Chapter 23: Trouble.

Monday.

Day 9.

Issa.

The next morning felt unbelievably normal as I went to eat breakfast with Lectra and Wes. I had gotten woken up by knocking at my door from the two as they usually did, then we began our walk to get some breakfast. It was going totally fine. That is, until I walked into the cafeteria.

The cooks must have been feeling extra nice today, because instead of normal breakfast foods, we were gifted with a dinner type meal instead. I had hesitantly picked out meatloaf and mashed potatoes with a side of peas, then went on my way.

Everyone found their usual seats and began chowing down on the foods we had all picked out. From anyone else's point of view, it would have seemed like a completely normal day here, but for me it wasn't. Not even close.

"Issa. You literally haven't touched your food more than a couple bites. What's up?" I throw my head up from watching my food and stare at Lectra, realizing I hadn't been blinking for a few minutes. I shook my head at her then rubbed my eyes, as they were beginning to feel sore now.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." Seeing through me completely, she tilts her head at me and crosses her arms then says;

"You're not. C'mon, tell mama Lectra." It was almost enough to make me chuckle, but not quite. I sucked in a huge breath and got ready to explain to her what my issue was, ready to be judged.

"Don't laugh, okay?" She takes her hands and does a crossing motion over her heart. I nod and continue;

"I dreamed of all of this happening already, just last night. Everything. Like the food not being breakfast, instead it was dinner foods. Specifically the meatloaf, and potatoes." I pause, observing her face, which didn't look as judgy as I was expecting. She lowered her eyes down to my tray and finally asks;

"And the peas too, right?" It was obviously said as a joke, but she held a serious face anyway. I also knew how stupid it sounded, but it was nothing but the truth. Everything was repeating from my dreams. She and Wes both believed I was going from my dream world to my normal one just fine, what made this any different?

"I'm serious Lectra." She nods and adds;

"So am I. Those peas look sketchy." I roll my eyes, not believing how she was acting, then I stand and say a little too angrily;

"Okay. If you're not going to take me seriously, I'll just go sit somewhere else." As soon as I turn to leave, Lectra grabs my hand and sits me back down and says sincerely;

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I'm just saying, it might just be a weird coincidence." I nod, knowing it very well could be, but I knew better that to believe that as I added;

"You were wearing this exact outfit in the dream Lectra. Same for you, Wes." Lectra quickly looked down at what she was wearing, then at Wes, who was barely tuned in on the conversation. Feeling unbelievably stressed out now, I lean back in my chair, trying to think of some other way for her to believe me. Then I was interrupted by Lectra saying;

"Alright. So what color underwear was I wearing then?" It was clear she was being dead serious, which made me finally let out a sluggish smile as I answered;

"Lectra. How would I know? You weren't naked. I just remember you wearing that-" I pointed to her whole outfit to which she sighs a long 'ohh' to, understanding now. It felt better to have her at least listen to me now, even if she didn't completely buy it. Then I remembered something that happened in the dream that could help me.

"Blake's going to show up soon. He'll poke me on the shoulder and say; 'Hey girlfriend.', then he'll sit next to me." Lectra and Wes finally both have their full attention on me this time as I spoke, only they were staring hard directly behind me.

I'm about to look when suddenly I feel a poke on my shoulder, then I was turning around to see, of course, Blake. I was hoping I would be wrong in a way, I wasn't sure why this was happening and it only scared me more now that he really was here.

"Hey girlfriend." It was said sarcastically, clearly a joke to anyone who knew better. Blake spoke then Lectra and Wes' eyes grew huge. Then just as I had predicted, Blake sat next to me. I also remembered that neither Lectra or Wes knew why he was referring to me as his girlfriend, and made a mental note to inform them later. Wes was the first to speak up, only just now really paying attention to what was happening;

"Is this because of the weird like-time traveling thing you do?" As soon as Wes says this, Blake was looking between him and me with a blank expression on his face, clearly not having a clue what was going on.

"Are you guys on drugs or-?" I couldn't help but smile at his remark. I also didn't blame him, any sane person who'd overhear us talking about what was going on would easily assume we were crazy straight away. I wasn't sure whether I should tell Blake or not, but I don't get the chance to think it over, because suddenly Lectra was blurting out;

"Issa can like-travel into like-different dimensions or something! It's pretty cool." It didn't matter if Lectra didn't totally say it right, I wasn't entirely ready to tell Blake yet anyway. I knew he wouldn't understand everything the same way Lectra and Wes did, so I couldn't tell him. 

It only took Lectra until she was finished talking to notice my glare I was sending her direction, telling her to shut her trap. She finally sees me and a shy smile creeps into the corner of her mouth, then she was saying;

"Uh-just ignore that. We're definitely on drugs-and stuff." Wes beside her whacks her arm, then mutters a 'nice going'. I turn to Blake who was now looking at me with an all too awkward smile.

"It's alot to explain. And no, it's not drugs." His smile widens, less awkward now but still on guard, then puts up his hands defensively while he says;

"Hey, whatever you guys say. I believe you. I won't judge." I nod at him ever so slowly, trying to sense any hint of a joke in his voice, but can't. He was surpringly okay with the craziness coming from our mouths. I was sure he still thought we were at least a little insane, but he was still on board and that's all I needed to roll with it.

"So, you got anything else to predict with that big ol' brain of yours, Iss?" I looked at Lectra, who was staring at me like she was a kid waiting for me to make a dove appear out of a magical hat. Beside her, Wes was eating again, only once in awhile tilting his head up to pay attention to us.

I didn't know what the hell was supposed to happen after that, it was all just a blur. It was obvious I was able to see all of this happening inside of my dreams, although I had no idea why. Nothing that was happening today was of any importance, besides maybe just the discovery of it. Other than that, I was lost. 

I was starting to feel awkward, not sure what to say to Lectra now, who was getting more and more excited waiting for me to say more about my dream, but I had nothing else to say.

"You guys know how dreams are, you forget them so easily after you wake up. She just doesn't remember what happened next. Right?" Surprising me, Blake butted into the conversation. I knew he really had pretty much no clue what was going on with my friend group, but he chose to stick up for me anyway like he did know everything.

I responded to the rest saying;

"Exactly." Then I was looking beside me at Blake, giving him a smile that painfully said 'thank you for saving me from that embarrassment'. He shrugged at me then smiled and went back to eating. I had to suppress the urge to give him a big fat hug right then and there, and maybe even another kiss like yesterday's, but I knew I definitely needed to avoid kissing more guys, at least for a long while.

I ignored my very intrusive thoughts then zoned back in on my food, which looked a million times more appetizing now. I took a huge spoonful of my mashed potatoes, which were now much colder, but still tasted just as good somehow. It only took me a few minutes to finish the rest of my food to leave the lunchroom then go shower, which I desperately needed.

I was pleased that nobody in particular that I didn't want to see naked today was there with me as I showered today. I got done cleaning myself then headed back upstairs to find Blake, who of course was waiting for me in the library again.

He waved me over and we got to work on studying, not only to help me be better at animating, which I still sucked at, but also to study the guys Lizzy was sleeping with, to help find out which it was I had 'slept with'. It was only halfway through when he asked about my so called 'visions'. 

Great, now I had to explain this whole mess to Blake too. At least some of it.

*George*

I hated him. Blake, or whatever the hell that tools name was. I wanted to tell myself it wasn't because I was just jealous of him, but even I could see that he was literally one of the most attractive guys here. It was pitifully obvious that they were only doing it to make me mad, and I hated how it was working.

I was doing fine with the whole situation too, until I saw them kissing. I had been waiting on Cam to return from an important phone call with the Boss, only to see him and her sucking face outside the door, perfectly displayed for me to watch. I knew the damn Blake guy saw me too, but she hadn't. So why did she kiss him first?

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to go to Cam and have him get the Boss here to punish him somehow. Maybe I'd say he stole some equipment, or he tried to sneak out, anything to get him into trouble. But I knew if I did, then Issa would hate me. And I still couldn't hate her no matter how she was rebelling towards me.

I was still resilient on trying to win her back, no matter what. Cam hated the idea of course, so much in fact he had ignored me the whole day prior. Apparently something in him changed because I received a text from him this morning, asking me to come into his office.

I approached his door and knocked lightly, then I heard him faintly inside saying;

"Just come inside." I twisted the knob then entered, giving him a stern look. He was sitting up against his desk, turning his rings along his fingers nervously as he watched me stride inside.

"What if it wasn't me Cam?" He laughed arrogantly then stopped and said;

"When's the last time someone else knocked on my door besides you, George?" I shrugged in agreement then sat down in the beanbag chair, which admittedly wasn't all that comfortable as I remembered.

"We got the results in for this month." I snap out of my thoughts and narrow my eyes up at him now.

"That's why you called me here? Because of the stupid results? Not because you wanted to apologize for acting childish yesterday?" I finish my rant and Cam simply stays up against his desk, unphased by my attitude.

"My mind is made up about her George. But if you really care about her that much, I can't stop you."

"You can't just have your mind made up about someone after knowing them for a few days. I won't accept that." He chuckles then adds;

"Well you sure did. You hardly know her." I chuckled right back at him. If only he'd know all the history we really have back in my normal life. I try my best to hold back all I wanted to say to him about everything, and instead say;

"Whatever. What are the results then?" His eyes go from pleased with himself to almost upset looking.

"What happened Cam?" He exhaled sharply then finally answers, sounding unexpectedly suspicious.

"You know Issa just got here, so of course no one expected her to be doing much work yet, but-" I open my mouth to defend her but am silenced by Cam lifting a finger, shushing me immediately and continuing his sentence;

"I was saying, she shouldn't be doing good at all this month, I know that. But for some reason it says she's at 100 already. And I know for damn certain she hasn't done anything yet." I let Cam's words sink in, trying to understand what he was getting at.

Everyone at the school who is working on their designated tasks had a point system from 1 to 100. Anything 'turned in', much like how a normal schooling system would work, was judged by the Boss, or as everyone else thinks, Cam. But it really all just depends on how much the real Boss likes it.

If anyone got below 50, they would be punished which rarely ever happened. There was no way Issa was already at 100, she hadn't finished any work yet. There was no way she could, as she had just gotten here.

"You're saying she somehow edited her numbers? How would she even know about-" He quickly shakes his head, almost angrily this time as he stops me from talking again.

"No George. I'm saying it looks like the Boss changed them for Issa." I understood what Cam was telling me, but I also didn't. It was strange for him to just willingly change someone's scores for them.

"And why would he do that?" Cam simply shook his head.

"You tell me. Maybe they know each other?" I found myself laughing at him, but wasn't even a little amused by his accusation.

"Why would she know him? That's just ridiculous. The Boss doesn't reveal himself to anyone."

Except Cam, of course. He knew that the Boss was the real capture here, but hadn't said anything for so long, which hurt. I understood why he couldn't though, if the Boss ever found out he told someone, who knew what he would do to Cam? I'm ripped from the thought when Cam suddenly began shouting louder as he spoke now;

"You know, you keep defending her when it's so painfully obvious something's going on with the two of them." Keeping my voice lower to attempt to calm him down, I state;

"Because Issa doesn't even know about him, Cam. She just got here, how could she know? She thinks it's just you doing all of the kidnappings yourself. Just like everyone else here." As soon as I finished talking, Cam's face alters into realization, then he says, significantly less annoyed sounding now;

"Of course-Issa thinks I took her. I mean, I technically did, but only because the Boss forced me the night I met her."

I knew Cam wasn't taking people by choice, but I had it in mind he did Issa's kidnapping on his own, which he implied on the first day Issa arrived. But that still didn't explain why the Boss was giving Issa all of her points. Interrupting my thoughts, Cam continued talking;

"The Boss did kind of have a weird affixation for her that night, I just didn't think anything of it at the time. But after I introduced him to her, I never saw them again that night."

He finishes talking then, only leaving me more confused again, so I ask;

"What's your point? We already know he took her here. So what if they disappeared together?" Cam's eyes met mine, looking sad like earlier, then he sighs and finally explains;

"Issa was blackout drunk, George. He probably took her upstairs in the house and-" I didn't give him the chance to end his sentence, I could already guess all too well what he was about to say, and I in no way wanted to hear him say it out loud. I didn't want to believe it.

But I couldn't just ignore it. The Boss must've taken advantage of her that night, whether she remembers him or not. Then he took her to the school after, completely unaware of how she got there. And now, because he was clearly obsessed with her, he was giving her special treatment. Cam studied my face as I figured it out and he knew he didn't need to say anymore. 

I was the first to speak again;

"Should we tell Issa? Or would it just be easier that she didn't know?" It felt selfish to say aloud, but maybe she was already stressed out enough being forced to be here, and after everthing I did to her. I was totally stuck on what to do.

"As much as it sucks, I feel like it would be better to tell her, eventually. Not yet. I mean she's gonna wonder why her points are randomly skyrocketing." I nod, not sure if I completely agreed with him yet, but I speak anyway, saying;

"Yeah. Okay." I watch as Cam finally leans back off of his desk then begins pacing back and forth, thinking hard. He finally stops then suddenly he let's out a giant grunting sound, noticeably exhausted.

"It doesn't feel right." I stand up now from the beanbag chair so I can get a better look at Cam's face as I ask;

"What doesn't feel right?"

"Her getting these points for doing nothing, unlike everyone else. Especially if they're from him." I force myself to not walk over to him and strangle him from what he was saying and instead yell back;

"How could you say that? She is clearly struggling with her work, and can you blame her?" I then began smirking ever so slightly, remembering that even in my normal life, Issa was having issues with college, so much so that she dropped out to try and stream.

That was when I realized she simply was still having troubles animating here as well. I then wondered if she would still want to stream with me and Cam like she previously said, which made me excited thinking about.

If Issa started to stream with me, it might bring us close again, then maybe I'd get her back. Cam was now staring at me, waiting for me to say what I was clearly thinking, so I finally blurted;

"Maybe we can get the Boss to change what she does, so she can actually get work done. Then the points will actually be well earned. She told me once she would like to stream. I know she would do amazing too-" I'm caught off guard by Cam bursting out laughing at my request.

"Stream? You want me to ask him to let her stream? And how well did that turn out last time I asked him for a favor? Oh yeah, I got this-" Cam was now gesturing to his giant bruise wrapping around his under eye which was now a fading yellowish color.

"I know that. But now we have leverage." All he does is stare back at me, a big question mark stretched across his face now. I roll my eyes, thinking it was obvious but tell him anyway;

"Issa. Duh. Bring her up this time you ask. Say it's for her. Then he'll for sure do it." Then I got an even better idea, maybe a kind of really bad idea, but I add anyway;

"Or-Issa can ask him herself? At the next bonfire or something like it." Cam sighs, and I knew immediately it was sounding promising to him. I watch his facial expressions twist in frustration, causing me to grin at him triumphantly. He notices me and crosses his arms, then he was smirking back at me as he states;

"We do have an event coming up soon that he'll be at. So she could ask him then." I stride up to him and elbow his side then ask, still smirking;

"So that's a yes then?" He rolls his eyes long and hard then nods.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. But if she gets punished for asking, you can blame yourself. Not me." He stops talking and I throw myself into his arms, giving him a tight hug. He hesitates but eventually returns it. It had only been a day since him and I had touched, but I felt like too long.

"And just so you know, I didn't just call you here to tell you all of this-" He suddenly pulls away to lean behind his desk, pulling out two brown lunch bags.

"I made this for us to have a picnic outside this morning. Ya know, for fun, or whatever." I could tell he was holding back a smile as he showed me the little baggies of food. I reached forward and opened one in the bags, looking inside.

"Ooh, cheese cubes!" He quickly pulls it away and closes it, then he exclaims;

"No peeking!" That was when he let his daringly handsome smile come out. He hands me a bag, but hesitates, then says;

"I mean it. Don't peek." He finally hands it to me. I take it then he was ushering for me to move out into the hallway. We step out of his office. Before we started walking to the outside area, he quickly added;

"But this is definitely not an apology for the way I treated you yesterday, or anything like that." As he spoke, his voice cracked, letting me know he was definitely trying to apologize but was failing horrendously. I knew Cam had always been pretty terrible at it, so I simply shook my head at him with a small smile and added;

"You're forgiven. Or whatever." Sensing my sarcasm, Cam nudges my side and we make our way outside to have our picnic, like we were a totally normal couple having a totally normal day together. 

Just take away the fact that we were both kidnapped. Yeah, totally normal.