I Am Freak.

Part 5

The dining room is big, like the rest of the rooms (with the exception of my sleeping quarters) I've been in have been. When I enter, clutching Bram's elbow for dear life, all noise falls silent. I look down, unused to the attention. I'm terrified, frankly, of everyone in here watching me, judging me, whispering without me knowing.

Suddenly, all the clammer comes back in, noise and sound returning. I glance back up. Everyone is still watching, silent. Then, I see Coin at the table in the front of the room, watching me, and I get it. My powers are back. I feel so weak-kneed like I watched a scary movie and it's over and I'm simultaneously scared out of my wits and relieved.

'You're welcome, don't make me regret this,' Coin mouths at me with stony eyes.

Who is tha-look at the hair- is she ne-what is Bra-Charon is be- what is she do-

The bruhaha assaults my mind and I want to put my hands over my ears and hum to block out the noise. Instead, I follow Charon to the food line as Coin stands up and addresses the staring crowd.

"As many of you seem to have noticed, we have a new student joining us today. Her name is Xandria Honeycutt. Make sure she knows how things work around here, help her find her classes if she gets lost, the usual things. Now is also a good time to remind everyone of our very strict no-bullying policy, too, just as a reminder. Now, go back to your dinners and stop staring at Honeycutt!" and with that, Coin claps his hands and sits back down.

"Wow." is all I mutter as the noise doubles tenfold. The serving lady slaps a grilled cheese down on my plate.

"Yeah, everyone here is remarkably tight-knit, so everyone notices it if someone new is enrolled," Bram says as he gets a grilled cheese too. "Crazy, isn't it?"

Crazy is one word for it.

Weird name- why is Bra- ugh, Maria is so- should've gotten the Sloppy- y'know, Mason is kinda cute- I wonder how the new kid is a- I should say hi- wait, did he steal my fries ag- he's such a know-it-all-

"So, you know why we're here-" Charon indicates himself and Bram as he is served "-but we don't know why you're here. Or, well, Bram doesn't know, and I only know one. So, what are your powers? If you don't mind me asking,"

They are so going to think I'm joking.

"Well, I can read minds, and sometimes I can communicate telepathically. Coin had someone block it, but I think he just gave it back because I can feel it again," I say, feeling foolish and like a fibber. We all walk toward an empty table, everyone's' eyes mercifully averted now.

"What? Seriously? I thought Uncle Coin was pulling my leg! Although, he isn't a jokester, so, that was a bit stupid of me. Wait, wait wait, what number am I thinking of now?" Charon chatters excitedly.

Nineninenine

"Nine," I say. "Well, actually, you thought 'nineninenine', but I got the gist,"

"No way!" Charon says, setting his plate down on the wooden table.

"You look like an excited puppy chasing a butterfly or something," I say with a laugh. How strange that, dare I say, I've made two. . . friends? That's more people then I've ever been friends with ever.

"You do," Bram confirms, putting his own plate down and digging in.

I sit down and stare at the grilled cheese and glass of milk, wondering if they taste any different then the ones my cafeteria makes.

"They're really good," Bram says through a mouthful, noticing me solely looking at my food instead of eating it.

I doubtfully bite into the sandwich and then find out to my delight that they really are good, disappointing Charon ("You gonna eat that?") a bit.

"So, Ms. Phsychic, how's Haven school so far?" Bram says after a while of wordless eating.

"Okay, I guess. I mean, the training room was cool, but, I don't know, everyone is so . . . so, cliquish," I utter.

"Yeah, we don't like outsiders much," Charon says, earning a kick under the table from Bram.

"Don't mind Cha, he's a dunce," Bram says.

"Hey, why do you call him 'Cha', by the way?" I question.

"It's 'cause Charon sounds uppity and stupid," Charon says, sticking his tongue out and causing me to laugh again.

"Good answer," I reply, suddenly hating physical contact for some reason. I'm aware of the whisper of wind moving through the mess hall, the rub of the new fabric of the shirt on my neck, the tip of my boot touching the table leg, and then I'm not okay. And everything is too much.

"You okay there, Xandria?" Bram asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I choke out.

Funny joke- oh, shit, is he- let her gooooo, it will be alright- why is he- hey, is that a navy shirt?- why is my grilled cheese cold- hahaha- awesome, wow- I can't get that damn song out of my head- wait, is he looking at- these Sloppy Joes are really messy- I wonder if she'll notice me if I- I wanna go to sleep- my stomach hurts- wait, missed a page-

I am not fine. Everything is loud. Okay, X, focus, focus. Breathe in. Now out. Contain it. Breathe, breathe, don't think about it, shut it off.

"Uhh, X? Hello?" Cha waves a hand in my face. I blink.

"Sorry, I just zoned out for a moment. It's hard to focus on your conversation when other people's thoughts are always bumping around in your head," I apologize.

"Wait, you can't just turn the power thingy off and on at will?" Cha asks. I shake my head.

"Well that sucks," he says.

"Yep." I agree.

"Does that get invasive?" Bram asks.

"Not really, I've learned to ignore it," I say.

"Ready to bus your plate, X?" Cha says, knee bouncing up and down.

I stare at the crumbs and empty milk carton on my plate. "I guess so," I say.

Cha leads me to a bin and tells me to scrape my leftovers and the empty milk carton into it, and then to set my plate on a rack by the bin, where other empty plates are already piled up.

"So, what do you guys do around here for fun?" I ask, already bored, even in a scary, new, super secret base for Alters.

Cha and Bram exchange looks.

"So, have you read Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda?" Bram asks.

I nod.

"Also, no, I'm not named after that Bram, my name is short for Bramble," he adds.

"So, you know about the part where the theatre kids hold swivel chair races?" Cha jumps in.

I nod again, slowly. I think I see where this is going.

"Since there are so many swivel chairs and hallways in this place, we tend to borrow a couple now and then and push each other down hallways," Bram says, a spark of bright mischief sparkling in his green eyes.

"'Borrow' my left foot," Cha says with a grin. The excitement is catching.

"So, if we were to, say, borrow some of these swivel chairs?" I say.

"Wouldn't you like to simply find out?" Bram asks, his eyes still twinkling.

Hi guys, Inky here again! Again, sorry for the short chapter! How many of you guys have read Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens' Agenda? Comment below! 
-Author OUT