Chapter 3

Syros was already sitting down at a table, a girl perched in his lap, sitting under the shady oak tree. He turned, his neck twisted unnaturally behind him, almost like he was mimicking an owl, to watch Cody and I as we approached. Cody held a tray of cafeteria food in one hand, it's plastic tray unbalanced by the copious amount of vanilla frozen yogurt-which he swore was the best-accompanied with cardboard pizza covered in plastic cheese.

I smiled, trying to occupy my mind with how I would act being welcomed into their friend group over my surfacing emotions of sadness. My pace increased to match Cody's, as people began to fill up the space around my feet, laying down blankets in the soft grass and socializing.

Syros smiled back and so did the girl that sat in his lap, waving us over to them.

"I'm so glad I'm not the only girl in PE anymore!" She said excitingly, getting up and taking me in for a hug, taking me completely aback. Who is this? I wrapped my arms around her, but I didn't make the effort to squeeze her back.

"Too much Anissa," Cody seemed to warn. I put on another small smile to hide my discomfort at her warm welcome.

"Sorry, I overreacted. I tend to do that a lot," she laughed, shaking my hand, "I'm Anissa. I wasn't able to introduce myself earlier because I was at a dentist appointment," she beamed. She ran her tongue over her beautifully straight teeth and dropped my hand.

"Yeah, she finally got her braces off," a girl adds, coming up behind Syros and Anissa with a sack lunch like my own.

Anissa gazed at her, laughing, then turned around back to me with a grin still plastered on her face. "Anyways, Syros told me all about you when we were waiting so, I'm just glad to see I'm not the only one in Mr. Riggs class," she finished. I nodded my head, unsure of how to respond to the amount of energy she was giving off.

I felt the same unease in my stomach return and I quickly realized that I shouldn't be here. It wasn't Anissa's fault for being so warm, and everyone else being nice it was... just everything. I can't take it. I'm not ready for this, I thought and started to prepare myself for leaving. I steadied my breathing, swallowing hard at the dryness in the back of my throat.

Cody motioned toward the table and made himself comfortable on the weathered wood. Deciding that it was probably best I stayed, I took a seat next to the girl who had just appeared. She smiled, her blue eyes gleaming with joy as she brushed her thick curls behind her ears. She continued to stare at me as if she were waiting for me to say something.

I raised my eyebrows in confusion, now regretting my decision to stay, her smile dulling. "It's me, Cassandra? Alicia's cousin?" She spoke with agitation. It took a moment for me to realize who she was but then it hit. My best friend's cousin was placed right in front of my face. Small world.

"Cassandra? I thought you lived in Nevada? But wow you've changed a lot from the last time I saw you," I replied, taking in her every detail now and compared it to the last time I had seen her. Which, given the circumstances, was about eight years ago when she had come to visit Alicia over the summer. Cassandra used to be the biggest out of all of us; it appeared now that she was the smallest, her seemed height the same. Her cheeks were still constantly blushed and blonde hair wild as ever.

"No I don't live there, used to. But looking at you now I can't believe your the same person, when I heard your name I wasn't sure it was you," she paused, letting out a grin, "you look just like your mom," she added but then quickly edges back with hesitation. I smiled faintly. That's what everyone told me. I don't think people understood the importance of what that meant to me at this point in my life.

Cody, who was sitting across the table from me, spoke up, knowing why I wasn't speaking much for a reply. I'm lucky he did as he broke the ice that was starting to build up in front of me and this small world.

"Wait, you guys know each other?" He pointed at me and then Cassandra with his fork, chewing on his food slowly as he processed the situation that is getting more drawn out by the minute. I let out a breath.

"Yes, well, kind of, there's a lot of catching up to do." I chirped, biting my lip and opening my lunch. Cassandra nodded her head, agreeing, and focusing her attention on trying to eat spaghetti with chopsticks.

"Why are you using chopsticks?" Anissa blinked her dark eyes in confusion. She watched as the noodles from the chopsticks slid back down into the container full of red sauce.

"I forgot to bring a fork today so I used these chopsticks I found in my backpack." Cassandra shrugged.

"Why don't you just... never mind." Cody picked up his sad excuse of a pizza and took another bite, laughing to himself about whatever he was going to say.

I took a bite from my sandwich and listened to everyone talk about how their day was going, what their plans were. Anissa still spoke with the same energy as before, Syros practically applauding her every word. Cassandra was more reserved, only adding her opinion every so often. One particular topic that was heatedly discussed was Cody's ex girlfriend, making everyone fire up at the table and Cody sign with defeat.

"You should have heard what she said in second period Cody. It was like she was trying to play like she didn't get dumped and it was a complete misunderstanding! She honestly had me in tears in the back of the class as I listened to her." Anissa shook her head, replaying the scene over and over and giggling about it.

I glanced at Cassie who is rolling her eyes, unamused. "Speak of the devil," she grimaced, watching a girl out of the corner of her eye approach a table nearby. Cassie placed her head in her hand and let out a dramatic sigh.

"Why does she feel the need to be so... in control?" Syros said, matching Cassie's attitude.

"I just think she has the wrong idea of what it means to be a decent human being," Cassandra snorted, taking another slippery bite of her spaghetti. The girl gave a quick glare over at us, her side facing us as she took her place at the table.

"There's no point in giving her attention. She feeds off of it." Cody exhaled. Cassandra rolled her eyes again, muttering something to herself.

"Are you guys going to the party next week for the blue moon?" Anissa gushed, placing her arms on the table and resting her chin on her crossed hands.

"Not sure about how I feel going with some of the people that will be present." Cody's eyes trailed to the direction to his ex's table.

"Not that party," Anissa scoffed, "the one my older brother is throwing."

"Now thats a party I would be more worried about," Syros remarked with slight bitterness. Everyone laughed a little. I relaxed my shoulders and leaned in, feeling a rush of relief run over me as a cool breeze wisps through the air. The leaves began to chatter, a branch or two cracking with their sudden violent movement.

Then another person joins the table. He was short, geeky with thick glasses, and flat hair.

"Hey guys, what's up," the geekish looking boy asked. He glanced at me as he plopped down next to me. "Oh!" He first exclaimed, "I'm Dennis, you are?"

"Jamie." I extended my hand to shake his. With a clammy hand he gave two quick jolts, nodded, and pulled out a prepackaged salad with a plastic package of ranch, satisfied with our greeting.

"Did you guys hear, Selma changing her spring production to a totally different play and people are pissed because she cut the whole cast," Dennis informed, struggling to open his packet of ranch. After he finally found the perforated edge, he gave it a sharp tug and split in half, squirting ranch from the package. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Dennis stuttered. He shuffled around for something to help clean it up.

"It's fine,"I closed my eyes for a moment, "I'll just go to the bathroom and clean it up," I reassured Dennis. It wasn't a big deal. I will just smell like ranch for the rest of the day.

"I'll go help you," Cassandra added with almost the same ecstatic energy as Anissa.

I opened the door to the bathroom and went to the sink, washing off my cheek and wetting some paper towels. Cassandra followed behind me, wiping my shirt.

"Thank you," I told her, gratefully.

"No problem." She threw away the used paper towels and checked me over to make sure I don't have any hidden ranch in my hair.

"Is that the bell already?" I questioned and Cassandra nodded in response as the final sounds of the class bell dinged.

"Time flies," Cassandra noted and moved to the door to lock it. Why is she locking the door?

"What are you doing." I stood defensively.

"Do you..." she seemed to be struggling over words as she darted her eyes at the ceiling, thinking, "Jamie, do you remember what we used to do as kids? Going to the creek and singing songs, those songs your mom taught us. The stories she would tell and weird things happening? Magic?"

"There is no time talking about old memories. Besides, whatever it was, we were kids." I answered, annoyed at her. I attempted to push her out of the way but Cassandra and her frizzy hair, despite my kindest efforts, stayed intact, blocking the door.

"Cut the bullshit Jamie, you know what I'm talking about. Your mother's mysterious death and your father committing suicide on the highway?" Cassie said in disgust pointing her finger at my chest, "Please tell me you don't believe that," she pleaded.

"What? Are you kidding me?" My thoughts are wild and I don't know where to begin with my questions or feelings. "How do you even know the details of my parents death?" I winced. I stood there, in front of Cassandra confused, dazed and completely shocked. I gasped, opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water. It appeared Cassandra hasn't changed at all. Still her weird little self with weird little stories.

"You know, after everything that happened, you think this is what? Normal?"

"Cassandra, I don't know what you're talking about but it's starting to freak me out. What happened to my parents, happened. Please don't-" I bit my tongue, holding back the anger that wished so eagerly to be sounded from my mouth. "You need to let me out now." I pushed her over and unlocked the door but Cassandra slams it shut again. I heard people rushing past. She looked at me, taking a hand to push back some of her hair behind her ear. She wore a yellow crystal earring and another one which was purple, reflecting the sun in the bathroom.

"I'm sorry. I had no business bringing that up, but please let me tell you, you're apart of something, which takes matters into life or death."