The Whispers (Seraphina's Path)

Tension

Rein's POV

I follow Seraphina through the hallways to our first class. She is telling me about the school and the teachers.

Every time her eyes catch mine I find myself at a loss of words. They are a pale, but bright, mint green with emerald green streaks running through them.

That with her strawberry blonde hair, she truly is a pretty girl.

She is different. I don't know how, really, but there is something about her that just calls to me.

She stops in front of a classroom door labeled room 113. I see her muscles tense as she pushes the door open and leads us to the back of the room.

I look around, searching for the cause of her nerves. I catch one of the students in the middle row staring at her.

This girl has dark brown hair, and dark tanned skin with golden brown eyes. She would be pretty, too, if not for the dark look crowding her eyes.

I growl to myself as I sit down next to Sera. She looks up suddenly, looking around, probably for the source of the noise.

I take a deep breath and focus on the class starting. With much difficulty. And after a while the bell is ringing, and the day is rushing by.

●●●

I sigh as I finish fixing my plate with food from the cafeteria's selection. Prison food is what it is. Some browning apples and salad stuff that's been picked through by the first lunch group, and some famous lunch meatloaf. Wonderful.

I slide into an empty chair, at an empty table, in the back of the cafeteria. I hear a sigh, much like my earlier sigh, and a soft click of a plastic tray on the table.

"Rough day?" I ask Seraphina without looking up.

I here a grumble, and another sigh. "Two hours of torture," Seraphina says beside me.

I look over and find a set of sparkling, mint green eyes. I smile. "Ditch?" I ask her innocently.

She scoffs. "First day and you're already talking about breaking the rules. Do you have a death wish?" She asks me with a raised eyebrow.

"I wouldn't call it a death wish. But if you insist on moping all day while not doing anything about it, I guess I can just sit here and eat this goop," I say holding up my fork in surrender. The sound of my meatloaf making a wet slopping sound as it falls to my tray only strengthens my argument.

Seraphina glares at me, "Absolutely not. No. You will not play that card with me." she says, "And besides! I barely know you, how can I trust that you're not trying to lead me alone and try something? Not that you'd get very far."

I laugh at her. "You're right. I wouldn't get very far. And I also kind of like having both hands, if that makes you feel better?" I tease her.

I see her muscles, that have been stiff all day, slowly loosen as we talk. I smile, happy that I could help her, even if I don't know the reason behind her weariness.

She roles her eyes. "Yes... much, much better. Dummy. Fine, if you want to land a trip to detention I can't stop you," she says standing up.

I stare at her with one eyebrow raised. She puts her hands on her hips and scoffs. "Well, why are you still standing there? Let's go, bum," she says turning and walking away.

I shake my head with a slight chuckle, and stand to follow Sera. Not that she has given me much of a choice. "Wait for me," I call after her, giving into her chaos.

I catch up to her, and see a smile playing at her lips. Her eyes are shining mischievously,  and it makes me smile at her.

"Quit grinning like a fool, Tallgrass. We're not going to Disneyland or anything," Sera says with joking sarcasm.

I laugh a little. "Disneyland? I didn't know that was even an option," I say. Shooting sarcasm right back at her.

She rolls her eyes, but still smiles.

I keep following her through the town, both of us keeping to the shadows so no one sees us ditching school.

Eventually we make it to the edge of the forest, and I stiffen. Seraphina stops, and looks over at me curiously. "What? Don't tell me you want to go back now?" She asks, sounding frustrated.

I shake my head before answering, "It's not that. It's just... shouldn't we be avoiding the forest, considering we're two high schoolers, alone?" I ask this quickly, glancing over at the trees.

"Are you afraid of the woods, Rein?" Sera asks. Finally using my name, instead of the strange nickname.

I narrow my eyes at her. "Not scared. Just cautious," I explain carefully.

She just smiles quickly and walks into the forest. "We'll be fine. I've done this a lot. Besides, no one will even know we're gone," she says behind her shoulder.

I sigh. 'Yeah, no one will no your gone... but that isn't a good thing.'