Beyond The Crash

CHAPTER 27 | [FAMILIAR FEELING <PT I>]

"Hi," Lilley waved awkwardly. He nodded and went back to what he was doing.
When did he get here?

She squatted to see the ones below, and he suddenly shifted away from her. She glanced up at him again but just shrugged it off. Right now, wasn't the time to think about why he shifted. No. At least not when she's facing a forgotten delimma. How is she going to pay? She had zero coins or whatever they used in Lake City. She massaged her temples. What was she going to do now? Starve?

I can go to the cafete– nah, it's too long. She sighed.

"Having problem deciding? Or..."

She looked up, eyes slightly bigger. He didn't look at her, focus still on the machine.
Did he just talk to me? What–
She shook her head.
"Not really, just... broke?" She paused. "Wait, I'm not broke, I have money, not just this city's currency." She quickly added.

"Is that so?" He said, more to himself. She watched him insert four coins in the slot and clicked a button. Two snacks fell. He crouched down and removed them from the bag. He then turned to her and flinched slightly, almost unnoticeably. She was still just looking at him, face blank.

"Are you... sad?" He asked, a bit softly, but she heard.

She furrowed a brow. "I don't know. Do I look sad?"

He didn't say anything. Not immediately, that is. He just shrugged, stared, and then stood up.
"You look fine."

Lilley stood up too, eyes suspicious of him. She noticed something. There was a switch in the way he talked. Not a complete change in his tone, but just the way he spoke. It was... different from in the morning? Was it? She wondered.

This is the first time she've heard him talk so much, but there was something about how he talked to her that confused her.
"You'll get through this..." he said, eyes darting away from her. "I know it."

What does he mean? She stared blankly at him. Why does it feel like what he just said has double meaning?

Before she could do some more thinking, he started walking away. Without thinking, really, she called him.
"Wait," her voice wasn't loud, but he stopped. "What do you mean?"

He didn't answer. She knew what she was about to say would be absurd, but she had to know.
"Do you... do you know who I am?"

He turned slightly but just enough to see her standing, completely lost. Like she was just plopped in a new everything. He tilted his head slightly.
She shook hers as she stepped back a bit.
No, no. That's absurd. How's that even possible?! But the way he–

"What do you think?" His low voice cut through her thoughts.

She blinked a couple of times. "I don't know... that you do?"

He didn't say anything again. This frustrated her. She tapped her feet on the ground and looked away. She stared 'round the hallway. It was just them. She questioned a bit where the other student must have gone. She turned back to him.

He was still standing in place. Like a statue. A green haired statue.
No, it's impossible. But then why does he speak with so much familiarity?

"Am I supposed to know who you are?" She asked, after a while.

He shrugged slightly. Her frown deepened.
"This is literally the third time we're meeting, yet you..." she said, voice obviously filled with frustration. She was sure she would definitely remember someone with green hair, but it's not been long since she had been in this world and she definitely know she had no green haired friend or neighbour back in Wellington so who the hell is this guy? And does he seem to know her?

She wished to run her hands through her hair, but she styled and was not planning on restyling it.
"What's your name?" She finally asked.

There was a short silence. Then, he mouthed something to her, threw one of the snacks to her, and then walked away. Just like that.
While she just stood there, dumbfounded, holding unto the snack.

"Jayden?" She muttered. She looked back at the snack. Her grip tightened.
So, like he couldn't just tell me? He had to mouth it to me?? Did I tell him I know how to read lips??? What the actual hell????

She grudgingly turned and headed for the hall.
"You'll get through this. I know it." She mocked, mimicked him. "Get through what? Your dumb riddle?? Because you didn't feel the need to just tell me as it is??" She stomped back to her seat, arm crossed.
Yeah, I think I know why people avoid him? She scoffed.

After a while, did she notice Axel was sleeping? His head was bent unto the chair in front, and he looked long gone.
Can he like just sleep anywhere?

She turned to Nicky and saw him just staring blankly. She couldn't tell if his mind was somewhere else or if he was actually just listening.
I should listen too. She turned her focus back to the front to see a video was now playing.

Her focus didn't last long as she opened the snack, though, as quietly as she could. She smiled at herself as it didn't make much noise but then suddenly saw Axel awake.
Wait, don't tell me this woke him up? She glanced at him suspiciously as she took a bite from the snack.

She thought they were chips, but it turned out to be something different. Very different. And it came in weird shapes and colours, too. It looked cute and didn't taste all that bad. It had a sweet taste and little be of a fruity taste. And a plus, it was crunchy. She knows her favourite snack in Lake City now. She smiled, satisfied. But then the smile changed as she remembered the person who gave it to her.

Throughout the segment, Lilley mind wasn't in what they were doing or what was happening. She kept thinking about how that guy knew her. Or could he have just been mistaken? No. From the way he spoke, there's no way he could have, right?

Such familiarity coming from a person she barely knows? That's so weird.
"Jayden." She kept muttering the name to herself, thinking she'll remember, but nothing came to mind. The name did sound familiar. But like how many people bear the name Jayden and how many movies has she watched that a character is named Jayden? So, where is this strange familiarity coming from?

She shook her head. Right now, that wasn't her top priority. For all she knows, the guy could just be playing with her, and that could be just how he talks. Yeah, that makes sense, right?
Nope, let's focus on the program. I didn't wake up early and come to school at such an hour, only not to benefit from this orientation.

She relaxed back as some students, who look like they're from the council, came up to the stage.
She nodded. Thinking about this would just bring more questions than answers.