Never Fade

CHAPTER FOUR

The cafeteria was full of people, it was buzzing with people talking, grabbing food, and ect.

        I currently held Zu's tray in my hand's along with my own, She pointed out what she wanted and I I so generously put it on her tray. I felt a terrible aura when I walked into the cafeteria, like everyone's eyes were on me, and they really were on them bruise was forming on my arm that

I felt a though everyone plopped around the table squeezed themselves on closer together onto one of the already full tables, peoples

       "-is where we eat and hang out if we have some downtime. After Mess hours they clean everything up so you can come in and play cards or, like, ping-pong, or even just watch Tv, " Jude said around a mouthful of lettuce.

       "Sometimes an agent brings back a new movie for us to watch, but I mostly stay downstairs  in the computer lab-"

        It was bizarre and sort of dizzying to be in the circular shaped room, and the feeling was intensified by having ten televisions and lingering eyes. Each was turns out when you're willing to jump into the presidents pocket, you find quiet a bit of money there-or giving us a riveting view of silent static. I didn't have the stomach for whatever horrors of the day the anchors were trotting out, it was a much more interesting to see the groups of kids strutting into the cafeteria. They came in different groups yet each containing four members, one group caught my name when they talked, and joked constantly with one another, while when another group came into the cafeteria they seemed very mature, and more poised  than the one before, they looked older too, about 18, it was a team of all boys. The kids, after they picked up their food from the buffet tables. Then a bigger group of agents walked into the cafeteria, they had a beefier figure, guys that were probably ex-military sat with all the other guys with the exact same look, with only a few female agents scattered in there for some variety.

        I was so focused on counting the different groups of people walking into the cafeteria that I didn't notice Cate at all until she was standing directly behind Jude. 

        "Alban would like to see you, Mae." Cate said simply, reaching over to take my tray.

        "What? Why?" I asked the anxiousness slowly sticking fear in my body.

Jude must have mistaken my revolted look for one of fear, because he reached over and patted my shoulder. "Oh, no, don't be nervous! He's really nice. I"m sure. . .I'm sure he just wants to chat, since its you first day. That's probably all it is. A one-and-done kind of thing. "

        "Yeah," I mumbled, ignoring the note of jealousy I detected in his voice. "Sure."

        Cate left me out of cafeteria and back into the hall, leaving my tray on the waiting cart beside the door. Instead of taking a right or left, she guided me toward a door on the opposite wall I hadn't noticed before, half dragging me down the stairwell behind it. We bypassed the second level, winding down and around the door open. I was a bit happier to feel everyone's eyes off my me, It was warmer, the smell of static and hot plastic dried lightly through the air, as we passed the large computer room that sat where the cafeteria did below.

        "I'm sorry about this, Cate said. "I know you must be exhausted, but he's so eager to meet you."

        I clamped my hands behind my back to hide the way they'd started to shake. On the flight over, Cate had tried to paint a noble portrait of Alban as a gentle man of true intelligence-a bona fide American patriot. Which was, you know, a little at odds with everything else I'd heard about him: that he was terrorist who'd coordinated more more than two hundreds strikes against President Gray around the country and killed a good number of civilians in the process, The evidence was everywhere-agents had tacked up newspaper articles and newscast screen shots on the walls, like the death and destruction were something to be be celebrated.