Moon Phased: The Triple Claim

Chapter5

Raven’s POV

Handing my schedule to the teacher, she looked up at the classroom, and said, “It seems we have a new student. Everyone, this is Raven Knight. Raven, you can take a seat next to Chase Ryder, and he can help get you caught up.”

My eyes moved back to Chase, and I could see the look of dread on his face, that once again he was going to be forced into helping me. But he wasn’t the only one that was feeling the dread, as I too dreaded the thought of having to talk to him.

Turning back to the teacher, knowing that I had to do something to stop this, I asked her, “Is there any way I can sit in the front of the room? My eyesight isn’t that good, and I have problems seeing the board from the back of the classroom.”

Obviously, I was lying to her, because there wasn’t anything wrong with my eyesight, but I knew that she wouldn’t deny a student with seeing issues.

“She can have my seat.” A boy said in the front row, picking up his books off his desk, moving to sit beside Chase.

“Thank you, Conner.” The teacher said, as I moved to the seat where Conner was sitting, before she changed her mind, thankfully dodging a bullet.

“I can help you get caught up.” A girl said sitting to my right, and as I looked over at her, I realized that she was the girl from the Diner last night.

“Thanks.” I said, as I edged my seat over so that I could take a glance at her work to get caught up.

“I’m Mazie, by the way.” She now said, introducing herself to me with a genuine smile, just like she had given me last night at the Diner.

Thankfully, it wasn’t going to be hard to get caught up, because I had already read the book that they were reading two years ago, making me realize that this school year might be a walk in the park. If this was the case, then it was going to leave me more time to focus on the class that I was going to have to take online from Berkeley.

When the bell rang, Mazie began to gather her books, as she asked me, “What is your next class?”

Looking at my schedule, it seemed that I had trigonometry next, which I despised, but at least I was getting it over with in the morning. Showing her my schedule, she says back to me, “It looks like we have a lot of the same classes. If you don’t mind, I could walk with you.”

“That would be great.”

As we walked out of the classroom and to our next class, I spotted Jessica right away in the hallway with her hands all over Chase, making me think that they really needed to get a room. Her back was turned towards me, and when we walked past them, Chase’s head turned in my direction, as he just stood there staring at me once again, making me turn away from him.

As if Mazie had caught me staring at Chase, she said to me, “Those two make me sick. They have been together since like sixth grade. Everyone swears their mates, but I, on the other hand, hope they aren’t, because Chase deserves so much better than her.”

“Mates?” I asked her, confused by her choice of words.

Mazie’s shoulders at that moment scrunched together, as her eyes closed, like she had misspoken, but then she opened her eyes and said, “That’s what we call two people around here fated to be together.”

“Oh…” Is all I said back to her, because I didn’t know what else to say, because I didn’t believe in fate, especially after everything that had happened in the past two months to me.

Walking into Trigonometry with Mazie by my side was much easier than English class was, and the teacher thankfully told me I could sit next to her, but as I made my way back to take my seat, Mazie said to me, “I thought you couldn’t see from the back of the classroom.” Busting me with my little lie I had told in English class.

Feeling like I could trust her, I admitted to her, “I just didn’t want to sit by Chase. I don’t think he really cares too much for me, and Jessica, well, she sort of gave me a warning to stay away from him.”

“That witch!” Mazie said a bit too loudly, making everyone that was seated in the classroom turn to look in our direction, as my cheeks began to redden, hoping that no one overheard our conversation, leading to Mazie’s outburst.

When everyone finally turned back around, Mazie whispered in my ear, “I am sure Chase doesn’t dislike you. If anything, I think it’s quite the opposite. I am sure it’s all Jessica’s doing if he is treating you like he doesn’t. Normally, he is the easy-going brother, always without a care in this world of what people think about him. As for Jessica, it’s clear that she is intimidated by your presence around him. Maybe it’s because she noticed the way he looks at you.”

Was Mazie seriously talking about the same Chase that had driven me to school this morning? I wouldn’t describe him as easy-going, in any shape or form. If anything, he was destructive, not only to himself but to those around him.

As for the way he looked at me, all I could see in his eyes was the look of disgust towards me, as he made it very clear to me this morning that he wanted nothing to do with me.

“What? No. Trust me, he is not interested in me, nor am I in him.” I explained to her, wanting to set the record straight, that nothing was going on between the two of us, right before the bell rang, making us both turn our attention to the front of the room, but I couldn’t get it out of my head that she thought Chase liked me.

Thankfully, the rest of my morning went by without a hitch, and I truly had Mazie to thank for that. She was like a breath of fresh air, especially after how my day had started.

As the two of us got our lunch and moved to an empty table, I was ready to chow down, because I had missed breakfast this morning and my stomach had been growling in protest since the middle of our last class. But as I take my first bite, Chase comes into my view, shockingly without Jessica.

I tried to force myself to look away from him, but I found myself just sitting there staring at his every move, like a damn stalker. As he made his way through the line getting his lunch, he turned instantly and looked in my direction, as a smile formed on his face. Unlike the smirk I had gotten from him this morning, this smile looked genuine, making me wonder if Mazie’s words held truth in them.

Casually he made his way towards the table I was sitting at, and I looked away from him, just as he approached the table. “Mind if I sit with you pretty ladies?” He asked, but didn’t wait for an answer, as he took the seat directly beside me, acting as if nothing negative transpired between us this morning.

“How is your first day at Beaumont High going?” He then asks, as if suddenly he gave two shits about me, making me wonder what the hell he was on, because his moods today were changing like the wind.

Both Mazie and Chase stared at me, waiting for me to give an answer to his question, and I began to feel the awkwardness from my lack of responding to him.

“It’s fine.” Finally came blandly from my lips, as I moved to take another bite of my burger, hoping that he wasn’t going to play twenty questions with me, or I was going to have to ask him what the hell gives.

“A group of us are heading over to Big Rock after school. Do you ladies want to join us?” He now asks, making me turn my head back to look at him, as I wondered why in hell he thought I would go anywhere with him after what he pulled this morning, which reminded me I still needed to find a ride home.

“After the weekend of working at the Diner that sounds amazing.” Mazie says with excitement in her eyes, telling me whatever Big Rock was, it had to be fun, but I just couldn’t see myself being able to relax if he was going to be there.

“Raven, you have to come along.” She pleads with me, and even though I wanted to hang out with her, there was still the fact that he was going to be there too, and right now I don’t know how I felt about that.

“Yeah Raven, what do you say? Are you game for a little fun?” Chase now asks me, as if he was taunting me, which began to piss me off.

Instead of playing into the little game he was playing with me, I said to him, “I don’t think your girlfriend will like me tagging along with you.”

“My girlfriend?” He asks with a dumbfounded look on his face, as if he was playing dumb with me, but I was done playing whatever game he was playing right now.

“Listen Chase, I don’t know what the hell you are on, but your mood swings today are giving me whiplash. As for your girlfriend, the Barbie want-to-be, she has already warned me to stay away from you. Plus, you almost killed both of us with the stunt you pulled driving me to school today. So no, I don’t want to go anywhere with you.”

Mazie at that moment busted out in complete laughter, as Chase let out a chuckle, making me wonder what the hell I had just said that was so damn funny. I was just about to ask the two of them when I spotted Jessica walking into the cafeteria, but it wasn’t her that my eyes were focused on, but the person walking directly behind her.