Subject 15

CHAPTER 31 - Seth

I entered my first period classroom to find Robert waiting for me silently, uncharacteristically like him.

I sat down in my desk beside him, waiting for what he had to say.

"You ok man?" asked Robert hesitantly. "Looks like you got stuff going on."

I closed my eyes, willing my Mask to remain cold and hard as I said, "I'm trying to sort it out."

"You sure?" asked Robert, his Mask coloring a light pink of surprise. "'Cause to me, if you're beating yourself that much over it, it doesn't seem to be worth–"

I held up a hand, my head still slightly throbbing from my vision, and I spoke to Robert, making my Mask turn from white to grey, "Robert, I would be careful where you tread – you're not me, just as I'm not you... ok?"

Robert nodded, then chuckled, and I looked up, my Mask returning to its normal white, as Robert explained, "Dude, you look trashed..."

I chuckled with him, admitting, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Robert nodded, and started to prepare another question just as the bell rang. The rest of the day was its own kind of torture – I couldn't stop thinking about Samantha, and Raven, and what I could, or should do. Because of it, I grew sloppy, zoning out in class and nearly bent the metal weightlifting bar in gym when I gripped it too hard. I was equally distracted in my math class, and I nearly walked from the math lesson without my homework tucked away in my backpack. When I did get to Mrs. Patterson's room, and I placed my backpack on my desk and sighed.

"Hey." The voice was soft and light, and I knew instantly who it belonged to.

I turned to face Samantha, who stood there looking down, her arms slightly crossed. I looked down with her, waiting for what she would say. "I'm sorry, Seth," she said after a little while.

I looked up at her, the electric blue eyes somehow lacking a little of its luster, her Mask turning a sad bluish color. I, hesitantly, cupped her cheek, and when she didn't pull away I pulled her into a gentle hug. "No, I'm sorry Samantha – you were right; I should have told you about her."

Samantha shook her head in my chest, asking, "Where does this leave us?"

I lifted her chin, and said, "I don't know... but I do know that, if I could be given a second chance, I would like to show you that I choose you."

Samantha hugged me tightly this time, tears threatening to boil over. I could feel her breath on my ear as she said, as softly as a whisper in the wind, "Thank you."

I hugged Samantha back tightly, letting her go after a short while, saying, "Let's go eat something."

I walked out into the hall, and instantly knew something was wrong. The crowds were a little louder than usual, there was a systematic stomping of boots, and a curt call, and then I heard the dean of the college say, "He's over there!" Robert came bolting around the corner, saying, "Seth, run!"

That's when I saw them – armored soldiers, dressed in riot gear and marching swiftly towards me. All of the students backed away from the soldiers, giving them a straight path to me. Robert ran past me, not daring to look back, trying to get as far away as possible.

"Get down!" I growled to Samantha.

"Seth?" asked Samantha, fear coloring her Mask a pale grey.