Chapter 42
1412 Words
After class, Jason moved with intent, doing his best to both avoid her and keep her safe. It was a nice thought but being homeless was great! She could hide out in the library, move about in the cafeteria and dodge her enemies in the labs.
Sleeping comfortably was a stretch, but school had the teen’s center, often referred to as TNT. That had couches. Old couches. Still, anything beats trying to sleep in the nurse’s office or on the floor somewhere.
Jason followed her to lunch next. Her head still wildly full of possibilities, latched on to what metal shop had in store.
Sure, oftentimes she didn’t really think she belonged there, but if her plan was going to work, she’d need to get used to it.
“Table this time?” Jason begrudgingly asked.
“Outside?” Renee asked hopefully.
“It’s freezing…”
“Right…” Renee heavily sighed. “Library?”
“You need to eat,” he countered.
“Right…” Renee worried.
“I’ll pay,” he whispered.
“I—“ she shook her head, unable to accept.
“And you can pay me back when you make your millions,” he added kindly.
That hit weird. His kindness. After being a supreme s**t, it was almost like he was actually trying to be good.
“C’mon,” he added, scanning the room.
Renee stepped forward, into the lunch line. Again he followed carefully behind.
The lunch line was a trap; the epitome of a lost lunch period. But, he stopped being awful… for now, so maybe she could give him some slack. Wasn’t that how relationships worked?
Renee’s brain tilted.
No, no… this was not that…
“… I’ll pay,” drifted around in her head. Wasn’t that what guys did to get a shot?
…Sweet Goddess of Neptune don’t drown me in this!
Renee passed up the opportunity to pick up a tray. Its golden reminder that this debt needed to be repaid ASAP rounded her. Jason caringly retrieved two and set one of his in front of her, avoiding her glare.
As they entered, he watched her. She looked over hanging snacks but refused to pick one. Jason leaned to the side, pulling two air fried bagel chips. Next they came up to the sandwich bar, where she didn’t know what to ask for, or how.
“What do you like on your sandwich?” the lunch aid asked.
“I—“ Renee trailed.
“She’ll take a tossed chief’s salad and the bread as a roll on the side,” he ordered. “Dressing on the side too.”
Renee frowned, unsure of how to take that. Other students pushed their way in making it hard to focus on the rest. Her eye passed the slushie machine but he didn’t order it which begged the question if he was taking her cues or making them up as he went.
“You don’t have any S.o.D. Do you?” he asked the woman, calm as ever.
“I’m not exactly sure the school has the right to sell that anymore. ‘Big legal battle,” she shrugged.
“Worth a shot,” Jason followed suit. “I’m going to grab a hot meal then. Thanks anyway.”
The two of them slid down the line to the next station, their trays in check in front of them on the metal counter, following the flow of the line. It all felt off… almost overwhelming even. The space around her began to swallow up nerve endings, forcing her sight into the focus point of maybe a quarter.
Renee stumbled to the side, unsure of what to think.
… Is this blindness?
… A panic attack?
Renee inhaled shakily.
… Do demons mind control people?
… Or just…
“Hey, I’ve got you,” Jason mumbled beside her.
“Ew, what’s your problem?” someone whined.
“Just give me some room,” Jason warned.
“I’m pretty sure you’re not the problem,” she huffed, her arrogance sounding like Brittany’s. Only, her’s would have thrown Renee further from him.
No, she didn’t know her…
“Listen b***h,” Jason’s voice lowered another octave, “You’re going to give us room, or…”
“Don’t,” Renee forced out, thinking of Kris. “Not gonna… just um, bl-oods-ugar,” she slurred, trying to help.
“Devil may cry… Seriously!” Jason’s arm curved around her.
All at once he ordered the room to move. Bodies lined the wall instead of the line. He controlled lunch aids to follow him, to do what? Renee wasn’t sure.
“You’re fine,” he spoke in her ear, clearly, without falter. “I’ve got you.”
Renee’s feet stumbled about as she lost her balance while he rushed. Re-entering the cafeteria threw her. A gust of wind felt as though it reset her. It widened her sight, eased her heart rate…
“What was that?” Renee asked carefully.
“Me,” Jason claimed ownership.
“You?”
Jason picked a table right in front of them, in the cafeteria instead of letting her run off to sit between the lockers.
“You couldn’t have caused that…” she replied, surprised to be served her meal.
It looked delicious; like a fancier rendition of her salad bar. It came with meats she’d never tried rolled with cheeses she’s only read about in literature. By the looks of the lettuce leaves alone, there had to be several different kinds, all moist, as if it had been freshly cut from the head and washed moments before.
Next to her salad was a fresh round loaf of white bread. Beside it, on the tray, were all the fixings. Dressings for her salad and butter patties for her bread if she so chose.
Renee inhaled deeply, caught up in emotion.
“Why did you do this?”
Two thick fingers captured the side of her tray, moving it out of reach.
“Wait, what?” Renee slowly exhaled, demanding to know what he was playing at now.
“Is this some sick joke?”
Jason pulled her tray closer to his side of the table, then put his hand on her shoulder.
“No,” he promised. “But judging from what just happened in there, you’re going to be.”
Sweat began beading above her brow. The telltale faintness returned, making her thankful for the bench Jason sat her at, beneath her.
“What is this?”
It seemed like the only rational question to ask.
“It’s me, Renee,” Jason worried. “This mission was not supposed to take this much time.”
Renee couldn’t make heads or tails about what he was saying then.
“Humans aren’t supposed to stay with the supernatural; especially not my kind,” Jason continued. “Or my capability.”
“Is this over? This thing?” Renee struggled not to burp.
“Almost,” he clearly lied.
Of course they weren’t done. Graduation was his release date, Renee sighed.
“Can I hug the bread?”
“Dark matter will be coming up soon,” Jason explained. “It’s better you don’t.”
Renee groaned, clutching her stomach with both hands.
“It’ll attach itself to anything you have in you and try to pull your insides out with it,” Jason spoke literally.
“Oh! Come on!”
“Just be thankful you didn’t eat yet,” he tried rubbing soothing circles onto her back.
“I think I -” Renee felt the frightening curl in her stomach. “Can’t you reach in me and,” she dry heaved. “Take it… it out? Fughurlghhhh!”
“What? Grab your stomach through your skin and rip it out of you?” Jason laughed. “No! That’s not a real thing. That fear is from those crappy horror flicks you humans write.”
“You’re– lyingughghhh!”
The feel of dry wool clung to the sides of her throat, worrying Renee deeply. What if she couldn’t get it out?
“Were not part ways, demons, unless were there for full torture. Even then…” Jason rambled on and on about the specifics.
… She was going to die with a thick-ass wool sock, demon spittle, half life coming up her throat and all Jason could do was educate her on what his kind was all about.
What the actual fvck!?
- Writer
