The food hall was full when Charlotte entered, her clothes thankfully dry and the chill banished from her bones, though the food had been served and cleared. She frowned, irritably, her stomach rumbling echoing her annoyance. She wandered along between the benches, pausing at her old table.
"O'Connell," she nodded, flashing a bright grin. "How are things?"
"Not too bad," he shrugged, smiling at her. "How's popularity treating you?"
"Popularity? Is that what you call it?" she laughed. "Brutal - Are you staying out of trouble?"
"Sadly, yes," he sighed. "Iseult is taking no crap about missing training for the exhibitions. She has banned me from all things fun. Life is so bloody boring here now," he groaned.
"So Iseult has finally got you to behave? Somebody should tell Bennett is was that easy all along," Charlotte grinned.
"Are you kidding me? What will the sadistic creep do now that he doesn't have punishing me to entertain him? He will go mad and then things will get a hell of a lot worse around here," he sighed. "Iseult is doing everybody a disservice".
"Oh well you know Izzy - she doesn't know the meaning of fun," Charlotte replied dryly.
"Do you still know the meaning of fun?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, a dangerous grin on his lips.
"I am trying not to - but fun always seems to find me," she winked at him. She glanced up at the staff dais and was pleasantly relieved to find it mostly empty, despite the large attendance of students. "Couldn't get me some food, could you?" she asked, once she was happy they were gone.
"You've got it," he nodded, as she smiled and hurried to her seat. She watched him as she sat beside Alexander, who had already finished his meal.
"You're too late," Lucio sighed, standing up to leave. Charlotte allowed her gaze to move from Anderson to O'Connell slowly. Ian barely flickered from view. Nobody would have notice if they hadn't been paying close attention, but now Charlotte's plate was full of all types of food, her mug full with water.
"Lucio, I am just on time," she sighed, her stomach growling again, this time in appreciation. Anderson stared at her plate for a moment, before shaking his head and leaving.
"You shouldn't be eating stolen food," James muttered, his tone sharp.
"A girl's got to eat, Alexander," she said in an offhand voice, placing a handful of grapes into her mouth.
"O'Connell will get in trouble for taking it," he pressed.
Charlotte turned to him, her mouth full. "Is that so? Did you see him take it?" she asked, tearing a piece of bread apart.
"No - but who else could it be," he sighed.
"A manner of people I would think," she laughed.
"You're impossible," he sighed.
"Would you rather I didn't eat?" she asked turning and staring at him.
"It doesn't matter does it - you're going to do what you want anyway," he grumbled standing up. Charlotte rolled his eyes, trying to remain focused on her food.
"It's good to see you two talking again," Ethan said appearing before them. "O'Connell stealing food again?" he asked, nabbing a grape from Charlotte's plate and tossing it into his mouth.
"He was just looking after me," Charlotte smiled.
"He's bloody quick," Ethan remarked. "You should have grabbed him for our team".
YOU ARE READING
Altered
Science Fiction'They wore uniform grey, their expression hard and distant, their muscles taut with expectation, as if at any moment they were ready to lead an assault, to carry out orders, to kill, to die. And yet they were. Kingston had trained these children to...
