Evelyn rubbed up and down her shoulder and arm as we spoke. There was a large purple bruise where a grandfather clock had fallen on her as they scrambled for cover last night. Walking side by side next to me in silence, I fiddled with the straps of my backpack.

Whispers circled the school like ghosts, even 500 steps from the main doors, all of the conversations pertained to the party and where Jack Bailey had disappeared to afterwards.

Bedlam’s few police officers had tried to find him and to no avail. It was as if he went up in smoke, gone without a trace.

Evelyn’s mahogany hair was tied into a lazier ponytail than usual. Alongside her slow fluttering eyes and obvious headache, I did not envy the hangover she was currently experiencing.

She hadn’t talked much all of this morning, her usual quips and sarcasm were gone from the breakfast table. No one had spoke of what happened last night, instead the Curie’s concerned ourselves with talk of the fields and the farm equipment (which I happily indulged in).

Though I couldn’t say I felt much better or more talkative; Jack had pummeled me last night. The hole in Laura’s kitchen wall serving as my evidence. I have never seen anything like that, the ghost of last nights memories seized me, unwilling to let go.

“Bye buddy. I’ll see you after school.” Evelyn’s monotone voice diverged from my side upon seeing Mark’s hunkered over and hungover form in the hallway.

But with a good turkey sandwich in my bag, I was determined to make this lunch peaceful and revitalizing.

That dream promptly dropped dead as soon as I heard Elias’ arrogant voice take up stock next to me, “Why the long face buddy?”

I turned and looked at him, my voice tired and cracking, “Buddy?” I retorted, my eyebrow inching higher.

Elias was wearing his usual outfit of far too expensive shoes and an ivory leather jacket. He looked like trouble.

“What?” His voice was tinged with mock innocence. “We’re friends aren’t we?” His eyes twinkled like it was a game, like he could barely hold back his laughter behind his smirk. I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. Elias Alvara was an enigma; arrogant, boastful and trouble one minutes and the other he was speaking softly of stars and constellations.

Instead of responding, I brushed him off and stayed quiet.

“What happened last night anyway? Everyone’s been buzzing about it all day, they’re starting to talk about it more than they gossip about me. This maniac is really stealing my thunder.”

See? Arrogant. Rolling my eyes I stayed quiet but apparently even not contributing to the conversation doesn’t matter to Elias as he simply continued the conversation with himself. “The two people I could find that you know said that you’re supposedly nice. You know, I’m not really getting that from our conversations.”

Monotonously, I responded, “Really? Oh, where could you be getting that from?”

Suddenly he was gone and I sighed. I was not supposed to be talking to Elias Alvara, and the more people that saw our interactions, the likelier I would be thrust into some semblance of the spotlight. Not to mention, I don’t know what my parents would do if they knew we were speaking.

I zipped open my bag, pulling out the turkey sandwich, my water bottle and an orange. The cafeteria was loud and bright as always, a long line from the circled the perimeter as students waited for their cafeteria food. The football players were oblivious to their missing friend as they cackled on and threw food at each other.

Elias slid into the seat across from me, not caring even as I groaned. “Don’t you know when to quit?” I growled, “I’m not supposed to be talking to you.”

Ignoring me, which was beginning to become a pattern, “You seem to be quiet with everyone else. You barely talk in science class and yet, here you are, basically yelling at me. In public no less.”

“Congratulations,” I bit off a piece of my sandwich, “You seem to be the one person on this planet that can annoy me.”

“Do I at least get an award for my efforts?”

Finishing up my sandwich, I draw my gaze away from the table. Catching a few people’s obvious stares in the process. It feels like the spotlights been thrust onto me now. They’re burrowing and their whispers swirl within me, scratching voices overlapping over and over. My voice drops to a whisper, “People are staring.”

“They’re always staring.” He waved away my words. His nonchalance almost jarring. Did people always stare this much? “Its kinda their hobby, the people in this town are deathly boring and have nothing to do.”

Setting my gaze on something other than Elias, I peel the orange neatly. Placing the scraps into a small pile at the edge of the cafeteria table.

He leaned in, his knee pressed against mine, “They think I kick puppies and set their farms on fire myself. Scratch that, they’d probably like me more if I did that.”

“Let me rephrase then, people don’t stare at me.”

“Why not?” Elias’ russet eyes dug into me, it felt like he was setting something in my chest ablaze. Then, like nothing had happened, he broke eye contact and grabbed a piece of orange, popping it into his mouth without a second word.

“I like my privacy, my anonymity and my invisibility, thank you very much. I don’t need people staring at me.” I like to look. To listen. Elias scrambles up everything. I can’t look nor listen discreetly with him around.

Sliding in next to me, Joshua Bane smelt of cigarettes and tractor oil. His camouflage jacket had scratches and rips all along the fabric. “Hey Alvara, just wondering if we’ll ever get Bailey back from the lair you probably have him in. Are you an evil scientist too, or is it just your parents?”

“Fuck off Bane unless you want me to start asking questions about where you got that new truck from.” Elias didn’t even look up from twisting his ring, he seemed bored.

His ring caught my attention, a hexagonal golden ring on his middle finger. An eagle engraved in the middle made me think it was a family crest.

Joshua laughed awkwardly and overtly, “Its just a joke Alvara. You’re always so serious.”

“Shut it.” He ordered. His voice was filled with venom, he seemed so polar to the moments before.

“Shutting it.” Joshua Bane responded.