Chapter 2
1856 Words
Eve couldn't shake what she’d seen... well, she wasn’t even sure what she’d seen, but she was pretty certain it had wings.
The image kept looping in her mind as she stared out the window, watching snow drift lazily from the sky, while Mr. Thompson droned on about meiosis.
She couldn’t be bothered to tune in—something about homologous chromosomes lining up during metaphase I.
Like that was something her brain could process before 10 a.m.
Whoever decided biology should be first period on a random Wednesday needed to be tracked down and reported. Immediately.
“Ms. Morgan, I would very much appreciate it if you paid attention in my class once in a while,” Mr. Thompson said, his voice sharp enough to snap her back to reality.
Eve blinked, only to realize the entire class was staring at her. Ugh. She hated when that happened.
“Yes, sir,” she muttered, barely above a whisper, as if the less she said, the sooner he’d leave her alone.
She didn’t even bother with the polite smile anymore—it was the exact same drill every week.
But she should’ve known it wouldn’t be that easy.
“Since you seem to think you don’t have to listen to my lesson,” he said, eyes narrowing as he smirked, “why don’t you tell us what meiosis is?”
Of course.
He was still salty about last week.
Eve could almost see it in his eyes, the little revenge plot he’d been cooking up since the moment she made him look like an i***t.
It had started with a question she’d answered too quickly, too perfectly.
Mr. Thompson, trying to trip her up, had called on her with an overly complex question about DNA replication.
He hadn’t expected her to rattle off an answer so confidently that he had nothing to say but, “Uh... yes, that’s... correct.”
She'd watched him squirm in front of the class, the realization dawning that he had no idea what he was talking about.
She'd wanted to laugh, but instead, she just gave him a nod and let him save face.
Now, he was back for round two. This time, he thought he had the upper hand.
She rolled her eyes, but no one could see it except for her, and then looked up at him with a quiet confidence.
“Meiosis,” she began, her tone cool but sharp, “is the process by which gametes are produced, specifically reducing the chromosome number by half to maintain genetic stability across generations. In the first division, homologous chromosomes line up in metaphase I, where they exchange genetic material through crossing over before separating to opposite poles. Then, in metaphase II, it’s basically like mitosis, where the sister chromatids are pulled apart.”
She paused, then added with a slight smirk, “Pretty standard stuff, Mr. Thompson.”
The class went silent for a moment, most of them clearly impressed, though a few looked like they were waiting for something dramatic.
Meanwhile, Mr. Thompson’s face tightened, his lips pressing into a thin line.
“Thank you, Ms. Morgan,” he said through gritted teeth, obviously displeased that she’d stolen his thunder. Again.
She gave him a cool nod, feeling the familiar rush of victory. But then, her mind wandered back to the wings.
And she couldn’t shake the feeling that the class, and Mr. Thompson’s little game, didn’t matter much anymore.
━━❃❃❃━━
The first few classes blurred together, and by the time the bell for lunch rang, students were already halfway out the door, spilling from Literature like they’d been held hostage.
Eve slung her bag over her shoulder, weaving between desks with slow, heavy steps.
Her thoughts were on one thing and one thing only—whatever Naomi had packed for lunch.
Hopefully something warm. Definitely something good. Naomi never missed.
“Ms. Morgan.”
She froze mid-step, the familiar voice of Mr. Graves slicing through the chatter and chair scrapes.
Great.
As the last of the students trickled out, Eve felt the dread settle in.
Being alone with Mr. Graves was the last thing anyone wanted—and for good reason.
He was... weird.
Not in the quirky-uncle-who-collects-mugs way. Weird in the way that made your skin crawl a little.
The way that made even the fluorescent lights feel dimmer when he walked into a room.
Eve turned slowly, trying to keep her expression unreadable. “Yes, Mr. Graves?”
He didn’t look up right away. Just flipped a page in that old, leather-bound notebook he always carried, no one had ever seen what was inside.
When he finally met her eyes, there was something oddly focused in his stare. Like he was waiting for her to say something she hadn’t said yet.
“Quiet today,” he said casually. “You’re usually more… aware.”
She blinked. “Just tired.”
“Hmm.” He tapped the edge of the notebook. “Tired minds often see what they shouldn’t. Or what they’re not ready for.”
Eve’s heart skipped.
He tilted his head, watching her a little too closely. “But then again,” he said lightly, “some people are born with eyes that don’t close the way they should.”
There was a pause, just long enough to make her skin prickle.
Then he added, with a thin smile, “Don’t lose your appetite.”
Dismissed.
Eve turned and walked out, holding her breath until she was back in the hallway.
The hallway was nearly empty, just a few students lingering by the lockers.
Everyone else was probably in the cafeteria, or normally outside, but no one in their right mind would choose that in this weather.
That’s when it hit her.
Wait.
She froze for a second.
That was what Mr. Graves had meant.
“How does he know about the wings I saw…?” she mumbled under her breath.
Just thinking about it made her stomach twist.
“Just when I thought he couldn’t get any weirder. Apparently, he knows no limits,” she muttered with a dry scoff.
She shook it off. “I’m too hungry for this. Already wasted five minutes of my break.”
Her steps quickened as she made her way to her locker, a little spark of hope returning.
Maybe Naomi packed her dumplings again. Or soup. Something warm. Something that made sense.
But then—
That feeling again.
The hairs on her neck stood up, her skin prickling like she’d walked through static.
She glanced sideways, just a few students chatting, laughing near the water fountain.
Normal.
She told herself it was nothing. Just nerves.
And without letting herself think too hard, she grabbed her lunch and headed for the cafeteria.
━━❃❃❃━━
The cafeteria buzzed with the usual chatter. A few students lined up for food while the rest scattered to their tables.
At the back of the room, the Nerds sat as usual, lost in their own world.
At the Popular Group table, Madison Vale sat on Tyson Reed’s lap, their whispers and occasional kisses not sparing any of the usual PDA.
The others around them, Savannah, Micah, Arianna, Kai, Brooke, and Trevor carried on with their own conversations, but all eyes seemed to circle back to Madison and Tyson.
Across the cafeteria, Jace Monroe sat at his usual corner, his eyes on the chaos with that all-knowing look that seemed to be a permanent fixture.
At Eve's table, Jayden scanned the room. “Where’s Eve?” His voice was casual, but he couldn't help but notice the absence.
Sage glanced up briefly. “Maybe with Graves again.”
Quinn stabbed her salad with more enthusiasm than necessary. "As long as she brings dessert, I’m good, preferably chocolate."
Milo and Jordan walked in together, their shirts a bit wrinkled and hair slightly tousled.
They gave each other a quick look as they slid into their seats, acting like nothing was out of the ordinary.
Jayden glanced up, catching the two. “Late as usual,” he muttered, raising an eyebrow.
Milo grinned, though there was a faint flicker of something unspoken in his eyes. “What can I say? We’ve got important things to do.”
Jordan, acting casual, patted down his shirt as if nothing was wrong. “Yeah, yeah, don’t make a big deal out of it.”
Before Jayden could say anything else, Eve walked in, lunch bag in hand. She made a beeline for the table, dropping her bag on the seat beside her.
“Mr. Graves wanted to have a word with me,” she said, plopping down. “Honestly, I didn’t even get half of what he said. Just the usual weird stuff.”
She glanced around the table, taking note of the empty seats. “So, where’s Luca and Ava?”
Jayden answered first. “Ava had some council thing. Emergency meeting or whatever.”
Sage snorted. “Classic Ava. Saving the school one clipboard at a time.”
Eve smiled, then glanced around again. “And Luca?”
Quinn didn’t even look up from her drink. “Probably off doing another one of his vanishing acts.”
Jordan raised an eyebrow. “Bet he comes back with more hickeys and zero explanations.”
Milo shrugged like it was nothing new. “At this point, it’s basically his thing.”
Eve blinked. “He’s seriously not even trying to hide it anymore?”
Jayden frowned. “Wait—what hickeys?”
Everyone ignored him.
Eve opened her lunchbox, impressed as always by the spread. Mom had packed her usual feast—veggie wraps, samosas, muffins, cookies, and even some homemade granola bars.
Jayden popped open his own lunchbox with a grin. “I swear, Mom packs enough food to feed an army.”
Eve rolled her eyes. “You know how she is. Can’t help herself.”
Quinn leaned in, eyeing the spread. “Is she secretly a wizard? This is next-level.”
Sage took a bite of her sandwich. “It’s like a love language.”
“Mom's magic in the kitchen, but she's terrible at being on time,” Eve added with a laugh.
Milo grabbed a granola bar. “I wouldn’t mind adopting her routine. This is incredible.”
Jayden nodded, chewing on a samosa. “She’s the best. No one goes hungry when Mom’s around.”
Quinn grabbed a cookie. “Are there any more chocolate ones hidden in there?”
Eve smirked. “Only because you’re my favorite troublemaker.”
As they all dug in, Jayden suddenly stopped, glancing around. “Anyone else think things are getting... weird lately?”
The group fell silent for a moment, and Eve raised an eyebrow. “You’re killing the vibe, Jay.”
He shrugged. “I’m just saying, something’s off.”
Eve dismissed it with a wave. “We’ll talk about it later. For now, let’s enjoy Mom’s food.”
But as she picked up a muffin, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Jayden was right. Something was coming.
- Writer
