Being (Being Saga, Book I)

III

Caiden clutched the damp notebook paper wrung in one of her shaking hands and had her schedule covering her face as naturally as possible with the other. She knew her eyes were all over the place, but she didn't know which disaster to deal with first.

Someone knew what she was.

But that was impossible.

She didn't exist.

That surging from within began to come back, bursting to get through. She searched in vain for an area with as few people as possible, but those traveling packs of her peers that she'd encountered in the morning had migrated and occupied every hall she turned onto.

"Caiden?" she heard a voice call to her, but she had no idea if it was in her head or not, so she didn't answer and kept walking. She lifted her arm to eye level to check the time to make sure she wasn't late for her next class.

"Caiden."

She slowed down and stood in front of a wall, eyes still focused on her schedule. That voice felt like it had a body so she pretended not to hear it.

"Caiden," The Voice called.

"You okay?"

That voice sounded a little familiar. She turned a little and stood there.

"Hey," that same voice turned soft.

She cautiously lifted her head, having no clue if her eyes had gone back to neutral or not, and saw Aza looking back at her, his own eyes heavy with concern.

"...Caiden," he said, taking a step closer.

She instinctively took a step back. Why did her name sound like that coming out of his mouth, like he knew it before they'd even met?

She managed to lock eyes with him and wondered what he could possibly be thinking. Then suddenly, like a switch, the color of his eyes changed to a deep, dark violet.

"It's okay," he assured her.

Caiden stared at him like an idiot, still not able to act. Until her legs began to move on their own, anywhere far away from this awkward situation. She jetted off down the hall from which she came as if nothing happened.

No one's supposed to know.

She made it out the front door of the school and thrust herself into the warm, humid air. It took her some time before her breathing steadied, but it didn't last.

Timothy again.

She felt him near and searched the handful of students that had finished their classes for the day. Timothy was gripping the two straps of his backpack and looking off down the street. Caiden only took one step in his direction before The Voice broke her trance.

"Caiden."

She backtracked and almost fell backward as the step scuffed the heel of her boot.

"Have I ever told you how much I've hated our one-sided relationship?" The Voice asked.

"Many times..." she said under her breath. "I think he knows."

"You haven't made it one week and you're already paranoid. Have you checked the time?"

At the mention of time, she glanced her watch and inched unwillingly back inside the school.

Timothy pulled out his phone as Bryan came up behind him. They shoved each other a little in greeting, Timothy's smile devouring each cheek. Bryan attempted to grab Timothy's hand, but he didn't let him, not forgetting where they were.

"Are you comin' tonight?" Timothy asked, his voice high at the thought of seeing him in a safe space.

"I always do," Bryan said, eating the distance between them. "The question is, do you want me to stay? You've been acting suspect lately and not like somebody who sent me anonymous locker notes for two years."