Unity

Thirteen: Sentiment

A/N: What did I say, it was only a day late. This is a relatively mellow chapter, no serious action or anything here. As you can tell from the title, it deals with more emotional tension than anything else. Comments and reactions are appreciated, critique, compliment or other. Enjoy.

A full day passed completely normally, the only sign of anything amiss being the looks of mischief from Aphrodite and her gang. She was smiling far too much. Chance pulled me aside.

    "Did you..." He scrunched his face up and didn't loosen it.

    "I don't know what I did." I answered. "I didn't join her side or anything if that's what you think."

    "Of course not." Chance shook his head, loosening a little. "But there's no way she'd be this happy if she didn't have something on you."

    I shrugged, my worry deepening. I couldn't imagine anything she had that she could spin into something bad or threatening. What we did last night was in self-defense and if she ever tried to say we attacked without reason she'd put her team in danger.

    It was a total of twenty-five hours after the initial scare that I got the first hint to what exactly Aphrodite had done. I was eating breakfast in the Center when I felt the tingling feeling of a collective of eyes upon me. My head turned up and only half of the room turned away. The rest of the students continued to stare.

    I felt uncomfortable, and as if I was being examined by an executioner before he lowered the blade. My food was suddenly less appetizing. I got up from the table and left in a hurry, bringing the eyes of the room along with me.

    It happened again at lunch. As soon as I entered the room I felt everyone focus in on me. Conversations screeched to a stop and even those who weren't looking at me were looking at someone who was, trying to read their expression.

    However, it was slightly different this time. As our group split apart to select the food of our choice, I felt some of the eyes go in the other direction. Although most of the attention was on me, about twenty percent of the room had been drawn to something else, someone else. I followed their gaze.

    They were looking at Chance.

    Oh god what did I do? I wanted to run over to him and shout for everyone to stop staring. Did they find out about his schizophrenia? Did I reveal it somehow? Did I hurt him? Will they hurt him?

    I forced myself to stay quiet and only whisper to Chance when we sat down, away from the prying eyes.

    "I'm so sorry." I said instantly.

    "About what?" Chance said calmly, slowly chewing on a leaf of lettuce.

    "The eyes, the looks, you haven't noticed?"

    Chance's eyes widened for a second before he glanced around the room, causing many to snap their heads down to their plates.

    "I thought it was just my—" He stopped. "You don't have to be sorry, Soarin. I'm sure it's all Aphrodite's fault."

    I bit my lip. What was even happening? Every part of my body told me to run from this place and never stop but the nagging, logical, grounded part my brain explained how idiotic that would be.

    We passed through the next training set and returned to the Center, with myself slowly dragging behind the rest of the group and hoping not to be noticed. Lynette opened the doors and I once again felt the eyes, drawn to us like magnets to metal. My stomach wanted to rid itself of its contents, not take in more.