The Otherkind

Chapter 5

Lunch was complete chaos. It worked the same as in schools Eris had seen in movies. Assuming everyone in the building was here, there were a few hundred kids of all types of species walking around. She couldn’t imagine Ainara even coming here for food. She was terrified herself, hungry but not sure what to do or who to talk to. She began aimlessly turning in different directions, looking for anyone at all she knew. Someone came up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.
“Are you lost? I’m Chintu. Do you want some help? I can help!” He had a huge fluffy tail that was reddish brown in color, like a squirrel’s. He looked about eight years old.
“Do you know Amber?” Eris asked, deciding there was a chance he would since they seemed about the same age.
“Yeah I do, of course I do, we share like half our classes ya know so it’d be really weird if I didn’t know her.”
“Can you take me to her? I need to ask her something.”
“Sure I can. Are you new? I don’t know all the older kids but I’ve seen most of them around and I haven’t seen you at all. How do you know Amber? Are you friends with that bird girl? She seems interesting if you ask me…” He talked as he led her to where Amber was sitting, with Pepper and Ari at her side. Eris assumed she didn’t have to answer his questions as he wasn’t exactly stopping to give her the chance.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome! It was so cool to meet you!” He ran off towards the line of kids waiting for food. Eris sat down next to Ari, who glanced at her but continued her conversation with Pepper. She seemed to be telling the story of how she and her family got to the school.
“How did you get here?” Ari asked Pepper.
“I was born in Ms. Cottontail’s sanctuary, but my parents wanted to leave and see the world. They took me with them when I was just a baby, but they got chased. They left me here with Anoura when they found out they had been reported. I don’t know what happened to them after that.”
“I’m sorry,” Ari said with tears in her eyes. “I know how it feels to lose one parent, I can’t imagine losing both.”
“I don’t really remember them anyways. I was only two when they left me with Anoura. I do wonder if they’re out there still, and if they miss me…” She shook her head. “But anyways, it’s fine.”
Eris tapped Ari’s shoulder and whispered to her. “I think they found Alli.”
“What?!”
“Shhhh.”
“Sorry, what are you talking about?”
“I overheard Kora and Anoura talking. I think they found Alli, we should tell the others.”
“We’ll get them in a minute. You should probably find the twins though, I know where Leo will be.”
Eris nodded as lunch ended and she stood up. For a split second, she saw Ainara slipping out of a door and disappearing into the hallway. She ran after her, hoping to ask her where two ten year olds might be. Pushing her way through the cafeteria doors, Eris saw Ainara walking down one of the hallways. “Wait!” Eris shouted. Ainara turned.
“Oh, it’s you.” She looked down at her feet.
“Can you take me to the ten year olds please? I’m looking for my brothers.”
“Sure, I guess.” Ainara turned and walked down the halls, leading Eris to a wing of classrooms for the younger children. “Here.”
“Thanks.” Eris looked through each window until she saw the twins sitting in one of the classrooms. The room was bright, full of colors with a cute rug on the floor. She knocked on the door. A tall man with yellow feathers for hair opened it.
“Yes?”
“I’m here for my brothers, Lukas and Ray.”
The man nodded towards them and they got up to follow Eris. She grabbed their hands and led them to their room.
"Okay. So." She said as she saw the group that had been gathered. Ari, Leo, the twins, Pepper, Pike, Amber, and even Ainara had come, along with an older boy Eris had never seen. "Kora and Anoura have found Alli. Maybe. I think."
The kids' eyes widened. "Are we gonna go to her?" Ray asked.
"I don't know," Eris frowned.
Hearing footsteps approaching, she stopped talking. Kora entered the room. Telling the kids to please leave, she walked towards her bed. Her face was anxious and pale, and her tail fur was puffed out. Eris led the group out but stayed in the hall for a moment and peeked around the doorway. Kora was packing a backpack full of her most important things. Before she was caught, Eris darted away after Ari.
“What’s she doing?” Ari asked.
“Packing a bag. I think she’s going after Alli.”
“What do we do?”
Eris paused. Should she follow Kora? Or stay out of it? She shook her head. “I’m going after her.”
“What about the little kids?” They turned to Ray, Lukas, and Amber.
“You three are staying here.” Ray frowned and lowered his head. Lukas nodded. Amber twitched her tail in annoyance. Eris turned to the others.
“You’re welcome to come with me if you’d like.”
“I’m going,”said Ari with a serious voice for once.
“Me too,” said Pepper.
Pike looked at Pepper. “I’m not letting her go alone.”
Ainara shifted her wings nervously. “I’ll come. Flying could help you guys.” Eris blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected Ainara to volunteer to come along. She seemed like she’d rather stay here than go on any sort of adventure. Maybe she was thinking it’d be quieter than school if she left with them.
The boy Eris didn't know stepped forward. He had gray wolf ears, a tail, and the nose of a wolf as well. "If Ainara is going, I am too."
"Who are you anyways?"
"I'm Conan. Ainara's sort of brother. We came here together as kids."
Ainara nodded and continued staring at her shoes. Conan put his arm around her and smiled.
"I'm Ari, that's Eris."
"Nice to meet you."
Eris was worried about people she hardly knew coming with her, but she wasn't about to refuse help. It would be difficult to follow Kora without being caught, as well as making sure no humans saw  their tails, ears, or feathers. Ainara especially would have trouble, she'd have to hide her wings. Eris realized she still hadn’t told Kora what she and Ari had done. She thought for a moment, then turned to the others. “I’m going to talk to Kora about something.”
She walked back and entered the room once more. “Hey, Kora?” She looked up.
“Yeah?”
“I need to tell you something.”
“I’m here to listen,” she patted the bed beside where she was sitting. Eris sat down next to her.
“I…..me and Ari…..we….” She couldn’t get the words out. She felt like she was choking, everything in her willing her not to say what she had done. Her ears flattened and she wrapped her tail around herself. She couldn’t do it. She just couldn’t, not yet. “We um….made friends.” She hated hiding things from Kora.
“That’s all? Well, that’s great Eris, I’m glad you’re getting along with some new people.”
“Yeah…me too.”
“Could you tell everyone to wait here for me in the morning?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Thanks.”
Eris got up from the bed and went back to where her little group was standing and talking. “Ari?”
“What’s up?”
“I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t tell her what we did.” Ari looked at the floor.
“I don’t want to tell her.”
“I know.”