Secrets Are For Keeping

Chapter Eleven

And then that brought me to another question: were we going to be forced to wear the same clothes for a week?

It was a pretty stupid question compared to many bigger ones that still had everyone confused, but it was important all the same.

My eyes drifted down to my Animus subconsciously.

S A M E C L O T H E S ? A L L W E E K ?

My scattered thoughts were listed on my Animus.

"That's your most prevailing thought right now?" came a voice from to the right of me.

My head whipped up, and I quickly pulled my arm to my chest, hiding the screen. Then I folded my arms instead, trying to make the gesture look somewhat casual. But it was too late, the damage had already been done. I'd already pulled away too quickly, fast enough to make it look like that was exactly what I was trying to do. And who even cared if that was what I was trying to do?

I stared at the girl before me.

She had to be my age, just like all the other new students who were still slowly streaming into the room. Her eyes were bright blue with flecks of green and she had extremely straight chestnut brown hair. A single side bang covered her forehead and mingled with the rest of her hair, only a centimeter above hiding her right eye. One hand was placed on her hip, the other leaning against the neighboring desk which held a guy sitting and playing some new game on his iPhone. I could tell she was chewing gum by the way her jaw kept working and the peppermint fresh smell that came when she'd opened her mouth to speak.

"Don't worry, I'm not that kind of person. Just curious why you were looking at it, I mean isn't it enough that it's in your head? I guess that does kinda make me that kinda person, doesn't it?" the girl rambled, her gum bouncing around in her mouth as she spoke. She looked upwards, not really focusing on anything at the end of her question, then shrugged. "Ah, well. I'm Pepper, by the way."

I stared at the girl, Pepper, in a state of shocked interest. I didn't exactly know how to properly respond to her random jumble of sentences. She continued to chew her gum, then almost as if she'd forgotten a couple seconds earlier, she held out her hand for me to shake it.

"Hey," I finally replied, and managed to take my hand out from next to my chest to shake hers. Her fingers were calloused with a cold silver ring surrounding her ring finger. It was a ring made of silver feathers, two feathers to be exact, which were entwined together in an intricate design. "I'm Nova," I remembered to say, letting go of her hand as I did.

"Nice to meet you Nova." She smiled at me as she spoke, eyes lighting up. "So, what's your opinion on Sir Neilsucks idea of forcing us to survive through a full week of school, as in entire week full week of school?"

"Same as everyone."

"That's good. Because if you were going to start cheering like this other kid I asked, I would've had to sacrifice you."

I grinned at that. "Well, I'm glad I'm not being sacrificed today."

"Me too. You don't seem so awful."

There came a noise from behind me and I turned my head around to see Zander standing there, right before he jumped up and sat on my desk, legs hanging off the side. "Hey," he greeted, then noticed Pepper standing less than a foot away. His entire face brightened at getting a chance to socialize with someone new. "Hi."

"Heya," Pepper replied, eyes somewhat wide and I guessed why. Most people on first seeing Zander couldn't help but notice his beauty. His eyes were unique and being matched with his blonde hair only made every one of his features stand out more. Not to mention how he was extremely fit since he enjoyed playing any game that consisted of physical activity and often did play many games with his two younger brothers.

"Zander."

"Pepper."

They at least seemed to know the whole greeting someone new process without being extremely weird about it like me. I should've probably paid attention and possibly taken notes to help with my own anti-social tendencies.

There was a moment where nobody said anything.

"Does anybody know what he meant by inspections?" I finally asked, not having anything else to say. What even was the point in avoiding asking the questions that I knew were on everyone's minds? I was too curious to let it go, and who knows? Maybe one of them actually would have an answer.

"No idea," Zander replied as he leaned over to tie his shoe which had come undone at some point.

"Nope, but I hope by inspections they don't mean physically. Because there's no way I'm ever going to take off my –"

"Everyone listen up!" Mrs. Hunting was back in the front of the room, hands cupped around her mouth in an attempt to magnify her voice. "As of now, I have been informed that each and every one of you will have to sign up for an inspection time. You MUST sign up. And you HAVE to go every single day of this week at your assigned time for a check-up. Does everyone in here understand?"