"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.