Under Pressure - Septiplier

Chapter Thirteen

A couple of weeks later, Mark sits alone at a table in the corner of the lunchroom, reading and munching on his meal. Someone slaps a book down on the table with a loud thud. He looks up, brows furrowed, and heart racing. After he presses his clicker to calm down, he relaxes more. It's Amy.

"Dude, you never returned my texts," she says as she plops down in the seat beside him, a polka dot lunch box taking up the space on the table before her. Mark winces at the reminder.

"Yikes. Sorry. Bad at texting."

"It's totally chill, but you know, I thought we were vibing! You're pretty dope, to be honest. You're quiet, but I can tell you're super smart," she said, smiling at him. Mark stares at her with confusion. She unpacks her lunchbox.

"Sorry for not texting back," he apologizes again. Amy giggles and pats his shoulder in reassurance. Mark is flabbergasted. The level of energy is a total contrast to his own.

"It's totally fine. I was able to find you in the lunchroom, so it's chill. Do you sit alone?" she asks, opening a shallow container with baby carrots in it.

"Yeah, my other friends have a different lunch," Mark divulges, eventually returning to his meal. It's taco bowl day, and he loves the crunch of the big chip bowl. It fills the sound in his head and muffles the cafeteria noise.

"Welp, can I be your friend?" she asks, raising a brow, a close-lipped, playful smile accompanying the motion.

"Uhh... sure?"

"Awesome! I'm reading Ender's Game now!" she proclaims brightly, patting the glossy cover sitting on the table alongside her lunchbox. Mark smiles with enthusiasm.

"Really? What do you think?"

"There's a sense of urgency underlying the whole book, that the chats between the officers definitely pulls into sharper focus," she notes.

"Yeah, and it definitely puts his character growth into perspective. We get to see the people who are pulling strings, and see how they're impacted by him," Mark adds with a nod of affirmation. The two chatter away, discussing what they've encountered in the book. Mark cuts himself off occasionally, intercepting spoilers before they pass his lips.

After a couple of minutes, the pair falls quiet, eating and reading. Separate parts of the book and different meals, but Mark feels a rare sense of togetherness. Most of his other friends are dudes he games with. They aren't much into reading. They say it's boring. Though Mark likes it. There are no senses in his mind, except the ones he wants. His mental movies can move as slowly as he needs, can have as many background characters as he wishes, or as few as he desires- to stay calm. All too soon, the bell rings. The chatter level rises as kids stand, gathering their things, and filing out of the cafeteria.

"See you tomorrow?" Amy asks, smiling at him as she stands, putting away her containers and closing her lunchbox. Mark nods, giving a hum of agreement as he collects his tray to throw away.

Time passes much faster when people are talking. Mark has always moved slowly through the world, feeling people pass by, feeling the rush of sound, the assault of colors. It is strange to catch glimpses of their perspective. In the weeks that follow, lunch with Amy turns into doing homework after school with Amy and goofing around in Band before school with Amy. Time moves so fast with her. She smiles at him in the halls. She walks with him to some of his classes, and he walks with her to some of hers.

With her, things blur around him. Together, they move at lightspeed. Their momentum allows them to move calmly at the fast speed, but everything around them turns to blotchy blurs. Sounds muffle, scents die, sharp lines soften. He is no longer assaulted by the surrounding world. His mind is calm. When she leaves, it stays that way for a while. He's relaxed, no need for the clicker, everything moves slowly around him. He is in control.