Deception: her fate awaits

2// How I met Satan

All eyes turn on me as I walk into my first block english class.

"May I help you?" A middle aged man with blonde graying hair stands in the front of the room.

"I'm new here. This is English four with Mr. Halls, right?"

"Yeah, you're in the right spot. Take a seat." He vaguely gestures his hand before continuing to teach.

I scan the classroom for an open spot. Though the walls are bare, large windows brighten the place, and a few student painted ceiling tiles add a pop of color. Outside, the sky is bright blue expect for a few strands of clouds. The class is full, so only a couple seats are available: I choose a desk in the back.

As the minutes of the lesson pass, my mind begins to drift elsewhere. How am I supposed to find Christian if I don't even know what he looks like? And what shall I say once I do?

The bell eventually rings, signaling it's time for lunch. I shake my head at those thoughts and head to my locker. I'm putting some books away when someone pipes up.

"Would you like to sit with me? At lunch?" a girl a couple lockers away asks. She clarifies herself, "I'm Emma. You're in my english class."

"Yeah, sure. I'm Amelia." I smile.

"I like your outfit by the way!" She shuts her locker, then motions with her head towards the cafeteria.

"Thanks."

The cafeteria is a racket of loud chatter, each table filled with gossiping students raising their voices to be heard over the commotion. I go stand in line for my lunch– over salted fries and a defrosted hamburger –, taking note of who associates with who while I wait. If I'm going to get the information I need, it's crucial to make the right introductions.

I'm heading to our table when I overhear Emma ask, "Where's Mason?"

"I think he went home. He texted me something came up," Charlotte replies, settling in to eat her own lunch.

I sit down.

"Oh, right! Amelia, this is Charlotte, Charlotte this is Amelia." She introduces me, subtly popping a crouton off Charlotte's salad in the process.

"Nice to meet you. You're the new girl, right?"

"That's me. Word must travel
around fast, huh?" I banter.

"You know, there's a party tonight you should come to and meet some people. What's your number? I'll text you the details."

She slides her phone, the contacts page on its screen, over to me.

"So?"

I reach for the phone, typing in my details. This could be my best chance to find Christan. "I'll be there."

"Good choice. Andrew's parties are always fun," she adds.

***

The rest of the day is uneventful: more boring classes and a pile of homework I'm without a doubt not going to do.

When I get home, to my surprise, Noah is at the door. I fill him in that I haven't found Christian yet, but I'm hoping to find him tonight at the party. He then promptly disappears, getting back to his own work.

I run upstairs, flopping on my soft bed. I stopped at the warehouse on the way home to help Caleb with some things, and we went to dinner afterwards, so it's already 8pm.

I reluctantly get up, grabbing a fresh towel on my way to the bathroom. I step in the shower to refresh, water cascading down my body in a glossy curtain. I lean against the cool tiles as the steamy water surrounds me, taking my mind off things.