Look At Me Now

Chapter 8

"Class," said Mrs. Eliot, the English teacher. "Today we have a new student." I was standing outside the door nervously. My hands were clenched together, gripping one another tightly. I peeked in through the window just in time to see Mrs. Eliot wave her hand to signal my entrance. "This is Evelyn Price." I heard a couple of gasps and whispers as I looked around the room. Heather was in this class. "Please do make her feel welcome. You can take a seat now."

My eyes passed over Heather as I took a seat in the back. I tried to remind myself that I wasn't Avia. Not anymore. I'd never met any of these people. I'd moved here from Orlando, Florida because my brother-Gabriel-is my guardian and he wanted to move, not giving me a choice in the matter.

"She looks just like her," I heard someone whisper from the middle of the room. I glanced over to see that the words belonged to a girl that was talking to Heather.

Heather looked different. Her hair was shorter and she wasn't as perky. She sat with a slight slouch and her eyes lacked the vibrant tint that I remember. She glanced over at me and her lip trembled the slightest amount. "Avia is dead, Kayla." Her voice wasn't harsh. It didn't have any emotion to it at all. She said it as though it was just a fact. Like saying the Earth is round. I suppose to her it was just a fact now. It had been a year. There wasn't much left to the story. I'd been kidnapped and killed. My body was found and they had a funeral for me. They never found who did it.

"Hey!" someone shouted pushing me back. I'd left the cafeteria to look at my memorial that was in the main hallway. I was just reaching out to touch the teddy bear that sat under my picture. It was mine. Heather gave it to me when we were ten. The picture was my eleventh grade class picture that they'd had taken in the fall. "Don't touch that!" Heather's eyes were narrowed as she stood between me and the memorial. "Can't you read?" She pointed to the little plaque that sat in front of everything. Do Not Touch.

"Sorry, I-I didn't mean to. I was just...I'm sorry," I stuttered.

Heather's face softened. "You look just like her," she commented.

"Did you know her well?" I asked.

Heather nodded. "S-she was my best friend." She cleared her throat. "She's in a better place now though, I guess."

"Yeah..."

"So, um, I'm Heather." She stuck out her hand.

I shook it lightly. "Eve. Nice to meet you."

"So what brings you to Hayden County?" she asked as we began to walk back towards the cafeteria.

"My brother. He thought it would be a good change of scenery for us. My parents died a few months ago in a car accident so he's my legal guardian now and everything."

"Sorry about your parents," Heather said politely. "How old is your brother?"

"Twenty," I replied. Saying all of these things was weird. None of them were true and saying them to my previous best friend made a feeling of nausea work its way through my stomach.

"Cool. Well if you want to come hang out at my table with me and my friends you're welcome to." She gestured towards the table where two girls and three guys sat. There were three vacant seats. One of those three guys was my mark. Kale Write. Perfect.

"Yeah, that'd be cool." I followed Heather to her table and she introduced me to everyone. There was Kayla, the girl from class, with long blonde hair and big green eyes that were framed by a pair of black glasses. Emelia, a girl with very long black hair, dark skin, and a beautiful face. Lance, a tall football player with a smug smirk and brown fringe. And then there was Kale Write. Blonde hair, striking blue eyes. He was most girls' dream guy. Unfortunately for him I knew his dirty little secret.

His eyes rolled over me and the corners of his lips lifted slightly. "Welcome to Red Walker High, Eve." His voice cause goose bumps to erupt over my skin. Him saying my name made me want to puke.

"So, Eve, do you have a boyfriend at your old place?" asked Kayla.

Do I? I don't know. Crap! I didn't even consider this! "No. I don't. Do any of you have anyone?" I hadn't seen Ron and Heather in the same place once today. Ron was in my History class and my Biology class while Heather was in English and Math.

Kayla made a face and shook her head while Emelia smiled and wrapped her arm around Lance's. "I don't," Kale said.

Heather shook her head, her eyes shifting across the room for a moment before resting on the table. "N-no."

"It's okay, Heather. Ron was a jerk," Kayla said patting Heather's hand.

"Sorry, touchy subject?"

Heather shrugged. "He was friends with Avia too. When Avia disappeared he and I had issues. She was always the mediator between us. Ron and I would fight and she would be the one to show us what idiots we were then bam! All was well. Afterwards we just couldn't get along. Last time we talked he told me he only dated me because she clouded his judgment skills. That was a few months ago." I couldn't believe this. I always thought that she and Ron were perfect together. "I don't really date all that much right now."

"Which is totally understandable," said Emelia. I nodded in agreement.

"So, Eve, tell us a bit about yourself. I mean, we hardly know anything," Kale said.

"Um...okay...what do you want to know?"

"What did you do in your free time back at your old home?" Kayla asked.

I really should have come up with a proper back story. "I mostly hung out at home. I am one to focus on my studies."

"What about when you aren't doing school work?" Heather asked.

I shrugged. Lately my life had revolved around training and whatever bit of schooling the agency actually enforced. "I read a lot. I like to draw." These were things that were actually my preferences. Should those be different?

"Boring," sang Emilia. "You, our new friend, need a life."

"Em, don't be rude," Heather scolded.

"No, I agree with her. How about we throw a party in honor of your arrival?" Kale offered. "It'll be the best party you'll ever-or have ever-attended. I promise."

"I'm in!" Kayla said cheerfully.

"Yeah, so are we," Lance said, patting his girlfriend's shoulder.

"Heather?" Kale asked.

She shrugged. "I guess. As long as you're okay with it, Eve. I mean you will be the subject of this thing."

I suddenly became increasingly uncomfortable. I felt like I was back before I'd gotten taken. Heather used to press me until I agreed to these things. Now she's asking me and it was wrong. I nodded. "Okay. As long as you don't invite too many people. And I'll have to make sure it's okay with my brother that I go."

"Your brother?" Kayla asked. I noticed a bit of tension in Kale's posture. Big brothers aren't what Kale wants interfering in his games. Interesting...

"Yeah. He's my guardian. If he says I can't go then I can't go."

"Can't you just sneak out?" Kale asked.

"He's not an idiot. He'll know. Plus, I've got no clue how to sneak out." In reality I did know how to sneak out. I mean the apartment building made it very easy. There was a fire escape at my window. But Gabriel would kill me if I snuck out to go to something like this that he didn't approve of.

"Fine. Ask your brother tonight. If he says yes we'll proceed with planning. If he says no then we'll find an alternative way to get you a life," Emelia said.