"Hey, isn't she that one girl."
"Ugh, why is she walking around like that? It's hurting my eyes."
"What a wreck, she looks like a total freak."
"Sssh! Not so loud. She'll hear us."
"Who cares, it's not like she can do anything. She's a Useless."
Around 8:30 am, the dorm began to come alive with girls walking out of their rooms and mingling in the halls. Lacey's hair is still wet and her face is tired and pink, making an noticeably odd combination.
As Lacey walked past them, she could hear them whisper from behind. She recognized some of their faces from various classes, but never bothered to learn their names.
She didn't blame them for talking. Lacey knew she was a sight, but she didn't care. Coming out of her room like this was her own decision.
"Still, she has that look in her eyes, like she's going to kill someone. It's freaking me out."
"Don't, Kel. She might attack us if you stare too long."
Of course, Lacey isn't planning to kill or attack anyone. At this point, she was accustomed to all types of harassment. Even if Sicylia deserved some payback, she didn't enjoy thinking about it.
Keeping her emotions in check became easier over time and, as a result, her face became fixed with a dull appearance. Even when she's happy, her face would stick with the sad expression. This was one of the many reasons she didn't associate with her classmates for the past 3 years.
Walking into the elevator, she only rolls her eyes at the girls at the other end of the hall.
She gets off at the third floor stop which is across the hallway from the dining hall. The room is bright white and spacious, which makes her feel a little anxious every time she comes, but doesn't stop her. She walks straight ahead to the service counter, where a familiar server stood waiting for her.
"Morning, Lacey. You're a sight for sore eyes." She said with a smile, which, unlike Sicylia's, didn't feel fake.
This server's name is Lindsey Brennan, or Lind as her friends would call her, is one of the few people who Lacey knew personally and had nice things to say about. She was in her late 20's when she started working in the academy shortly before the time Lacey was enrolled.
With Lacey being a regular in the Dining Hall, the two became close as the days passed by. As though she had some sort of peaceful aura, seeing her refreshing smile was enough proof to Lacey of there still being decent people in the world.
She did her best to smile back, but could only come up with a half-ass grin, but that didn't phase Lindsey.
"Morning, Lind. Staying busy I see." Lacey said indicating to the nearly empty dining hall.
There were only a few students and a handful of adults sitting at various tables. This is the normal setting since most of the school residents would order their meals to their rooms or choose to cook in their own dorm kitchens, something Lacey was partial to. Yet, she had her reasons to come here.
"Aren't you sharp? Don't tell me you actually slept in today? Did you rush out of the shower just to see me?" She says indicating to Lacey's wet hair and pink face.
"Well the truth is, I-"
Lacey almost tells her what had happened, but holds back.
"I just had an extra workout on my way out this morning, no sweat."
Lindsay raises an eyebrow at this. She knew Lacey was a bit of a fitness nut since she has to compensate for being powerless. Still, she could always tell when something is up with her. It's like a mother's intuition.
"You don't say? Huh. Well, maybe you should take a break from all that training and sleep in sometime. It can't all be good for your health. There's nothing wrong with a girl your age taking it easy on the weekend."
"As much as I'd love too, I can't. The new semester is starting and my courses aren't getting easier, so I don't think I'll have the luxury of slacking off."
"I'm just saying, you already look like you don't get enough sleep as is. It's like you have super insomnia."
"Super insomnia?"
"Well, what else would you call it?"
"Not that." Lacey snorted.
"Oh, shut up."
"So what's on the menu today."
"Do you need me to answer that or you asking for the sake of asking?"
"What if I want to hear you say it?"
"Then it's either very flattering or very demeaning, so I'll half humor you. We got your typical variety of genetically modified protein and supplements that passes for what you young people consider food."
"What about..."
"Yeah, we have your weekend special too, keep your shirt on."
"Can I get that with-"
"Wildberry syrup, gotcha."
"Please and thank you."
Lind scoops Lacey's tray and puts down a plate of waffles with Hawaiian spam on rice, grapes, and a Japanese donut-like snack called takoyaki. Students in the academy come from every corner of the globe, so the dining hall menu carries a large variety of foreign delicacies. Lacey was especially fond of the sashimi platter and Argentine milanesa.
Since Lacey's meal had already been prepared as Lacey walked in, Lind only had to place the tray back over the counter.
"I still can't imagine how you eat... what's that?"
As Lind leans in closer, she notices something.
"What's what?"
"You got something on your neck. Is that... blood!?"
Lacey's instincts scream how badly this situation is and she attempts to step back, but is caught by Lind on the shoulder as she reaches over the counter.
"Ooh no you don't! Let me take a glance at it."
"Lind, it's nothing!"
"I'll be the judge of that. Now, stay still."
Lind takes a napkin and tries to wipe the area under Lacey's jaw, where there was a red streak left behind.
"Really Lind, it's nothing."
After a hard scrubbing, she could see the were no marks, but Lind is still not convinced.
"Alright, if it's not your blood, then whose is it?"
"Calm down, It's only makeup."
Lacey figures she must have missed a spot where Sicylia smeared her with lipstick, but she didn't go into much detail.
"Makeup?"
Obviously far more surprised to find lipstick anywhere on Lacey than blood, Lind is shocked to point she almost trips over herself.
"What's your problem? Can you let go now?"
Lind forgot she still had her hand clutching Lacey's shoulder and had gripped harder the moment lipstick was mentioned. It was to the point Lacey felt nail marks when she finally let go.
"Sorry, but what's with the makeup?"
"...I rather not go into that."
"Why not? Is it that bad? You've been more chatty than usual today, are you trying to hide something?"
(Dammit, she's perceptive. Please drop it, Lind.)
"Wait. Don't tell me..."
(Oh no.)
"Did you... start dating again?"
(...Huh?!)
"...Huh?!"
"That's it, isn't it? Omg! You're finally back in the game!" She almost shout with glee.
So many things were wrong with this sentence, Lacey didn't have any idea what to point out first.
"I think you should lay off the high school gossip. It's only giving you crazy ideas. And who say's omg anymore?"
"Nope, not happening. It's what keeps me sane through my daily routine."
"If you could call that sane."
"What's so crazy about you getting a date? As mopey as you are, you're still a girl. A young, cute, high school girl, who's surrounded by boys and girls with raging hormones. Haven't you at least considered getting a boyfriend? Or at least a FWB?"
(I should have just said it was blood after all.) Lacey thought, but it was too late at this point.
"No, and I'm not planning to anytime soon."
"Then why the lipstick?"
"It was... something stupid. Nothing that you would need to worry about. So can we please drop it now?"
Lind was not someone who'd easily overlook anything, never knowing when to drop something unless she got her answer. In some serious cases in the past, she would hound Lacey for days to find out who had been hurting her in order to try to file a harassment report, which rarely did much.
But overtime, Lind learned not to step over the line. If Lacey needed help, she knew she'd be the first person she could count on.
"Huhhh." She sighed with a small smile.
It felt hard to let it go, but Lind wanted to be someone Lacey could trust.
"So, what's the plan for today? Big night on the town?"
"Yeah. I need to find someone to talk to about a new surveillance system. My old one keeps getting hacked or fried."
"That can't be ignored. Doesn't the Academy deal with those kind of issues?"
"They say after the 3rd time that it's better to get outside help. This would be the 17th time."
"Well, it's like they say, the 17th time's the charm."
"At least until my next payment, I hope."
By now students began to filing into the dining hall and Lacey figures it's time to take her leave.
"I'll see you next time Lind. Have a good shift."
"Be sure to stop by tonight, were having haggis and sprouts."
"Yeah, I think I'm gonna pass this time."
"Fair call. Those Scottish kids will eat anything."
The two parted ways and Lacey went back into the hall with her tray.
_
Instead of heading back to her room, Lacey took a right at the elevator and heads down to the stairs.
{For a little bit of background on Guardians Academy, between the dorms and faculty, the school's structure is 28 stories high. But, there is also an additional 10 sub-level stories. These floors were known mostly to be used for detention facilities, storage, maintenance, and emergency bunkers.}
From the 3rd floor, Lacey makes her way to the first sub level. It's usually empty since students chose not to go underground unless their instructed to and faculty don't come around here unless they need something. The weekend was a perfect time to be down here.
Looking around the corner, she makes her way to the end of the hall where there is a steel door marked Emergency Stairwell. She presses a code into the side panel which deactivates the alarm and opens the door with a hissing decompressing sound.
The inside is a dimly lit, metal staircase that doesn't appear to had been used in ages. The door closes and locks her inside. The ceiling lights shut off above and then the red fluorescent strips on the steps began to glow.
The stairwell was quiet, aside from the creeks of the walls below as the waves crashed against them from the outside. The academy felt more like a real ship when Lacey was down here.
It was here that Lacey felt like she could relax in peace. Between creeks, the dim red lights, and the dark abyss below, Lacey felt a calm that she couldn't anywhere else in the school. This was her secret hideaway where no one would bother her.
She sits down on the top step, leans herself against the wall, grabs the grapes from the tray, and starts popping them into her mouth one by one as she listens to the silence.
But it didn't last.
As she was finishing the grapes, a dark shadow grows from the side of the wall behind her and a pitch black hand slowly reaches out.
Fully out, the elongated arm lunges directly for... the last grape.
And misses.
It would be better to say that Lacey, without looking, moves the grape out of its reach at the last second and pops it into her mouth.
"You're late. If you wanted grapes, get here earlier."
"Aww, come on! Can't you at least pretend to let me get the drop on you?"
"Maybe next time. I'll even bring a stun-gun to make it feel more realistic for you."
The black arm pulls out of the wall to reveal a pitch-black personage, who sits on the step next to Lacey.
"Hard pass. What syrup did you get today?"
"Wildberry."
"Perfect." The figure says as it grabs the waffles and begins to eat.
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