The next four periods passed in about the same manner as the first, which irritated Jeraud to a new level. Why did these people like that mutant so much?! It was only because she was trying to act normal around them. If they knew how weird she really was, then they would be terrified; they wouldn’t even look at her.
Jeraud crippled at the crushing reminder that knew how weird she truly was. He knows what she’s capable of, so why didn’t he just rat her out?
Because, no matter how much she bugs him, he couldn’t find the heart to tell anyone her seemingly big secret. He himself didn’t know what she is, but she wasn’t human. And he told anyone, they’d probably take her away and gut her out in attempt to know what she was.
But whatever she was, Jeraud wanted her out of his life. She’s causing problems, ones that only seemed to affect him. He didn’t even care if it was a selfish thing to think, he just wanted his life back to get back to normal.
At lunch, he bought a bag of Munchies and a Gatorade, and met Mikey, Tim, and Romeo at their usual hangout. Suspiciously, he took a look around, glad to find that the mutant was out of sight. Now if only the statement ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ would kick into play and he could actually get back to his normal life for this small gap of time.
“So how long have you had her?” Romeo asked dryly, not helping Jeraud’s attempt of keeping her out of mind.
Suddenly, he realized what Romeo knew in that short statement. He knew that Jeraud’s family had adopted her! His face burned in humiliated anger as he faced his friend. “How do you know?!” Jeraud hissed at Romeo. If that beast had told anyone about her adoption, he was going to tear her to shreds! He himself hadn’t told anyone for a reason! It was embarrassing!
Tim was the one to answer with a laugh and a comforting, though rough, pat to the anxious boy’s back. “No, she didn’t have to tell anyone, dumbass. You came to school with a new student who was supposedly an orphan. At least that’s what I heard in second period. Is it true?”
“It sure is!” Mikey answered him. It was stupid how fast word of the freak traveled around in this massive school of thousands. “And Jer, our little do-gooder here, also seemed to have helped her catch up with our biology class. That’s a dead giveaway that she’s living with you!”
“I told you not to call me ‘Jer’, asshole!” He hollered at Mikey for the hundredth time. He was pissed off at the mutant for revealing that stupid nickname to his friends, and at Mikey for not complying with him!
“How long have you had her?” Romeo asked sternly, getting back to his first question. The cold steeliness of his voice shut his friends up for sure.
“I’ve been living with them for just a day. Chill out, cel Frumos.” It was Rosalind who responded behind the group with a tray of cafeteria food in her hands.
Romeo sighed, a kind of relief taking over his facial expression.
Jeraud turned around to the freak that had covered him with her white lies for all four periods they had so far, noticing the crowds of students gathering around them to gawk at the creature’s ‘beauty.’ “Get out of here, mutant. Don’t you think I have to deal with you enough?” he growled through clenched teeth. Hurt was dripping from her face at that statement, almost in the form of tears.
"Whoa whoa whoa, there ‘protective, older brother.’ Why you gotta be so rude? She’s your innocent little sister!” Mikey squeezed himself between the two, trying to protect the freak. But Jeraud could see through his act. Mikey was really just joking around, rubbing in the fact that she’s my little sister now.
Jeraud scowled at him, too, full of rage and envy. Why does everyone take her side?! She’s a fake! She isn’t even human! He was about to say something about it, to spill her secrets to the world, but Tim beat him to it.
“Man, if I were you I would definitely beat Jeraud up, rough him up a little. I would at least get mad.” Tim smirked at the frowning girl. “I never caught your name, by the way.”
“It’s Rosalind.” Romeo replied for her, his tone cold as if he had just stated an incantation for black magic.
Rosalind gave him a dirty look before turning back to Tim, blessing him with a warm smile after that cold shock. “You can call me Rose, though. Everyone does.” She went back to glare at Romeo.
Tim and Mikey turned to each other, both with confusion in their stares. But Jeraud knew where the confusion stemmed. Romeo and Rosalind sure seemed to know a lot about one another, more than anyone else. He wondered how, and how much…
“Mutant.” He caught her attention, his curiosity getting the better of him. She turned to Jeraud as if he had called her by her actual name.
Mikey and Tim glowered at Jeraud for the awful nick name, but that wasn’t what bothered him. They were stupid for liking her. What did bother Jeraud was the flash of annoyance that graced Romeo’s face as well, even if it was only for a second. If he disliked like her, why did that seem to irritate him?
Jeraud pushed that out of mind and continued with his question. “How do you know Romeo?”
She was taken aback by the sudden question at first, but then turned away, her eyes tracing the floor. Tim and Mikey turned to Romeo for the answer, but he also looked away, his expression seemingly twisted with a mix of agony and torture. It just looked pained.
Jeraud turned to Mikey and Tim, who seemed just as disappointed and confused as he was. Their silence was just an obvious answer that they have a history together.
“I’m gunna eat my lunch now…” the girl started in an aloof tone as she sat on the floor. She dug into her lunch, cleaning out the Styrofoam tray in less than a minute despite how gloomy she seemed. It wasn’t a surprise to Jeruad, taking into account that he had dinner with the beast last night. Compared to dinner, this lunch was just a small snack. Last night, she had six full plates of mashed potatoes with gravy, and practically ate a whole bucket of chicken by herself.
Mikey’s eyes widened in complete amazement at how fast she ate her food, and Tim looked impressed into shock. Jeraud turned to Romeo, but he looked indifferent, continuing to bite into his red delicious as if her appetite was an everyday occurrence.
“Seriously, guys, you have to tell me what’s going on between the two of you or we’re all gunna go nuts!” Mikey pried them for the answer.
“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” Romeo answered coldly, wiping at his lips with his sleeve.
“Lies. It obviously bugs the both of you.” Tim countered with the same tone.
“We just went to the same orphanage for a short while, guys. It isn’t something big…” the girl answered in a somber voice. Romeo gave a slight nod towards us to back up her answer.
“That’s it? You guys just went to the same orphanage once, and now you completely hate each other?” Mikey asked in skepticism.
“That’s in, Mikey. Drop it.” Romeo commanded in a threatening tone. The three dropped the subject, and their gazes, not daring to challenge his icy-hot glare.
There was obviously a lot more to their history than they were telling their friends. They have to hate each other for some other reason. Maybe… maybe Romeo knew what she was, too!
A little spark of hope filled Jeraud’s heart as he smiled. He smiled for once in her presence because it felt so wonderful, the hope of not being alone! He just had to get Romeo alone, to confirm his hunch without outright saying that the beast was, well…a beast.
He reached for Romeo’s shoulder, but the bell rang before he could do anything more…
ns 15.158.61.36da2
