Walking Amongst Them (Among Us, Book 2)

dominos

I thought I'd get to see her at lunch.

We'd arrived early, Cody and I both becoming increasingly irritated the closer the idea of food came. Stephanie had decided we should head over early after Cody's expression had turned into a permanent looking scowl. It was the kind that made people passing by us slightly uncomfortable, which we couldn't have.

When they served the food, Cody was one of the first in the line. He only just held himself back from trampling the few kids who'd beat him to the front.

When we'd all gotten our food, I noticed an empty table by a set of stairs and walked over to it. I didn't check with my companions, or look around as I went. I didn't look up until they'd both sat down and it was then that I noticed Stephanie's pained expression.

"I was going to have us sit with some people who I consider friends," she was starting to say.

"We can't afford friends, right now."

"So what, your friends matter and mine don't?"

There was a heavy sort of silence that descended over the table, as Stephanie stared her brother down. He scowled while picking up one of the tortilla pieces on his plate. We each got two, piled with beans and rice on them.

Stephanie rested her elbows on the table and leaned in, her voice low, "not everybody here is a fucked up villain. Some people just live here."

A chair was pulled out from our table, and someone sat in it.

I was startled to see Trish ignoring us while she ate her lunch. Stephanie sat back, regarding her as she too started to eat. I finished my first tortilla and immediately grabbed the second one. I hadn't wanted to be at the table with the tension between the siblings. Trish brought a different sort of stress. Together it felt like a weird storm was brewing over our table.

I couldn't help my glance around, wondering if anyone else was reading this like I was.

But most of the people in the room seemed to be engaged in conversations around their own table. I decided that I shouldn't have looked up, or paid attention to them. Their normalcy, the number of people who lived here and existed in a daily fashion... it made me both uncomfortable and jealous.

Maybe uncomfortable because I was jealous.

"So do you like living here?"

I glanced to Trish, who was looking at Stephanie with a look that would have shut most people down. Stephanie wasn't having it, though, she ignored the way her brother rolled his eyes at her persistent behavior, focusing her energy on Trish between her bites of food.

"Because I know it can be a lot for some people, especially survival types. The more you can take care of yourself, the less comfortable you are here."

Trish, despite her will to ignore Stephanie, seemed to agree with the girl here. She softened her eyebrows and gave a small head dip, agreeing with the younger girl. I asked Stephanie what she meant, and she launched into an explanation. While she spoke I finished my food.

Trish did as well, taking her time to drink down the powder made Gatorade they'd served with our meals. Cody seemed to have relaxed a bit as he pushed his empty plate slightly away from himself. I glanced around then, wondering if anyone happened to be watching us.

"Thank you for letting me sit with you," Trish's voice brought me back to the table.

She winked at me when our eyes clashed and she picked up her plate, bringing it back to the window we'd all gotten our plates from. For a moment I thought she might get a second helping, but the volunteers simply accepted her plate and moved to the next task.