Some things never change

Jake came sprinting in through the gate, "V, are you okay? What happened?"

Relief broke out on her face on seeing Jake, "Jake, Zara is missing. She was with me but then she passed out and now I can't find her."

Jake chuckled, "Well, she is not missing, idiot. I am returning from her home right now. She asked me to drop her so I did."

Veronica threw him a puzzled look, "When did you come? I was gone for- like 10 maybe 15 minutes." Jake began hurrying inside the cafeteria and Veronica followed him, "And, how did you know she was not feeling well? I didn't hear your truck either."

Jake thought of the best way to tackle the onslaught of the questions. His mind was too busy thinking about Zara and what had happened to her.

How was that possible? Zara was a human. How could she have passed out like that?

Jake replied hurriedly, "Well, I guess I was there at the right time to help her. She looked exhausted from studies. Her mother has sternly asked us both to let her daughter sleep and rest for a day or two."

Questions swirled in his head as he tried to make sense of this piece of information. He had almost forgotten that Veronica was shaking him hard, trying to get a response out of him. "Jake, you there?"

Jake replied, "Huh. Yes, I had fallen asleep in the pantry, I haven't been able to catch up with all the cafeteria work and studies, I guess."

Veronica stood in front of him, "This place is going nuts. Are you okay? Do you need to rest as well?"

Jake continued his activities of turning off the lights and switching off the kitchen appliances when he heard a different voice call his name. "Jake...Jake"

Jake looked up to see Rebecca approaching them. She was still coughing and her eyes had begun to water. She had smudged her makeup while trying to wipe her eyes. Jake looked at her with contempt. Rebecca asked him pointedly, "Is she okay?"

Veronica was more than touched at Rebecca's behaviour of not only willing to search for Zara but also to come up and ensure if she was okay. Jake grunted in response, not taking his eyes off her.

A muscle in his jaw twitched and he talked to Rebecca in a clipped tone, "Where were you when it happened?"

"I was in the parking lot. This moron-" she pointed to Veronica and continued, "begged me to find her waste of a friend."

Veronica was almost beginning to extend the olive branch to Rebecca. Now that Rebecca had opened her mouth, she could instead burn the stupid leaves.

Jake threw the towel in his hand on the kitchen platform , "What about the smoke?"

Rebecca shrugged, apparently bored with the conversation as her phone began ringing incessantly. She looked at the caller and hurried to answer it. Jake shouted loudly, "I asked a question."

Veronica looked at both of them quizzically, "Is there something I need to know?" Both of them ignored her. It was as if she was there but wasn't part of some conversation that was going on right in front of her.

Rebecca nodded her head at Jake before turning her back to them and began walking. Jake kept staring at her and as she reached the door. Instead of answering his question she only uttered, "Be careful" she placed her hand on the doorknob and yanked the door.

Then she looked at Veronica, "This doesn't change anything." She let the door bang loudly, the sound echoing through the empty cafeteria.

Veronica threw her hands up in frustration, "Here we go again. For a millisecond, I thought I might like her. Maybe, some things never change."

Jake stood still for a moment, his mind working furiously to ensure if what he thought was right. Though, now he had to keep the knowledge to himself before he got further proof. He replied, "Maybe. Look Zara has been worrying and studying a lot. Maybe the stress got to her. Let her rest for a while okay?"

Veronica nodded her head and the two left the cafeteria as well.