Lunch period arrived after a boring day of math, english, and economics. Stacy and Jake were only in around half my classes this year, but I didn’t mind having some time to myself to nap and daydream about useless things… like what I was going to eat today, or how I would prank my sister Rini when I got home. I always looked forward to messing with her. It was one of my small pleasures in life.

“Nyx, over here!” Stacy called to me as I walked into the bustling cafeteria, holding my simple bagged lunch that Rini had made me this morning. 

Stacy and Jake sat at a round table at the edge of the cafeteria, near the back window. I sat down in one of the empty seats beside them. 

“Which psycho thought P.E. Right after lunch was a good idea?” Stacy mumbled while munching on a carrot. 

I shrugged. “It’d be easy to teach the faculty a lesson. Just throw-up on one of our gym teachers.”

Stacy grimaced. “Uhg, gross. Don’t say that while we’re eating.”

Jake snorted. “I’d like to see that. I think Nyx should volunteer.” 

“Now you know that won’t work. I’ve got an iron stomach,” I said as I opened my lunch bag. “I’m starving.”

Stacy rolled her eyes. “You’re always starving. I think it’s like, your default setting.”

I flicked one of my chips at her and then started eating. After reaching in my bag for a second helping, my fingers brushed a small piece of paper and I took it out.

It was a note from Rini. Have a magical day, and don’t forget to eat your veggies so you can grow big and strong like Valentina!

A crudely drawn picture of Valentina’s familiar was underneath. While Rini was good at most things, drawing was something that she’d always sucked at.

I grimaced and wondered if she was still salty about last night. She probably was. The girl liked to hold grudges.

Stacy leaned over my shoulder to look and laughed. “It’s amazing to me how different you and Rini are. Sometimes I wonder if one of you is adopted.”

“Nahh,” Jake said, “they look too much alike.”

“I was being facetious, you dumby,” Stacy said.

A tall familiar blonde figure caught the corner of my head. Stacy’s head turned and her eyes lit up immediately.

“Hey, Lucius!” She called, waving at him from a couple tables down. As usual, he looked… lost. His head was on a swivel, as if looking for something. When he heard Stacy, he turned and walked toward us.

“Just why…” I muttered to her under my breath. Stacy ignored me. 

“It’s nice to see you all again,” Lucius said with a genuine smile, but his body language told a different story. He was stiff and little too… unmoving. It finally dawned on me why I found his behavior so odd. He didn’t use hand gestures like a normal person. His arms always hung limp at his sides like he didn’t know what to do with them.

I ignored him and continued to eat my food. I really didn’t want to get to know this guy. He was weird, even for my standards. There just wasn’t something right with him. I wasn’t sure how Stacy couldn’t see it. Maybe she was just blinded by his good looks.

“Do you want to sit with us?” Stacy said with a welcoming smile, then paused for a moment to look him over. “But it doesn’t seem like you’ve gotten your lunch yet.”

“Ah,” he said, moving to take the seat between me and Jake. I tried not to pay attention to him or look at his uncanny blue eyes. “I ate earlier.”

“Hey! What’re you doing?” An annoying voice echoed behind us.

Priscilla appeared, stealthy and quick as if she’d been waiting and watching the entire time, and put a perfectly manicured hand on Lucius’s shoulder. 

“You said you were going to sit with us, so we saved a seat just for you,” Priscella said sweetly, pointedly ignoring the rest of us, her eyes locked on Lucius. 

Lucius looked surprised, but turned to face Priscilla. 

“I suppose I did,” he said, then looked towards us and did a small bow, “I apologize for interrupting your meal. I hope to converse at a later time.” 

His speech sounded like something out of a mid-century drama.

“He’s so weird,” I mumbled, shoving another chip into my mouth. Stacy kicked me from under the table.

“All good, talk to you later!” Stacy said while pointedly glaring at Priscella. 

Priscella smirked as she led Lucius away. 

“Of course, I knew she would latch onto him immediately. Isn’t she still dating that Jeremy guy? The football player?” Stacy said.

“Why are you so interested in him anyways?” Jake said with a huff.

Stacy sighed and fiddled with her salad as she twirled a curly blonde lock between her fingers. 

“I don’t know. He seems nice. I guess I just didn’t want Priscella corrupting him with her dirty little fingers,” Stacy frowned and paused for a second before saying, “and you know what? It’s been just us three since elementary school. Don’t you want to try making more friends now that we’re high schoolers?”

“What, are we not good enough for you now?” I said sharply, feeling annoyed. 

“Come on Nyx, don’t do that,” Stacy said.

“Whatever,” I grunted, crumpling my empty paper lunch into a ball and tossing it into the trashcan a few feet away, “I’ll see you at gym class.”