19 Chapter Nineteen

"-- preparing for mine and his first outing." Melissa cringed, reading an excerpt from a novel she had stumbled across a reading site. My friends kept bumping into my arms and talking which had cut me off from my precious writing. My neck snapped to attention as a high pitched screech rolled from my throat.

"No!" I shouted and covered my ears, temporarily forgetting about finishing Salayria's and Michael's story. I knew that my friends needed my help, and that I had to write down their movements for the future but I couldn't help but take a small laughter break.

"Mine and his!" She screeched and pulled at her own hair. The eight of us shrieked with laughter, holding our stomachs as Melissa continued to rant.

"Yo-You know there is a special world out there they could use… our!" I started to hyperventilate at her words. A few friends of mine-- who unlike me and my current group possessed a Y chromosome-- walked by, sharply dressed and hair slicked back. They smiled and offered a polite smile while the shortest one and the tallest one waved at me slightly. I waved back and pushed back my tears.

"Scrat, you okay?" Melissa asked as I was huffing and puffing. I could not catch my breath and ended slapping the floor for air.

"I-I-I can't!" I screamed and grasped my belly.

"You broke Scrat!" Kaitlyn giggled as I tangled my fingers in my hair.

"I'm crying! This cannot be real!" Melissa wailed as she grabbed her forehead and started to cringe. I wiped my tears away with the back of my hand as I took deep and uneven breaths.

"What is it?" Kaitlyn asked, everyone growing excited at the prospect of more laughs.

"This is the plot of the The 100." She screamed and opened her mouth into a dramatic frown. "They live in an underground facility and when they go out they die because of the radiation!" Our howling continued and I clawed at my throat to breathe.

"They copied Doctor Who as well!" She screamed. She continued reading bits and pieces of the story while we wailed at her little voices and screams. Having her read anything with her dramatic personality was hilarious. She could have been reading the saddest story in the world but still make us laugh like hyenas.

"Damnit Melissa, I was wearing makeup today." I giggled as my hand came away black. I had obviously smudged my eyeliner or mascara because of my short burst of crying. Reaching for my phone I looked at the black screen that reflected the image I hated the most in the world-- myself. A small smudge of black laid under my right eye that I gently wiped away, being very careful as to not gouge my foundation off. The people around me continued their humorous chatter as I fixed the makeup I had worked so hard to complete. My eyes were drooping as I stared at my reflection. Before I could put my phone down the screen buzzed to life as a message popped up on the colourful background.

I hope I don't start crying again, I thought to myself quietly before repasting my smile. I slid the screen open and stared at the message with a sweet smile now on my face. My stomach was fluttering in nerves and happiness, but there was a terrified emotion in my heart. A fear of rejection lingered but I raised my head and saw Melissa wink at me in understanding. We continued our small talk with an exchange of crude and horrible jokes. Even though I was laughing an overwhelming emptiness was digging into the pit of my stomach. In my mind's eye all I could see was that robed figure. They're cruel and dark smile, using innocent bystanders to puppeteer their sinister agenda. My laughter died down as their face came to my mind-- taunting me incessantly. I knew who it was, and the identity sickened me to my core. They taunt me, haunt me and terrified me.

My friend Jenna sat next to me and started to poke the ratted notebook that rested on my lap. My stomach and intestines twisted as she did as I possessively gripped the book. Everyone stared at me in confusion as I went stiff. My abrupt and unusual actions had cut their jokes off to stare at my panicked face intently. The people around us in the school's hallway seemed to quiet down as well. A knot formed in my throat that I tried to swallow.

"Hey Scrat, are you okay?" Melissa asked as she slipped a cucumber into her mouth.

"Yeah I'm fine." I lied as I twisted the book onto my lap further.

"What is it?" Jenna asked as she tried to get a glimpse at it. A sad smirk rose to my face as I smiled down the the little book resting on my legs.

"It's just a story for another time."