Beyond The Crash

CHAPTER 24 | [A STRANGE NEW FRIEND <PT II>]

"By the way, what were you doing earlier?" Lilley asked.

"Oh, right," Dina clasped her hands together. "Orientation."

Lilley tilted her head a bit.
"I was fixing up posters for the orientation this Saturday," Dina clarified.

"Orientation? On a Saturday?"

"Future Wise... I guess," Dina chuckled.

Dina handed the drawings back to Lilley as she stood and stretched.
"Need help?" Lilley asked.

"No, it's okay. It's just one left anyway," she smiled as she shook her head.

Lilley paused. Open her mouth to say something, then stop, biting her cheeks in contemplation.
"What is it?" Dina inquired.

She debated. Should she ask Dina? What would Dina think? Would her answer be the same as Atticus? Did he even give her an answer? She paused, then shook her head. She should at least try. Dina looked like a reasonable person, after all.

"This may come off strange," she started, "Hypothetically, you are in a situation where someone tried to kill you? Or rather just teleported you to another world, you will try to find the person, right?"

Dina paused. Stared at Lilley hard before saying, "What a question. First, I would not love to be put in that kind of situation." She breathed out.

Lilley sighed.
"And second," Dina continued. "I don't think it's scientifically possible to teleport to another world."

"I know, I know. It's a weird question." Lilley groaned, relaxing back on the chair. "But let us imagine!"

"Alright," Dina paused to think.
"Well, I guess in the new world, I'll try to adapt to my surroundings. You're asking if I'll look for the person, right? My answer would be yes."
Lilley eyes lit up. Guess she was right after all.

"But that all depends if he teleported with me. That is if there is a cool down and he doesn't teleport right back." Dina added.

Lilley thought, she'll have to face the truth whether she wanted to or not. The truth that the man may not even be with her in the same world.
But that doesn't mean I won't still try. She nodded in confirmation.

"Then again," Dina paused. "If you say the person killed you and brought you to another world, won't going back means you die?"
Lilley paused. Sitting up, she thought, too. That had never crossed her mind. If she did find the bus driver and does go back, won't that mean she'll at the very least be in the hospital, critically injured, if going by the two worlds timeline not being exactly the same and this just being an alternate universe-

No. She shook her head. Let me at least find him first.
"Uhm.., thanks, Dina."

"Oh, it's no problem," Dina smiled innocently as if she didn't just shake Lilley's mental world. "Oh, and you don't need to wear your uniform for the orientation. Just come in your casual wear." She said as she left.

Off the cliff... down the cliff- what cliff?
She shook her head. She wasn't sure how she was going to do it, but she's going to at least find him or anything that can take her back to her world.
The original.

*●|●*

The bell rang for third period. Lilley could feel the dread. It was a class she would have, technically, 'alone'. No Nicky, Axel, Dina, or even Atticus. It would just be her, like it should've been if she hadn't met Nicky.

Now, thinking about it, words could not describe how grateful she was to him. Just hanging out with them makes her stop thinking about her dilemma. She wasn't sure if it was a good thing, but she was glad it happened. Being with them at least made the days move faster. It would soon be a month since she came to this world.
A month.

The walk felt longer. The more steps she took, the more she felt her thought drift. Not to anywhere in particular. She became conscious. On how she stepped, the other students passing by, the small whispers, few eyes glancing her way then-
Click.

She halted.
She was sure she heard it right. She was sure this wasn't an 'illusion'. She cautiously looked 'round her surroundings but it was the same thing... nothing... nothing out of the ordinary.

Her fist clenched beside her as she hastened her steps to her next class. As soon as she opened the door, she sighted a free desk by the window and quickly went there. She breathed out as she sat, realising she'd been holding her breath.

She looked out the opened window. Her heart felt calmer. Her breathing, normal.
Why did the classes have to be divided? She groaned in frustration.

It didn't take long before the teacher walked in with a student in toll. The student head was a bit lowered. His eyes unseen.
"Why are you still standing here? Go and sit!" The teacher commanded, annoyance showing in his tone.

The boy didn't look fazed. In fact, no much expression was on his face. He quietly followed the teacher's instructions and went to his seat, but to his surprise, someone was already sitting there; Lilley.

He didn't say anything. He just stared.
She looked up at him, confused. Does he want to sit here?

Lilley stood up and gave way for him. She felt his eyes on her despite his hair covering it. She tried smiling, but it came out awkward. He went to the end and sat; swiftly and quietly. Not to feel more awkward, she immediately sat down on the seat next to him.

He tilted his head a little at her, confused.
Before she could say or even think about anything, a girl came up and pulled Lilley away, taking her to her seat.

Lilley turned to the girl, confused.
"Word of advice," the girl whispered. "Don't sit there- no, don't have anything to do with that guy."

Lilley paused. Uh...what? What just happened?
"Why?" She whispered back.

"He's crazy." She answered.

Crazy? Lilley stared back at the guy in question, wondering what exactly was crazy about him. Sure, he seemed a bit... strange but not crazy.

He turned back and caught her stare. She could see his eyes a bit clearly. They were green; jade green. They were...
Beautiful?

His hair was leaf green. The exact green you'd see on a spring morning when the morning sun reflected on it. And a little pink patch right next to his pink lips. He looked like he was about to say something but decided against it. The girl beside her turned her head back.
"Don't even look at him."

Was he that bad? What could he have done to warrant such responses from everyone? Lilley thought.
Throughout the class, no one spoke to him, glanced at him, or even sat next to him. Everyone just avoided him. Even the teacher.
Are they scared of him? Lilley wondered.

As class was over, the girl turned to Lilley to introduce herself properly.
"Sorry about that. I just didn't want you getting yourself involved with him or any rumours to spread about you. You're new and all," she smiled. "My name is Artemis. It's nice to meet you."

Lilley blinked. Missing the beat to introduce herself, too.
She cleared her throat about to start, but Artemis said, "You don't need to introduce yourself, I already know who you are."

Lilley blinked again, confusion clearly written on her face.
"Let's just say you're one of the popular new kids around," she chuckled, Lilley smiled awkwardly. "You know, the girl that hangs out with Nicky and Axel. As friendly as they are, you don't really see them with or hang out with one particular person all the time."

"Ah..." Lilley nodded, trying to maintain her smile.
Well, she just learnt something new.

"By the way," she thought to ask. "Why did you say I should avoid him?"

Artemis paused, then smiled. "Let's just say right now isn't the best time to get involved with him. Until the truth is out, it's best to stay clear."
Lilley nodded, still unsure of the whole ordeal. But then thought, how bad could it have been, what he 'did' to be exact.