Torn

Chapter 10: Lynz's Point of View

The day had gone smoothly, mostly introductions and being given assignments. I felt people glance at me, none of them having the guts to speak up, just observe. During third period, in French class, a guy sitting two seats behind me threw a paper airplane at me. It hit my neck, and I turned to confront him. The girl between us looked scared, avoiding eye contact with me. The guy just smiled and flicked his head, looking at the crumbled airplane on my desk. I turned back and read the paper.

I wanna talk to you. I'll buy you lunch? ~Luke

I looked back, and he raised a brow in question, looking somewhat pleading. He sounds kinda sweet. Not that you have to hook up with him, but he might be like Scott. You need at least one friend, no offense.

I nodded. He smiled without showing his teeth. I hope you're right, I thought to the nice voice.

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At lunch, I saw the same freckle-faced boy standing at the doorway to the cafeteria.

"Hey, you're name is Lynz, right?"

"Yeah. You're Luke?"

"Luke or Lucas. I go by both, I don't care which you use. What do ya wanna eat?" We walked side by side to the food lines.

"Hawaiian pizza. You don't have to buy me lunch, though. I can pay for it myself."

"It's your first day, so it's on me." I lined up behind him. I didn't know what else to say besides 'thanks'.

"Thank you for this. I wasn't expecting someone to do this sort of thing, and I'm pretty much a stranger."

Lucas shrugged. "I've been raised using manners. Maybe it's an Oregon thing. Where did you come from?"

"Manhattan."

"Damn, New York? Are you a millionaire's daughter?"

"Well, not a millionaire anymore. My mom spent a million on our new house, so I guess we're average now."

"Nice. I wanna check out your house later on." I nodded. We got our lunch and Lucas paid. He left to get us seats together while I grabbed some napkins. I turned to face the huge, active cafeteria, and saw a table next to one of the doors leading back into the hallway that only had three people sitting there; the three teens I saw last night. I tried to avoid them, making a promise to deal with them later, and go to Lucas's table, filling up with people. I strode to Lucas stiffly, but was forced to stop in my tracks. I had to walk backwards against my will, toward Daniel's table. I was able to turn around and face their table, and I tried to resist the pull. I stared at Daniel directly, and he blinked, intimidated, and I was released, able to walk quickly to Luke's table. I slammed my tray down and he looked at me worriedly.

"What was that about?"

"I don't know. I felt forced to go there, and I don't know why. I glared at that guy and then I was able to walk over here." Lucas played with his pizza.

"Do you know if Daniel's been looking for you?"

I answered after I swallowed a bite of my pizza. "He said he has. Why? Do you know something about him, or the rest of them?"

He froze. His eyes moved every five seconds to a different place on the table, never looking up. "Yes...but do you know about-what they are?" Lucas kept pausing, unsure of his words.

"No. I asked them if they were in a cult, or if they are supernatural or something. Are they? I just need answers."

"They aren't a cult...I'm not sure if it's supernatural, I'd really like to tell you what they are, but I think they would rather tell you. It's their responibility, at least. If they don't tell you within a week, I'll tell you myself."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Why can't you just tell me, though? Is this whole thing really that secretive? Are you scared Daniel will get mad at you? And will it change anything if I said I was injected by some red stuff Daniel gave me?" His eyes bugged out and met mine.

"Uhh, yeah, a lot. Now it's like a secret between all of us."

"'Us'? You not only know the secret, but are a part of it, too?" He looked defeated.

"Yeah. But both of us are like them. I might as well tell you, but not here." Lucas looked at the other people at the table quickly. I had blocked them out until that point. He opened his hand out to me and took out a dark blue marker. "Will you write your number on my wrist so I can text you later?"

"Oh, yeah." I wrote my number on his wrist while sneaking a glance at Daniel. He was staring at Lucas's arm, swallowing. The lunch bell rang. "I'll dump our lunches since you bought them." He smiled and thanked me, waiting so we could leave the cafeteria together. It actually felt nice to have someone to hang out with, like how Scott had been. I made a mental note to text Scott later, to check up on how he was doing and tell him about my first day. Lucas met me with a smile and we both headed down the same hall. "What class do you have? Or are you just stalking me," I asked playfully.

"Nah, I can do that in French. I have English now. What about you?"

"I have Biology. Maybe some dissecting, fun like that right after I just ate."

"Ha, lucky you. Anyway, I gotta go, so, see ya." He patted my shoulder as he took a right, into a class. Like how it was when I was around Scott, my new friend's smile was contagious, lasting all the way until the bell rang for fourth period to start.