The Extraction Process

"Erik!" Amber called out across the gym after training. Erik was distracted.

"Hey Amber." He forced a smile that felt as stiff as a cardboard cutout; his lips barely moved as he tried to appear casual.

"You okay? You left so quickly this morning."

"I had a meeting with a teacher. I was running late."

"You could have at least waved!"

"Sorry about that." 

The others joined them. Gwen studied Erik closely, and he knew she was getting suspicious.

<This isn't good…>

"Hey, Gwen! Floyd..."

They studied him for a moment—Floyd with mild curiosity, Amber with concern in her eyes, and Gwen with a scrutinizing gaze that made Erik feel uncomfortable.

"Erik, you seemed in quite a hurry earlier. What was that about?" Floyd asked.

"Oh, Erik just mentioned he had a meeting with a teacher. That's why he was rushing." Her smile seemed to ease the tension.

"Really? Which teacher was it?" Gwen's gaze was still fixed on Erik.