He doesn't know me. He knows nothing about me.

"How?" I catch Johnny looking at him in disbelief, both mirth and...something else in his features. This isn't like when he bickers with Steven - It's more tense now, as if one is really trying to put the other one down a peg.

"How did you meet her?" Ted is adamant in finding an answer. The rest of the table is still quiet, and it's unbearable.

"In Astronomy class." I chime in innocently enough. Angie turns to me, her eyelashes fluttering at me, her eyes squinted as if she's suspicious of something. What is going on?!

Johnny and Ted are still having a stare off, and I speak up again in an effort to change the subject.

"I can ask my mum about the party..." I mumble. I won't, really...

"Sounds ace," James speaks up, no doubt picking up on the tense situation. Note to self: Johnny and Ted do not get along well.

Mike starts chattering incessantly again, and all is okay for the time being. I eat my cheese sandwich and apple quietly for the rest of the period. Before I know it, the bell that sets me free is ringing.

~~~

After lunch I excuse myself to the bathroom. Once I've finished frowning about the redness of my cheeks in the mirror, I walk to the courtyard alone.

I'm sitting in the same place as yesterday - on the edge old fountain - just staring at a stone wall, swinging my feet underneath as I think about the day.

Surely Johnny, Angie and the rest of them won't care that I'm not in study hall. This must be how Steven always feels.

Speaking of him...I hope he's okay, and that nothing bad happened to him.

How can I found out? I don't want to wait until tomorrow, but I don't have his number. And Johnny refused to tell me anything.

A rock gets stuck under my foot and I shove it against the dirt, kicking it towards the stone wall a few feet away. Stupid Johnny. He doesn't even care about Steven.

I kick another rock towards the wall, a thousand thoughts buzzing in my head.

I think I know where to find him.

A/N:

It's a cliffhanger again...I suck..I know! I didn't mean to take so long, but my writing muse left me for a few days :'/