floating | ✓

07| hidden

"Lots of people want to ride with you in the Limo. But what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the Limo breaks down. "

- Oprah Winfrey

07| hidden

I'm sitting with the smart kids today. They are talking about black holes.

"No! The gravity is too strong!" exclaims Jolene.

Sean shakes his head and explains his theory. Doughty is watching them with amusement. He rolls his eyes and turns his attention to the girl sitting next to him. He starts talking to her. I think he is flirting.

"What will happen if I walk into a black hole?" I say.

I know that is not possible. I mean, a black hole is not a door you can just open and walk through, but that question is a hypothetical one. As I am invisible, none of them hear my question.

I always want to know the answer to that question. What will happen if I get close to a black hole, if I walk into a black hole? As there is so much gravity, it will break my body into parts smaller than an atom. Will I feel it? Or will I be gone before that?

The smart kids don't hear me, so they don't bother to answer. I don't let it get to me. I stand up, ready to leave the table.

"Where are you going?" Sean asks.

"I, um... I will go sit with Oliver and Jason," I answer.

"Really?" Jolene asks. "What do you have with them? You've been sitting with them recently."

Oliver and Jason listen when I ask questions. They engage with me. Well, at least Jason does.

"Nothing," I shrug. "They are fun."

"Whatever," Sean shrugs and goes back to arguing with Jolene. They won't miss me here.

I make my way towards the other end of the cafeteria. I set down my tray and smile.

"Bradbury is back!" Jason exclaims.

Oliver says, "Yes, because she has nowhere else to go. Isn't that it, Gwen?"

Well, ouch.

And also, I will never get over the fact that Oliver says my name like he is accusing me of something.

You killed that man, didn't you, Gwen?

"I was sitting with Sean, Jolene and Doughty there, but I got bored," I say. "So, missed me much?"

"I can speak for myself, yes. Where were you?" Jason asks accusingly.

Oliver, of course, doesn't express any emotion.

"Up in the clouds," I say, pointing upwards, which is kind of true, metaphorically.

I look back at Oliver and find him glaring at me, "What have I done now?"

Oliver's eyes travel down from my eyes to my wrist, and he narrows his eyes.

Oh.

I hold up my hand for him to see. "It hasn't turned blue. I applied ice right after I got inside. Although I woke mom up and I had to pretend I was there for water. Mom gave me a suspicious look. All of that trouble only because you told me to get ice."

Oliver gets a proper look of my wrist and then glances away without a word.

Jason and I talk as Oliver eats his lunch in silence. Jason lets me know Oliver has been brooding for the past few days, as he always does. Jason has been watching more basketball games, which he tells me about with his fantastic commentary. As we talk, Oliver stands up. I glance at his way. He is leaving, already.