The Unmarked

Chapter 3

There hadn't been many assemblies since he'd enrolled, but it was easy for him to block out the group talking to the students. Even with teachers present to keep an eye on their students, he expected a lot more heckling than actually occurred. Why was he a target when this entire group of Unmarked walked around without a care in the world? When they finished, Fayth handed him back the microphone, which he was quick to put away.

"Alright, bye," he said, passing them to head down the stairs of the stage. Since he had to get to class, the regular custodial staff was here to clean up the chairs and benches.

"Hey, where's your next class?" Fayth asked, falling into step beside him once more.

"I don't need an escort."

"I just figured we could walk with you. We're all the same anyway."

"No," he said, turning to stare at her, "we are not the same. You act like there's nothing wrong with you. I have to deal with the morons that attend this school." Then he turned and headed for the doors.

He could hear Fayth and her groupies following him. "Well, maybe you should come to one of our meetings!" she called out. "We meet on Mondays in Building D, Room 405."

He stopped, turning around to stare at her. "That's an old storage closet... Isn't it still being used to store chairs?"

She nodded, beaming at him. "We were lucky to get it. They didn't have any other spaces available."

He rolled his eyes. "Sure... that's what they told you, anyway."

"Well, you should come. You know where it is."

"Uh, huh. Sure." He unlocked the supply room and pulled out his backpack, leaving the cafeteria behind.

Why would he want to join them? Unmarked already stood out, even without trying. Why was she drawing attention to them? It wasn't as if they needed any more.

-_-_-_-

"Geeze, Fayth, if that's your idea of writing your own fate," Theodosia said as they stepped out into the sunlight, "then you're doomed."

Fayth just shook her head. "Don't you remember when you first realized there were more Unmarked out there?" Theodosia's cheeks blossomed into color, but she said nothing. "I wish all of you had amazing parents like mine or Axel's, but I know that's not realistic. Levi is just as lost as you were, Thea. He just needs a helping hand."

"But sometimes your bubbly attitude can rub someone the wrong way," Octavius spoke up, apparently speaking from his own first experience with Fayth. "Maybe you need to tone it down a notch and not be so... in-your-face 'we're Unmarked and proud of it'? We all love you for it, Fayth, but it can catch people off guard."

Fayth crossed her arms over her chest, puffing out her cheeks and glaring out over the asphalt before them. A horse whinnied from the stable at the side of the school. Then she spun around to face her group. "Alright, Gus, you have a point. I'll try to tone it down." She beamed at him. "But I'm glad you feel comfortable enough with me now to be so brutally honest."

"Uh... you're welcome, I guess?" Octavius muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

Amaryllis just sighed. "This is so lame... Are you sure you can't just snap some pictures of him the next time you catch him fainting and use that instead? I'm sure that would convince him to join us."

"Since when is being forced into a club a good thing?" Theodosia asked, gaping at Amaryllis.

"I would just like to point out how it's always an even number too," Axel said.