The Call of the Others

Chapter 2

The next day, Cassandra was back at their lunch table.

“Hi, Preston,” she said, sitting next to him again.

“Hi.” His tone and facial expression begged her to leave.

“You again,” Charles hissed, sitting down across from her.

“Nice to see you too,” she said, almost. . .politely.

“What’s she doing here?” Alice asked, sitting next to Charles, Joe sitting beside her.

“You know, it wouldn’t kill you to at least try to act polite,” Cassandra said.

“Well, look who’s talking,” Joe said.

“Touche,” Cassandra said, and nothing more.

“Where-Where’s Martin?” Preston said, purely for the sake of ending the awkward silence.

“Cleaning up his vomit,” Charles said tersely.

“What about Cary?”

“Sitting in the principal’s office.”

“Why?”

“He set off a firework in Martin’s locker, and when he opened it, the explosion scared the living crap out of him. So he, you know, threw up. Cary got caught and he’s currently explaining this whole event.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Cassandra muttered inaudibly.

Nobody said anything.

“So, um, have you guys ever thought about what happened in the summer?” Cassandra said.

“You mean. . .the uh, the visitor?” Joe asked, being the only one to speak.

“Of course, moron. What else?”

Joe took a deep breath. “Yes. What about it?”

“Have you ever thought there were others?”

“Other what?” Preston asked cautiously.

“Other aliens! Other creatures being tortured and kept from their homes. There was one. Why shouldn’t there be more?”

“Do we really have to talk about this?” Charles asked.

“Shut up, you weren’t even there for most of it,” Cassandra snapped. She looked at Joe, the only one she was really going to get information from.

“We only found evidence of one,” Joe said.

“Well, maybe Woodward was only involved with one. He was discharged kind of a long time ago. What if he didn’t know about the others?”

“What are we talking about?” Cary said as he sat down, seeing the expressions of everyone.

Martin appeared beside him.

“Martin, go away. Your stomach can’t handle this,” Cassandra said.

Martin glared at Cary. “Don’t worry. My tank is empty.”

“Okay, ew,” Alice said. The two kids sat down.

“Seriously, what’s going on?” Cary asked.

“Cassandra seems to think that there are more aliens than we realize,” Charles said calmly.

“Are we seriously talking about this again?”

“Yes!” Cassandra said, indignant. “What if there are others?! Aren’t you going to help them?”

“Well, why is it our responsibility?” Cary countered.

“Of course you’d say that. I knew you would,” Cassandra said, tearing up. “Why can’t you fricking help them?!” She stood up. “You’re all selfish! You are all selfish, horrible, arrogant, mismatched losers who don’t care about anybody but themselves!”

Not even bothering to take her lunch tray with her, she stormed off. Before she did, though, she shouted, “I hope you all roast in–” Then she ran out of the cafeteria.

The group reflected over these insults. Most of them looked guilty. Most of them. Joe and Alice looked at each other, exchanging unreadable glances.

“She’s gone,” Preston said, stating the obvious.

“Do you think she’s gone forever?” Martin asked hopefully.

“What was all that crap about ‘others’?” Charles asked.

“Maybe she’s an alien,” Cary suggested.