Altered

Chapter 21

"Car! Over here," Mitch had started calling me Car about a week ago. I tried to protest at first but realized that I wasn't changing his mind.

I told Alice and Austin that I wasn't eating with them today. They were fine with it and went to eat with their other friends. I was surprised that they chose to sit with me over they're other friends but in no way at all was I complaining.

I sauntered over to his table and sat down beside Mitch. His friend who was sitting next to me moved a little bit away from me. I rolled my eyes and laughed.

"So I heard you guys are all afraid of me?"

None of them actually fessed up but I could tell that they were.

"Don't worry, I'll only break your face if you ask me to," which Natalie was by getting up in my face and slapping me.

Slowly, they talked to me more and more until I knew each of their names, but most of them didn't stick. There were 8 other guys at the table not including Mitch and I. They weren't actually that bad considering I used to despise them.

"Where did you go when you left?" I guy named Jack asked me.

"Windsor. It's like four hours away. It sucked having to get on a bus for that long though," I had to come up with a few lies when they had asked me questions. Things like where I stayed. I almost said facility but corrected it with family.

"Really? You went that far?"

"Well yeah. I couldn't really run away if I stayed in Toronto," I said in a 'duh' tone.

"Yeah, I guess so," he shrugged and nodded his head a bit.

"How come now that you're back you don't let Natalie bother you? I don't mean to be offensive but you weren't really the type to stand up for yourself before," another boy named Ryan asked.

"I was done putting up with her crap. She was asking for it all along and I realized that when I left. I came back a different person," I shrugged that wasn't a lie, it was just not in the same context they were thinking. I sure was a different person alright...

"What did you parents do about your missing persons case?" Jack asked.

"I don't know... I think my parents just gave up when they didn't find a body or hear from me. I don't blame them though," I was so hurt when the people in the facility wouldn't let me tell them I was okay. They were too scared that they would come and try to find me.

They were quiet for a few seconds after that. I started feeling awkward.

"I'm sorry," Mitch blurted from beside me. I looked at him confused. "For treating you the way I did," he looked ashamed. Who knew that a simple lunch could make them feel bad about abusing me?

"Unless you go back to your old ways, I accept your apology," I grinned and playfully punched his shoulder. I wasn't gentle because I didn't have to be with Mitch. He knew that I was stronger than I looked.

"I don't plan on it. I like my face when it's not busted," he chuckled and casually threw an arm around my shoulder. I was starting to like talking to him and his friends. I didn't push him away either.

"We wouldn't help you if she did go after you man," a kid named Deven said, he looked at me for the next part. "I saw what happened when Natalie's followers tried to grab you. Even though they're girls, I don't doubt you could do the same to us," I grinned.

"Neither do I." We talked for the remainder of lunch and I started wanting to talk to them all longer. At the end Mitch turned to me.

"We should do this again. I had fun and I think you did too," I acted like I was thinking and stroked my invisible beard.

"Yeah, we should. I did have fun. How does next week same day sound?" Even though I wanted to sit with them more, I still had friends at another table.

"Yeah. Sound good guys?" He looked to his buddies who were still sitting down. They all turned to look. He repeated himself and they all nodded. I grinned.

I'm doing good. The people who used to hate me now like me.
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Gym was great. The teacher announced that we were going out to play capture the flag. I was grinning like the Cheshire Cat as we walked outside. Mitch came up beside me and brushed shoulders.

"You look like a serial killer you know. Grinning like that," my smile only widened.

"That's a good thing. Maybe I'll scare the other team so much that they'll freeze," no, not literally.

"I'm making sure I'm on your team," he chuckled.

Mrs Fitz whistled and the class stopped talking. She gave us each a number and Mitch and I were on the same team. She gave each team a flag and told us to hide it on our side of the field. She have us one minute before she blew the whistle again to start the game.