Faetality |✓|

Chapter Five, Part Four - Food for the Worms

By Monday morning, Margot and I had fallen into a surly, but silent truce. I anticipated a return from the Sorcerer that never came, I had a paper due in Economics that took several hours longer than it should've to finish, and I was becoming increasingly resentful of my new inability to drink water. Truth was, I missed it. Being unable to drink plain water led to a pang with an echo, which signaled to another problem entirely–I was missing something. A something I had never noticed until now because it was gone. And although I didn't know exactly what that something was... the hole it left behind hurt like hell.

Through my morning classes, I channeled an impressive amount of focus on my classwork, diving right in as if school really was the most important aspect of my day. It kept my mind off of things like magic necklaces and evil Fae, contemplating the Sorcerer, and brooding over Dean. It was strange and almost surreal to ponder things so silly and trivial as teenage social problems amidst my new, paranormal distresses, yet I pondered all the same.

And as if those troubles weren't enough, the first face I had to see in Geometry was Kai's. Our eyes connected, briefly, as I walked past him. I chose the same desk as I had last week–the one directly behind him. Except, when Kai handed back assignments he didn't smile as he normally did, and when he needed a blank sheet of paper he asked Emily Shaw instead of me. That sucked. It was like taking a punch to the gut that you hadn't seen coming.

Needless to say, by the end of third period I was more than ready for any form of escape. Between Kai's coldness and the feeling of Sienna's eyes drilling holes in the back of my skull, lunch couldn't come fast enough. I grabbed a tray, went through the lunch line, and walked down the center aisle. As I approached my usual table, I slowed down, feeling the guilty stares of Jules and Anya. They happened to be sitting opposite Sienna, and a girl named Rachel Cutler. Rachel was a quiet, soft-spoken cheerleader that was righter than rain and sweeter than pie. She was also so non-confrontational and so completely docile, that I knew she would never, ever pose a threat to Sienna in any way, shape, or form. Basically, Rachel was a sheep.

Knowing how stupid and desperate Sienna would cause me to look if I attempted to stop and inquire about my seat, I collected my dignity and simply continued on my way. I passed the table, and two others, before finally stopping to observe the cafeteria for a new place to sit. Seconds passed and I grew more and more self-conscious. I felt like a new kid. I felt... invisible.

Fortunately, that's when I happened to spy Lana in the crowd. She sat alone, in a quieter, less crowded section of the cafeteria, with her tray pushed several inches in front of her. She wasn't eating, but reading a newspaper while taking regular sips of something from a small, thin thermos. Lana was so immersed in her reading, that she didn't notice when I timidly approached the table. I had to clear my throat in order to get her attention.

"Um, would it be weird if I sat here?"

"Yes! Balls!"

"You know, you don't have to answer me," I said, taking the seat opposite hers. "In the future that would probably spare us both a lot of embarrassment."

"Yeah, but I'm impetuous, which I means I often speak without thinking. So yeah--expect a lot more embarrassment in the future."

I gave Lana a rueful smile as she sighed and placed her chin in her hands, staring glumly down at the newspaper before her.

"Whatcha got there?" I asked, taking a cautious bite of something the cafeteria workers had advertised as meat loaf.

"I'm scanning the obits for dead people."