{Reminder}
Cancer's decision is:
Tell the authorities
~Taurus~
I pushed out my cheeks, tilting my head as I leaned forward and rested my arms on the surface of the table, unable to block out the chatter from around me. I sleepily rubbed my eyes, gazing back and forth between both Libra and Gem.
"It was TWO months ago, Lib!" Gem cried out in annoyance, running his hand through his curly pink hair while his deep brown eyes stared bug-eyed at the other male.
"And I STILL didn't forget." Libra sneered back in response while crossing his arms over his chest, though I could tell he wasn't really mad. He always put up a front, just to guilt trip other people.
Gem looked like he was close to ripping his hair out of his head. He inhaled a sharp breath, narrowing his eyes at Libra while he flexed his fingers. "Bro, do you even want that game anymore??"
"No, but I want the money."
Gem groaned, slamming his head down on the flat surface of the table and rubbing his eyes out of exhaustion. I could only hold in a small laugh from the two fussing over a small thing, before taking my container of cheese fries and shoving a handful of them into my mouth.
It was lunchtime at the moment, and as much as I disliked being in a such a loud environment with so many people, this was the one cafeteria in a handful of schools that served actual good food. Sitting with my so-called 'squad' and hearing them babble about random bullshit was just a bonus.
"Ahhh, cheese again? My lactose intolerance is gonna have a field day."
I picked my head up and glanced over my shoulder, noticing Sag with her tray of cheese fries, heading towards our table with Capricorn coming up behind her. Besides the two of them, I could see everyone else getting their own food and paying at the cash register like usual.
I tugged my hoodie over my head and pulled my earbuds out of my pocket, knowing that it was soon to get louder and louder as each person showed up.
"That's why I told you to get the salad! You're gonna get a bad stomachache!" Capricorn told her younger sister in that usual motherly tone, jabbing the brunette in the rib while having a pout on her face.
Sag just groaned, sticking her tongue out in disgust before setting her tray down on the table and sitting down herself. Capricorn sat down beside her while still having a pout on her face, beginning to stir around the baked beans she had gotten with her main meal.
I pretty much sat back and let the others converse just like all the other students in the cafeteria, having my head resting atop the surface of the polished table. One after another, everyone arrived at the table and sat themselves down, the volume getting louder and louder.
Scorpio, then Aquarius, then Leo, then whoever else hadn't shown up yet.
I continuously shifted around in my spot, slightly annoyed by how crowded the table had become. There were thirteen of us and the table was only meant for eight, yet we somehow managed to squeeze ourselves in. Body to body, we were practically being squished together like sardines in a can, but we've grown used to it.
"Viola lessons? Today??" Scorpio's usual voice of complaint rang out from the end of the table, sounding irritated and uninterested as usual.
I tilted my head, darting my eyes over in her direction and seeing that she was now peering down at her phone, eyes narrowed as her deep brown irises scanned across the brightly lit screen.
"What? What time?" Leo picked his head up, running a hand through his deep violet strands of hair.
Scorpio's shoulders slumped sadly and she only flipped her phone so that it was now facing Leo, who was sitting across from her. He peered at the screen himself, his eyes growing wide as he read over the text that was sent.
"Five till seven?! But we were supposed to go the arcade by then!" He lifted his gaze back up to Scorpio, who nodded silently and set her phone down. Even I could tell she was upset, seeing her push her plate of good ass looking food away and resting a hand on her cheek.
If she wasnt gonna eat it, I'd be glad to take it.
"Why don't you just sneak out? I would-" Aries asked, taking a slice of pizza he had gotten and placing the tip in his mouth.
"And get herself in trouble? You're nuts." Virgo shot back with a shake of her head, biting the end of her sushi and humming out of enjoyment.
Scorpio leaned back, gripping onto the edge of the table while her rosy red cheeks pushed out. "That doesn't seem like such a bad idea."
Virgo gave her one of those stern looks, shaking her head before taking another bite out of her sushi. Leo kind of just whined, slumping down in his chair and pouting his lips in frustration since he was pretty much the gamer type.
I didn't really care. Games were...cool? But I wasn't pussy enough to cry over them. How could these little kids rage and break their controllers? That was a lot of money that I wouldn't waste.
"I can't believe you still suck up to your mom." Mini, who was sitting at one end of the table, snorted as she swung her legs under the table.
I couldn't help but laugh tiredly at that, still having my head resting on the table. I noticed Scorpio shoot me a quick glare, before shaking her head and slumping down in her spot.
"I just...I don't know how to stand up to her," she explained, running a hand through her curled hair while she stabbed her steak with her fork.
Mini leaned back, shaking her head as she tsked. "You just need to do it." Was all she advised, having a confident smirk on her face while she picked up her bottle of water and took a sip out of it.
I pretty much rolled my eyes at her, seeing that she had possibly the worst advice that anyone could ask for. Mini was always confident in herself; mainly different from her twin, Gem, who didn't seem to have the mental capacity to make risky decisions as she could.
She was irrational sometimes, but fearless nonetheless. I remembered the one time I went over to the twins' house, only to watch a full-blown argument break out between Mini and their father. Even when getting slapped, she didn't back down.
For fuck's sake, she was scary.
"You're literally an adult now and you still can't make your own decisions?" Capricorn asked with a tilt of her head, only to have Scorpio shake her head in response.
I nearly scoffed, folding my arms while still having my head down. Even I was 18 and I had the choice to make my own decisions, do almost anything I wanted as long as it was legal and within reason.
Scorpio's situation was different. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, being amongst the rich and being aided with anything, even if she didn't ask for it. It was often where she didn't, not wanting money and luxury to be what defined her and wanting to be as independent as possible when it came to providing for herself.
It was admirable, but god knows I'd surely take advantage if my dad was rich.
"My parents just like to...baby me. Even when I can clearly handle things myself, they refuse to let me be." Scorpio cupped her own cheeks, elbows resting on the table while she narrowed her eyes.
"Dont forget you haven't come out the closet either-" Pisces decided to chip in with a hushed whisper, which immediately made Scorpio go rigid.
"That's uh...a different situation." she sputtered out with a bit of a stutter, and I could see that her cheeks were starting to become a little red.
I just shook my head, looking around the table out of boredom. I tuned in and out of the conversation, hearing Scorpio continue her long rant about her parents and her family life in general. I wouldn't say she had it easy, but it was better than nose-diving right into debt.
Just the thought made me sit up straight, brushing several strands of my blond hair out of my face. My eyes peered at each person at the table, an unsettling feeling entering my stomach once I set eyes on someone specific.
"Just commit some rebellious act. Then they'll see that they can't restrain you anymore." I tuned back into the conversation, hearing Mini propose one of her troublesome ideas while having that usual sly grin plastered across her pale face.
"If you get arrested, I'm not bailing you out." Leo pointed out, taking a bite out of his salad.
Scorpio could only pout her lips, humming softly as she sat there thinking to herself. The table slowly grew quiet once more, with everyone eating in silence. I pretty much finished up my fries and just sat there, impatiently waiting for lunch to be over.
We would usually have a group conversation that lasted for a while before the table went seemingly quiet, the others having multiple one-on-one conversations that were barely audible due to the other students around in the cafe; talking ten times as loud while laughing and throwing things around like they usually would.
"Mmm...god what do I do...?" I tilted my head in curiosity, my eyes slightly shifting to the left towards the end of the table, frowning as I set my eyes on Cancer once more; her nervous expression remaining unchanged as she fidgeted her leg.
She hadn't said a thing until now, all quiet in the corner unlike usual. Cancer was usually a quiet person in class, but around us, there was no end to her talking. She was a bubbly and fun person during hours like this, but now she was just sitting there like she was in an eternal shock.
As much as I wanted to leave her alone, I already found myself reaching a hand over to get her attention, my curiosity building up the longer I laid my eyes on her troubled demeanor that was easily seen across her face.
"Hey," My voice was particularly quiet and soft as I spoke, tugging at Cancer's sleeve. "You're quiet."
Cancer slightly jumped, her hazel eyes flickering in confusion as she snapped back into reality. She glanced in my direction, looking a bit startled as her hand clutched tightly onto the hem of her white shirt.
"Huh..?" She cleared her throat, straightening up and running a hand through her messy brown curls. "I...just have nothing to say."
I squinted my eyes at her, already sensing the bullshit from a mile away. "You always have something to say."
"Taurus—"
"I can sense the bullshit seething from your insides." I interrupted her the moment she began to speak, having my head tilted while the corners of my lips pulled up into a small grin.
"Taurus, not today. Please..." Cancer's voice dropped down to a whisper, her head resting down on the surface of the table as she gave me a tired, yet pleading stare.
Jeez, what was up with her? It wasn't like her to be this...on edge. All I could see was that something bad must've happened, but what?
"What's the dealios?" I asked in the same low tone, not wanting the others to pry in on our conversation.
Cancer refused to respond for the moment, her eyes wandering across the cafeteria as she fiddled around with the sleeves of her navy blue cardigan. She shrunk down in her spot, fear still evident in her eyes as she struggled to explain her weird mood.
I would've questioned her further, but was caught off guard as I heard a soft thumping coming from the four intercoms that were placed at the top of each corner in the cafe, specifically there so we'd be able to hear any announcements from the office.
"Please excuse the announcement," A woman's voice spoke through the intercom, sounding soft and calm as usual. "All students and staff will be dismissed at noon and classes will be closed for the rest of the day."
I blinked in confusion, feeling like I just misheard what she said. I straightened up and looked to Cancer, who just shrunk down even further and nervously ran her fingers through her hair.
"A half a day? Yes!" Sagittarius cheered from the other end of the table, pumping her fists out of excitement.
The others looked a lot more confused than excited, exchanging glances with one another as the chatter in the cafeteria grew twice as loud; shouting out of relief while some were pissed that they'd be missing a certain class they liked.
"Why do we need an early dismissal? And why so sudden?" Capricorn asked in a murmur, tilting her head while trying to figure this out herself.
"The last thing I want to do, is go home early.." Scorpio grumbled with a slight shudder. She would do anything just to keep herself from going home to her parents.
I only nodded, though I was secretly thrilled at the fact that we were leaving early. It would leave me at least four more hours of alone time at home...before my dad comes home at least.
How fun.
"I mean I'm all on board with cancelling the rest of classes, but what's the purpose??" Virgo piped in, fiddling with a pair of chopsticks before stabbing it into her sushi.
Aries kinda shrugged from beside her, while everyone else at the table couldn't really come up with an explanation either. The chatter around the cafeteria grew louder, mainly of excitement for the early release, but also concern for what was really going on.
"I think it's because...ah..." I turned my head, my attention falling on Cancer once she began to speak.
She had this serious expression drawn across her face, hazel eyes peering at each of us with a flicker of fear hidden behind her darkened pupils. She inhaled a sharp breath once everyone focused their attention on her, waiting for her to explain the issue at hand.
"It might have something to do with the health concerns I mentioned to the authorities.." she murmured.
The table almost instantly grew silent, with Cancer shrinking down slightly and avoiding eye contact with the rest of us, while each of us kinda just stared in complete confusion.
"What health concerns?" Libra asked, having his hand resting on his cheek while he raised an eyebrow in question.
I was also confused, biting my lip while anticipating her response. Cancer cracked her knuckles, something that she usually did when she was nervous; eyes unable to focus on a specific subject.
"I...went to the nurse earlier this morning for my daily medication. But when I went there to rest, the beds...were all occupied.."
Sagittarius snorted, giving Cancer a weirded out look. "Your point?"
Capricorn lightly jabbed her elbow into her sister's rib, causing the brunette to slightly grunt. I shook my head, looking back over at Cancer and signaling to her that she was able to continue.
"When I saw those people occupying the beds, I noticed how sickly they looked," Cancer's voice dropped down to a low tone, causing a slight chill to run down my spine.
"Pale, almost green skin. Looking like they were extreme pain while being covered in sweat. They all showed the same symptoms and it just didn't seem normal."
Silence once again fell upon our table, each of us enveloped in our own thoughts. I was sure we were all aware of the news broadcasting from last night; how the factory workers that assaulted that man was described just as how Cancer described the students.
"What makes you think it's serious?" Mini piped in all of a sudden, her dark irises lighting up with confusion. "What if they all just have the flu or something?"
Cancer's eyes fell on Mini and she tilted her head. "My own mother didn't understand what was wrong with them. I don't think this is just the flu."
Mini just inhaled a sharp breath, though she didn't have anything to rebut. I slumped down in my seat, feeling an unnerving ache crawling up my back; discomfort and uncertainty enveloping my insides, causing me to squirm.
Why was this all happening all of a sudden? Why the attack? Why the news broadcast? Why the sickly students..?
What the actual fuck were we dealing with?
"Even...if it's not a normal illness..." Capricorn's soft, shaky voice broke the silence amongst the rest of us, her eyes fixated on the table while having one hand gripped tightly onto Sag's.
"How will we be able to prepare for it if it isn't?"
Her question instantly stuck with me, not making me feel better in the slightest. I exhaled a raspy breath, stuffing my hands into my pockets as my head tilted up towards the ceiling. I didn't know how to answer, and even if I did, I was unsure with my own thoughts.
With such a lack of information, who knows what to expect?
From across the table, Aquarius hummed softly while looking spaced out; which was the norm when she was in deep thought. Her eyes narrowed at the table, picking her plastic fork at the school lunch before tilting her head.
"The real question is..." she looked at each of us, her voice cool and steady, almost lacking any emotion.
"If it gets to us, how do we plan to survive?"
The table remained silent after Aqua's question, unable to come up with a response. The silence was almost agonizing; hanging over our heads while we pondered to ourselves about the situation, wondering how it'll be resolved, if it could be at least.
I sat there thinking to myself, biting down on my thumb as my eyes scanned across the cafeteria. The loud, almost excited chatter of majority of the students causing a pit to land in my stomach, wondering if they were even aware of what was happening.
I mean, now that I thought about it, Aquarius had a point. If this was a bigger issue than we currently thought it was, who's to say the same thing wouldn't happen to us? What if we suddenly became ill like the rest?
What would we do then..? Would we even survive for long?
As many questions as I asked, I knew that none of them could be answered. Sitting there with both hands resting on my cheeks, I grew uncomfortable to the silence surrounding the table, pushing out my cheeks as my head spun due to endless thoughts and ideas randomly popping up every five seconds.
As desperate as I was for more information, it was impossible to get it. The wait was agonizing, but there was nothing any of us could really do but sit ignorantly and wait for someone of a higher authority to speak up.
"What a pain..." I grumbled almost inaudibly under my breath, squeezing my eyes shut and surrounding myself in darkness.
I was praying...just hoping that everything would be fine and it would all blow over in a day or two.
But even then...I could never be too sure.
Never.
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