My mouth dropped open.
Liam jumped to his feet and I cringed, hearing the impact of bone on bone as he caught the Jock square in the jaw with his fist. The guy toppled to the floor. People from the neighboring tables began to chant. 'Fight, fight.'
The world moved in slow motion as the administrator on duty ran over.
'There will be no fighting here,' he said. His voice snapped like a brittle stick covered in ice, the man's glare not any warmer.
'We're not fighting.' Liam offered the guy he punched a hand. He pulled him to his feet.
The Jock dusted off his jeans and smiled. He didn't seem fazed or hurt in the slightest.
'Nope,' the Jock said. He gave Liam a playful punch in the shoulder. 'No fighting here. Might want to check out that table over there.' He cocked his head to the side as he pointed to a table full of Barbie wannabes. They glared back at him. 'If you could just hear what those girls are talking about.' The guy shook his head, chuckled, and sat back down next to Liam.
The administrator's expression shot daggers, but he turned and left.
'Sorry about the comment,' the Jock said. 'That truly wasn't an insult. But that is.' He nudged the small younger guy that I had labeled a 'gamer' to his right.
'What? I'm starving,' he said, through his hefty bite of roast beef on rye.
The Jock huffed. 'When'd you get a sandwich?'
'When we first came in. This is a cafeteria, stupid.'
'Give me that thing.' The Jock grabbed for the sandwich, nearly shoving the poor little guy off the table.
'No, it's mine.' The boy held it as far from the Jock as possible. Sunburned twin on the end right, leaned in, and took half the sandwich off in one big chomp.
'Not bad,' he said with a laugh.
'Hey, give me that.'
'That's it,' Liam said. He reached across the Jock's lap, snatching up the sandwich from the mass of grabbing hands. 'Forget about the stinking sandwich.' He motioned his head in my direction. 'We're not here to eat.'
Liam sat and then took the last bite of the sandwich with a smirk. He quickly chewed, then swallowed. 'Charlotte, I'd like you to meet my...friends.'
I gave a weak smile, not knowing what to think.
'This idiot here,' he said, playfully punching the Jock in the shoulder, 'is Byron.'
'Flynt,' Sunburned right end said with a nod. The motion made the light catch a long scar tracing the bone of his cheek up to his ear, where it disappeared into his dark hairline. I wondered what happened.
'Eldridge and Flynt,' Liam said, pointing to the other guy at the opposite end of the table, 'are twins. And our sandwich thief, is Steve.'
'Hey,' Steve said with a small wave.
'How come he gets saddled with the ordinary name?'
Of all things, I ask that. I needed some serious help. I didn't even know these guys, not to mention they screamed suspicious...and obnoxious. Were these the friends Liam said had been prowling around my campsite? If so, what had they been doing in the woods at three in the morning? What did they find so interesting about me? I didn't like this.
Byron laughed. 'I like this girl, Liam.'
Liam made a motion as if he kicked Byron from under the table. Byron's expression grew serious.
'He's the youngest,' Liam answered.
'Oh,' I said, nodding. It took me a moment to realize that didn't make sense, but under the circumstances, I didn't care. More important things took my attention, like what they really wanted with me. 'What are you doing here? This is the first time I've seen you at school.'
Liam leaned across the table towards me with a grin. 'You were looking for me?'
'What? No. That's not what I meant.' I stumbled over my words like an idiot. My cheeks burned. Forget interrogating. I wanted to leave.
I still had a large wad of napkins clenched in my hand and I used them as an excuse to stand up. The entire group rose with me.
'Where're you going?' Liam asked. 'I didn't mean anything by that.'
'I'm... just going to throw away my...napkins?' I showed them my handful.
'I'll take care of that,' Byron said. He nabbed the napkins from me and shoved them in his mouth. My eyes went wide; he couldn't even close his mouth all the way.
'What do you think you're doing?' Liam asked.
'Helping,' Byron said through a grinning mouth full of paper.
'What are you an idiot?' Liam laughed and shoved him away from the table. 'Get out of here you goof. Go throw those away already.'
The others chuckled and we all sat back down. 'Moron,' Steve tossed. Byron walked off apparently proud of the comments. The guy was nuts, but I did have a smile on my face.
I swiped it away when I felt Liam watching me.
'What's the matter?' he asked.
Did he have to talk to me? He made it very difficult to stay focused. I had to remain in control. He screamed suspicious and abnormal. I didn't trust him. Liam cocked his head to the side and my body tightened when I saw his hand slowly edge its way across the table towards mine. I couldn't breathe. My mind fought against my body, demanding for me to move my hand, but I didn't. The world shifted into slow motion. His fingers slid closer and closer, pulling on me with an invisible thread. I tried to swallow, but I couldn't even get that to work right.
'Can I help you boys?' a man's voice said.
Oh, thank God.
I retracted my hand.
The principle, Mr. Vela, loomed over us. Next to him stood the tall skinny administrator from earlier.
'We're fine,' Flynt said.
The principal's face darkened. 'Don't be fresh with me young man. This is a high school, not a public park. Move it. All of you.'
Confused, I turned to Liam. 'What's he talking about?'
Byron made an appearance, standing beside Liam with a shrug. 'Probably something to do with the fact that we don't go to school here.'
'Do you ever shut up?' Liam shoved the big guy into Steve.
'Ow.' Steve whined. He pushed Byron back into Liam. The little guy's strength surprised me.
'That's enough.' Mr. Vela grabbed Byron's shoulder in an attempt to break up the squabble, when a low snarl snapped from Byron's throat. My body flushed cold. His upper lip curled over his teeth as he whipped his head towards Mr. Vela. The principle stumbled back, catching himself on the table behind him. Liam stood up and caught Byron's jaw in his hand, turning his head away from the principal. I almost fell out of my seat when I realized why. Byron's eyes blazed liquid gold.
My throat felt strangled and goose bumps erupted across my back. I couldn't move. Had the principle seen? Had anyone else heard? I felt dizzy as if half in a dream.
'Sorry,' Byron whispered to me. His voice sounded hoarse and his entire upper torso shook.
'Get out of here. Just leave,' Mr. Vela said. A light sheen of sweat traced his brow. He looked sick and unsteady. He had seen. I wasn't crazy. The rest of the cafeteria appeared curious, but unaware.
'It's all right,' Liam said. 'We're leaving.'
Flynt, Eldridge, and Steve stood up. Liam hid Byron's face from the cafeteria crowd, hugging him to his chest.
'I'm sorry,' Liam whispered back to me. 'Maybe this was a bad idea.' His sad gaze held mine for a moment, and then he turned and left.
Chapter 4
