It's the End of the World

Chapter 15

The next morning I arrived to school early so I could do some research. Justin said that since Catherine was the Vesper, I needed to spy on her and try to get some information. Everyone was at breakfast when I got there. I tried to be brave enough to sit down by her and her friends (she was the popular girl at school), but just as I was going to sit down, I turned and sat at the other table.

"Jeff! Wrong table!" Justin yelled in my speaker.

After 5 minutes, I finally sat down.

"No, you can't sit here loser, you're stupid and annoying," Catherine told me. (I might be stretching the truth a tad bit)

"Okay then, I'll go." I left, but then I took off my glasses, fixed my hair, and fixed my shirt to where it actually looked like I had muscles.

"Hey, I'm the new kid, um... I forgot my name. But who needs brains when you've got muscles," I said all this in a low voice.

"Jeff, we know it's you, you look exactly the same."

"No, he said he forgot his name. Here, you can sit here," A girl said dreamily. She must not have been the bright one of the bunch.

"Okay, fine I'll leave." I left, but I came back again, this time acting like a popular girl. I didn't know how a popular girl would act, so I just acted like Catherine.

"Hello, I'm a new girl. I'm Cather... ina." I paused in the middle of the word.

"Hello Catherrrrina," the not-so-bright girl said again.

"I kill puppies and I don't care about anybody but myself." Like I said, I was pretending to be Catherine.

"Oh, then you'll fit right in with us," the girl said again.

"Are you being sexist?" Catherine asked.

"No, I'm pretending to be you." That probably wasn't the smartest thing to say.

"You better leave before it's lights out for you."

"Are you threatening me?"

"It's not a threat, it's self defense."

"Fine, I'll leave." I started talking to Justin after I left. "That didn't go as planned. What do I do now?"

"That seat's open right there."

"Um, which one? There's dozens of open seats open and I can't really see where you're pointing."

"The one behind Catherine."

"Oh. Oh! I get it! You want me to sit behind Catherine and then turn the speaker up so you can eavesdrop on her."

"Exactly. Just try not to say it too loud."

I sat down where he was talking about and turned up the speakers. After a while I asked him what they were talking about.

"Subduction zones. Which is weird because -and I'm not being sexist here- but I wouldn't expect a group of popular girls to be talking about that at the breakfast table. I mean, I've never talked to any of the popular girls, but still. Wait. Shh. They're talking about something else."

"What are they talking about?"

He paused. "Um... Nothing. They're- they're just talking about the new boy band they have a crush on."

"Justin, I know you're hiding something. What is it?"

"Nothing. Just, whatever you do, don't leave school for any reason at all. Period. I repeat. Don't. Leave. School." The bell rang before I could question him further.