Eli steered Nelle towards their normal table, where Collin and Coleen both already sat, mechanically running through their lunch. That was nothing new. The twins had deliberately scheduled their last class before lunch to be as close to the lunchroom as possible, as they were always starving. Nelle was left with the two of them while he went to go get his own meal. From the choices that half remained on the twin's plates, Nelle was glad to have eaten at home.

        "You're not hungry?" Collin's first thoughts were of food.

         Nelle shook her head, about to speak, but Colleen was a bit more perceptive and just as blunt. "You smell off. It wasn't just Eli that got some at that party was it?"

         She had to curse were abilities, to herself, her stress levels were already too damn high for this conversation. "I don't want to talk about it."

        "So, you plan on seeing the guy again?" Collin spoke though a mouth full of food—didn't drop any, but it still turned her all too human stomach.

        "Not if I can help it," she clipped that out, hoping it would be the end of their prying, against her better judgment of the two.

        Eli plunked down two plates, one for him, and supposedly one for Nelle. Seeing it up close made her shudder.

        "Was it forced?" Colleen would go there, which almost caused Nelle to laugh, quite bitter about her current predicament. But how could she answer without them figuring out anything further?

         "I keep an ear out for her, when we're at parties, Colleen," the disgust Eli showed could easily be construed as frustration at the idea of failing to protect a friend, but it more was at the idea of what they had done being forced instead of inevitable. But it was enough to stop the direction of the conversation.

         "I just have a hangover, guys," she shook her head, at that. "Besides, I'm going to start looking into ideas for my senior paper, this week."

         "But you had that figured out since we were in 4thgrade, Nelle," Eli objected, immediately.

        "I'm having second thoughts about going into veterinary training, and want to look at other options," Nelle still had not picked up her head, at that thought.
         "What?!" was all Collin got out before Nelle butted in.

         "Look, we all know I can't keep following after you guys for the rest of my life!" She gritted that much out as she stood. "I can't keep pretending that I can! Let me figure this out for myself."
Of course, the girl stormed out. Collin shrugged, reaching for her plate for himself before Eli stopped him. "We fought this morning. I didn't eat breakfast."

         That wasn't too unusual, so Collin left the second tray alone for Eli. "How much does she know?"

         Eli groaned, at that, looking up at the ceiling, and debated with himself before giving in. "I had been ordered to stick with her since we were little and refused to bring her in to have her mind messed with every time she caught onto something—which wasn't severe, but she's not dumb—and as this is the first time you've had concerns in nearly that same length of time? What she knows isn't as important as how she's kept it to herself."

        "You know I'm going to have to report this to Alpha Vale, right?" Collin said, a bit distressed, for once.

         "I think he knows already," Eli was uncomfortable saying more, but knew they would pester him if he didn't—and he wanted to be able to start on the 2nd tray in peace. "I smell him around their home, sometimes, and no, I refuse to figure out why, so don't get into it. So, go ahead. I think the worst he will do is have a talk with me."