Just thinking about walking into that cafeteria again made my heart drop to my stomach. Especially now that I've learned that I've been the cause of protest outside the school and that my bully is a victim of bullying himself. Should I just find a bathroom to eat in?
Is that pathetic?
I drag myself into the well built and annoyingly amazing looking cafeteria and eye the food stations. It's already packed. Long lines everywhere. I walk over to a Chinese food place, that is until I see Dariyah and her evil sidekick in that same line.
I quickly turn to leave, but before I can,
"Where are you going best friend?" Vega grabs me by the shoulder and pulls me closer to them.
I groan under my breath.
"If it isn't the village idiot," Dariyah says.
"I'm just trying to get something to eat," I say.
"What a coincidence, so are we," Vega says sarcastically.
"You know we can't be best friends if I don't even know your name." I point out.
"But you do know it," she smirks.
"Do not, you've never told me."
"Sure about that?"
I eye her in confusion, but just then I hear the word, Vega, in my head. I flinch and look around.
V
E
G
A
The voice in my head says.
Dariyah and Vega burst into laughter at my alarmed face.
I glare at them.
"Did you just use your powers on me!?" I accuse.
"Nope," she flicks me in the nose.
"You did!"
"Proof?"
"I heard a voice!"
"Yikes, have you always heard voices?" Dariyah asks.
I feel my cheeks flush and look away from them.
I know I'm not crazy.
She used her powers on me.
"Relax Emery, I'm just teasing," Vega assures me.
"You make it too easy," Dariyah says before stepping forward to place her order.
"Silly voices are the least I can do to you," Vega whispers in my ear.
I jerk away from her.
She smirks at me.
"Just leave me alone," I say.
"No can do Emery, no can do..." she steps forward to place her order.
What is that supposed to mean?
"You okay?"
I flinch and whirl around to face the voice behind me.
"Sorry," Wieland says sheepishly.
"Yeah, just great." I snap at him.
"They act tough, but they aren't that bad." He says.
"Ha! Yeah right, they are the worst."
"Dariyah is actually just projecting her frustration on others, she acts like she doesn't care what people think about her. But she really does. And Vega, well, she's just protective of Dariyah."
"Why?" I decide to entertain this line of thought.
"Dariyah is her sister, well, stepsister. But they've known each other since they were just little kids. Their parents have been married almost their whole lives. Dariyah lost her mom in an accident. She's always been an oddball and outcast, that's why Vega is really protective of her."
"She doesn't look like she needs protection to me," I grumble.
"Trust me, you have them pegged all wrong. They are actually good people. I've known them for years. The only reason they tease you is because of the bad first impression you gave them." He pushes his glasses up his face.
"Not buying it," I step forward to place my order.
I hear him sigh behind me.
If that really was the only reason they tease me, I think it's safe to say they have taken it way to far. What does he think? That I was born yesterday? Give me a break. A bad first impression is one thing, almost killing someone by throwing them down several flights of stairs, a completely different thing.
I grab my food and turn to eye the seating choices.
People all around me give me the stink eye when I make eye contact with them. I glance over to Dariyah's group and cringe before looking to the exit. With a heavy sigh, I make my way that way.
"Emery, over here," Ro calls.
I turn and see her sitting with Nerissa and Bastion as usual. Nerissa rolls her eyes at me and Bastion doesn't even look at me. I guess it's better than nothing. I take a deep breath for courage and walk over to them, putting one foot in front of the other.
I slide into a seat directly in front of Nerissa. We lock eyes. Again, that awful feeling hits me. I eye the symbol on her shirt and suddenly it clicks. She has to be a shadow caster, that's why I don't like her. That's why I get weird feelings when I am around her. She's is my opposite.
I wonder if she feels as uncomfortable as I do.
"Uh, hi," I say.
Nerissa narrows her eyes at me.
"Hi," Ro says, forcing a smile.
"Damn it," Bastion slams his fist on the table. "I'm never going to get this!"
He has his laptop out and is running some type of simulation on it.
"Just take a break, give your brain a rest," Ro says.
"I have to submit this by 5 today or they go with her proposal." He pulls the laptop closer to him and types in stuff I can't see.
I look down at my food and sigh.
I miss my friends.
Do they miss me?
I stab my orange chicken and move it to my mouth.
But I miss and hit my cheek.
I try again and hit the other cheek.
I glare at the chicken and grab my hand with my other hand and try again. No matter how hard I try to get it in my mouth, for some reason, I can't. When I look up, all three of them are staring at me.
I feel my cheeks flush.
I look back at my food in confusion before trying again.
I hit myself in the eye.
The sound of loud laughter behind me tells me all I need to know. I wipe my face and turn to glare at Dariyah and Vega who are laughing so hard they are crying. I clench my fist and turn to face forward.
Looks like I'm missing breakfast and lunch.
I sigh and push the food away.
"Tsk," I hear Ro scoff.
I look up at her and she is looking at Dariyah and Vega. I turn and follow her line of sight. Her eyes are narrowed in on them, I see Dariyah's soda can begin to shake and rumble before it crushes in and explodes all over them.
That shuts them up.
I smile.
I hear Nerissa chuckle and Bastion sighs and shakes his head.
"Ugh!" I hear Dariyah growl.
She looks at me and I stick my tongue out.
She narrows her eyes at me.
Take that, you big bully.
"How did you do that?" I turn to Ro.
"I'm a force caster."
"A what?"
"Think Star Wars." She says.
"Whoa! That's so cool." I say in awe.
She smiles and shrugs like it's nothing.
"Don't start something you can't finish," Nerissa warns her.
"Please," Ro rolls her eyes. "Someone needs to put those creatures in their place."
"All I'm saying is if they come after you, you're on your own." Bastion said.
I frown at them.
"Greetings, commoners." Someone walked up to our table.
"Ugh," Ro, Nerissa, and Bastion all groan in unison.
I turn to see some guy. He looks to be our age. His blond hair is completely combed down. He stands straight with his arms behind his back. His pants are perfectly pressed, his shirt completely wrinkle-free and buttoned all the way up. He looks so neat and clean it's kind of scary.
"What do you want Lysander?" Bastion says.
"I want your support for the upcoming student body election. As you may know, I am running for student body president. Having the support from very influential people such as yourselves could be the edge I need to overtake the race. What do you say, Nerissa?"
"No," Nerissa says coldly.
"Pass," Ro says.
"I'm busy, get lost please." Bastion turns back to his computer.
I shrug and move to eat again when,
"Ah, Miss Emery Ellison, you are all anyone is talking about these days. Someone as attention-grabbing as yourself surely would make a perfect running mate."
"What!?" Nerissa and Ro say in unison.
Bastion chokes on his food.
"You want her to be your running mate?" Nerissa says in disbelief.
"Why not? Word has it you plan on running yourself, Nerissa. But you haven't submitted the paperwork yet. I'd get on that, not that it would matter. If I can get Emery as my VP, people will surely vote for me."
"Uh..." I look back and forth between them.
"She doesn't even know the first thing about this school, or about being a Caster in general!" Nerissa snaps at him.
"Then you should have nothing to worry about." He smirks.
"What's going on?" I ask.
"You're just trying to take advantage of her," Nerissa says.
"A star caster such as herself is almost guaranteed to get anything she wants."
"Get lost, not going to happen," Ro says.
"I think that's up to Miss Ellison now isn't it?"
I eye him in confusion as he grabs my hand and kisses the back of it.
"Please consider my proposal." He says with a devious smirk.
"I don't even know who the heck you are." I point out, snatching my hand away.
"Allow me, I am Lysander Hagon. Strato Caster extraordinar. Top Strato Caster in the country. I could help you learn all that you need to know about the world of Casters."
"Get lost Lysander, she doesn't speak snake," Ro says.
"Just think about it, I'll find you again." He winks at me before walking off.
"What just happened?" I ask.
"What did he say to you, what did you say to him!?" Dariyah suddenly plops down right next to me. She has soda all over her shirt.
"What?"
"Did you say yes?" Vega sits on the other side of me, also covered in soda.
"You shouldn't trust him," Wieland joins in too.
"He's bad news," Gunner shakes his head.
"What is going on!?" I shout.
"That's Lysander Hagon," Bastion says.
"Am I supposed to know what that means?" I ask.
"He's a very influential person. His parents are on the elder council. He's always trying to find a way to get power." Ro supplies.
"And he'll do whatever it takes to achieve that goal," Dariyah growls.
"He's bad news, he just transferred to this school and already he's stirring up trouble," Gunner says.
"Student body president is a very important job, not only do you get a large say as to what goes on here at Belmore, but you'll be the face of Caster's all over the world. Basically, an elder in training. You'll be included in important meetings and given important task. Being student body president is a lot. You'll be part of a much smaller council made of up the student presidents from each caster school in the country. It's a very serious role." Nerissa explains.
"Let's face it, you're not exactly elder material." Vega teases.
If I was part of that council... I could figure out who did this to me and see if it's happened to anyone else. If it's as important as they say, I'm sure someone there knows something. Not to mention that weird vision I saw of my future self. Being part of that, I could get some real answers and not just be treated like a child.
"You're not actually considering it, are you?" Wieland says in concern.
Someone out there did this to me, and if it's not the elders, then who? Maybe this smaller council. They might be behind this. They could get away with it. They are smart enough, powerful enough. Lysander said it himself, he's the best at what he does, it the country! He could be my ticket to answers. If I can learn that truth spell, I can easily get the intel I want.
"Emery trust me. Stay away from him. He'll only back stab you." Ro warns.
"She's right, I'm all too familiar with that," Dariyah says.
"I need to do it," I say.
"Why?" Nerissa asks.
"I can't tell you, but I have to. I need answers for something. And I have a feeling he might know."
"Doubt it, he's all talk," Vega says.
"What do you know?" Nerissa asks.
I open my mouth to say something when,
"There you are. Popular already, are we?" Lorelei, Cyrene's girlfriend walks over to us.
I turn to her.
"Cyrene is waiting for you; I've come to fetch you."
I look down at my uneaten lunch.
"Just bring it with you, come on."
Nerissa glares at her and there is a hush silence over everyone.
I grab my food and get up to leave.
She places her hand on my shoulder and firmly squeezes before pushing me forward towards the exit. I turn back to look at everyone who is looking at me.
"I hope you weren't about to spill confidential information now where you." She says.
I turn to face her.
"How did you—"
"People are watching you, Emery. Very important people. I'd be careful if I were you." she warns.
I eye her.
"Are you part of the elder council too?" I ask.
"Not exactly."
"Then how do you know all this stuff about me?"
"I'm part of the Four Pillars. We have our own council, much more important than the elder council. You could say the elder council answers to us."
"There sure are a lot of councils," I grumble.
She laughs and pats my head.
"So I guess you know what happened to me wasn't exactly planned," I say.
"Emm Hmm," she purses her lips.
"Who do you think did this to me?" I ask.
"Let me worry about that, you worry about learning how to be a proper Caster."
"I want to know who did this to me."
"Why?"
"Because! They could do it to someone else. They are dangerous. Why me? I need answers."
"Answers won't change what happened to you. You need to accept this as your new life and move on."
With that, we arrived back at Cyrene's office.
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