cannibals [slow updates]

iii | john lennon

dedicated to elisa (beautyatwork) because her story hipster apocalypse makes me laugh, and I think she's a wonderful person

iii. john lennon

She already had two run ins with members of the Cannibals, and it was two too many.

Lennon never talked to them for all her years of high school, and in the past twenty four hours, she spoke to two of them.

Firstly, she tossed her lunch onto Harvey Díaz, the leader of the Cannibals and he proceeded to take his shirt off in front of her. Not that she was complaining, because he had the body Michelangelo may or may not have sculpted himself.

Secondly, she met Mathias Finnegan, or Finn as he told her to call him. He was really cute up close.

After roaming the hallways, she finally came in front of her class, AP Environmental Sciences. As usual, she was early to class, so she took her homework from last night and went over it.

"Number seven is incorrect." Lennon looked up to see Oakley Steele, a member of the Cannibals offering her a smile.

Oh great, she thought. Did Harvey open an invisible gate off all of them to start talking to her?

"What?" She responded, glancing at her paper. Earth Science was the easiest class she's ever taken! Lennon was also still confused. They've been in the same class for three months and never spoke one word to each other. Why was today the day to break the code of silence?

"It's supposed to be dissolved oxygen and nutrients," she explained, taking a seat next to her. "Thriving coral reefs need that since they're oceanic plants and can't get complete nutrients underwater."

"Oh," she muttered, erasing the answer off the paper, and rewriting it. Lennon tried to smile at her, but it came out as a grimace. "Thanks."

Oakley smiled in return. "It's no problem. And don't look so glum, chum."

That was when Lennon cracked a real smile.

The teacher, Mr. Goldberg walked into class and the students started to fill in the classroom.

Halfway through the lesson, Oakley leaned over and whispered, "I didn't catch your name."

"Lennon," she replied, saluting Oakley shyly.

Oakley almost couldn't help herself let out a big "aw." This girl was so adorable.

"I'm Oakley," she said back, smiling at Lennon.

"Nice to meet you," Lennon replied.

"Aren't you that girl that slapped pizza on Harv?" She asked, recognition swimming in her eyes.

She tried to remember if she knew anyone named Harv, but it quickly dawned on her that Oakley was talking about Harvey.

"Oh, I'm still so sorry about that," she apologized. "If he wants, I could buy him the-"

"Nah," she cut her off. "Harvey can buy himself a new shirt."

Lennon was way too generous.

The bell rang, and Lennon realised that she had not copied the notes down from class. She looked around the class and noticed Kyle Donovan packing his stuff up.

"Hey Kyle," she said. "Did you take notes in class today?"

"Yeah, why?" She could hear the hostility in his tone, but she ignored it and pressed on.

"Can I borrow your notes, I forgot-" he cut her off.

"No," he responded sharply, shoving his folder into his bag.

"But I lent you my notes last week," she pointed out.

"So?" He asked, seeming already bored with the conversation.

Lennon bit the inside of her cheek with annoyance. Kyle was irking her.

"Kyle, give her the notes." Lennon turned around to see Oakley glaring at him.

His demeanour shrank, and he leaned back.

"If you don't, I'll have Finn turn that pretty face into what you'd see in the Guinness Book of World Records," she spat, her eyes narrowing into slits as she spoke. "Or maybe Harvey, he's a little more bloodthirsty."

With that warning, he shoved the papers into Lennon's arms and ran out the classroom.

Lennon was shocked, she had never seen a boy that scared before.

"Wow," she said, turning to Oakley. "Thank you."

"Again," Oakley responded, walking towards the door. "It's no problem."

Then she left the room.