The clock read twelve when a long bell rang through the whole school. Alina recognized this as what they called lunch break. She waited for the students to stand, so she could go too. She felt like being boiled inside the room because of the hostile stares.
Carter was the first one to stand, even offering his hand to Alina. Alina held it, thinking of it as common courtesy. Carter smiled brightly as she did, while everyone in the class gasped in shock. Alina let go of Carter's hand as she stood. Was it wrong? She asked herself. Carter just smiled at her smugly. Alina finally noticed that the guy was easily the most handsome one in the room. Looking around, she was a bit disappointed the people did not look anywhere like the people in the frames of her home.
"Is she a slut?" A girl's voice rang out louder than the other's murmurs. Alina wondered what that word was. Just wanting to get out of the hot room, she ignored the stares and murmurs. When she finally did, she turned to Carter.
"Where do we get food? I am quite famished." Alina said, she strangely got hungry because of her nervousness.
"It's this way. Come on, follow me!" Carter exclaimed happily and grabbed Alina's wrist lightly. Carter carefully pulled her through the halls. A lot of students have been filing out of the rooms and all of them immediately looked towards Alina. Just like the classroom she was in, every girl stared at her with hostility and jealousy. Some of the boys stared at her with admiration, the others just stared her down. Alina tried not to make eye contact.
"What is someone like her doing here?" A girl spat out above the murmurs. She had beautiful wavy brown hair, a small face and figure. Alina noticed the girl had other pretty girls surrounding the one that spoke loudly. They all glared at Alina, with the girl having the scariest.
"By the way, this is the girls' bathroom." Carter spoke to get Alina's attention. He pointed towards a white door with a sticker of a woman in a dress without a face on it. "There are bathrooms on each floor and wing. You don't have to worry since you can easily spot it."
"What do you mean a 'wing'?" Alina asked Carter, who looked at her strangely. Alina was thinking that a bird's wing existed somewhere in the school.
"Um, the structure of the school is like a bird, I guess." Carter started to scratch his nape. He didn't know how else to tell her. "So basically, there are two wings. The left and the right wing."
Alina stared at him for a while. Carter started to think that Alina did not get his dumb explanation. Carter boyishly smiled at her and opened his mouth to speak, but Alina spoke. "I see. Thank you, Carter."
Carter sighed in relief as they enter the lunchroom at the end of the hall. Alina was surprised to be met with delicious aroma of meat. The walls inside were the same with the walls outside, but this room had a wall made of just glass. Alina guessed the glass were sliding to let people out on the field at the back of the school. She wondered how they made the glass slide past each other. A lot of tables with chairs attached to them dotted the room. Even the field had tables. Each table was white and looked big enough to hold about 10 people. There wasn't a lot of people inside yet, maybe because most of them are still in the halls.
Carter noticed that the students began to growl lightly at Alina. He understood why they were doing that, but his cousin had instructed him specifically. Carter was just glad that he was on a trip. He didn't want to have to fend off such a man if he were to get hostile at the human. He was just too strong for Carter. And anyone else here, for the matter.
Since Carter right now is one of the ranked people left from the trip, he felt confident to stare everyone down to warn them. Immediately, the growling stopped and he was glad Alina hadn't noticed. Carter pushed her lightly towards the lunch lady by putting his hands on her shoulders. "Let's get food!" Carter smiled at her as she looked back because of the strange touch.
"Do we not have to pay for it? I have no money." Alina frowned and Carter just thought it was cute.
"No, the school provides it." Carter chuckled and Alina just nodded. "Hooray for no lines!" Carter exclaimed happily. The lunchroom wasn't usually this quiet, but the students were threatened by Alina's presence. Alina looked at Carter strangely. Alina wondered what line Carter was talking about.
Carter began to tell and point at food and the food he chose were placed on a black plastic plate by the lunch lady. Alina figured she would do the same. Finally, they stood at the end of the line of food presented.
"Where do you want to sit, Alina?" Carter asked Alina, who began to ponder. She thought maybe she would calm down if the sat away from the stares. Alina asked Carter if they could sit down on the table in the corner outside. Carter nodded, thinking it was fine since the seat wasn't occupied. Carter thought, however, that the table was where the highest ranking people in school would usually sit. Carter hoped it was fine since they weren't at school anyway.
Carter broke a sweat when Alina sat on his usual seat. Alina noticed his nervousness and looked at him. "Is there something wrong?" She asked kindly. Carter gulped and shook his head.
"Oh, it's nothing!" Carter tried to sound cheerful. Alina acted like he believed him, but she knew Carter was lying. Alina smiled and tapped the seat beside her to have Carter sit down. He sat down and smiled cheerfully for real this time. "So, would you go out with me?"
Alina looked at him and laughed lightly. "No, thank you, Carter." She had refused him for about ten times now, others she just tried to dodge. Carter laughed as well, expecting the answer. Alina explained a while ago that she doesn't want to go to places. Her father had instructed her to only go to school and straight at home when it's done. Alina's father hadn't told her that though, it was just how Alina wants to interpret it. She was also scared to go out, but Carter did not have to know that.
"After we eat, I'll take you to a tour around the campus." Carter said as he was finishing his food. Alina had not even eaten half of hers and Carter even got twice as much food that she had. Alina nodded, letting Carter speak. He is quite talkative, she thought. "I'm going to get another serving, do you want something?" Carter then stood up and Alina giggled since he still looked hungry.
"Do they have water?" She asked and Carter nodded, already off bouncing his way towards the lunch lady. Alina continued to eat as Carter got his second big serving.
Someone tapped on her shoulder as she bit into the broccoli. She looked back and was surprised to see the girl that had a loud voice earlier in the halls. She had a dangerous look in her eyes and Alina can't help but tense up. She wished Carter would be back soon. "What do you think you're doing here, sitting on that chair?" She asked menacingly. Alina looked down at the chair, there weren't anything that specifically told her not to sit there.
"Are you going to take a seat?" Alina asked, offering the eight other vacant chairs on the table. The girl's eyes flashed with annoyance as her jaw clicked. Her eyes fleeted behind Alina though and she backed away. Carter was on his way towards Alina. The girl walked away with the other girls with her. Alina wondered what that strange behavior was.
"What did that girl tell you?" Carter asked as he sat down beside her. Carter had a small frown on his face.
"She asked why I was sitting here." Alina answered and Carter sighed. "Is there something wrong with sitting here?" Alina asked and Carter hesitantly shook his head. He was lying again and Alina knew.
"That girl is just a bitch." Carter spat out, hate obvious in his eyes as he said it.
"Bitch?" Alina asked, not knowing what the word was. Maybe it is something bad, she thought. Carter looked at her strangely, wondering where this girl came from and why she didn't know some things.
"It's a word for someone like her." Carter laughed at his own words. "Elaine Rivers is just conceited." Carter said, referring to the girl as Elaine. Alina, still a bit confused, decided not to delve deeper.
When they both finished eating, they stood with their plates and walked towards the lunch lady to return it. "Do we not have to wash them?" Alina asked and Carter chuckled.
"No, it's their job to do that as well. Don't worry about it." Carter pulled Alina towards the halls they came from. With a big and cheerful smile, he faced Alina. "So, let's go on our date!"
YOU ARE READING
Ethereal Mortal {DISCONTINUED}
Werewolf"As long as you live, you will stay hidden." The words constantly rang into Alina's mind. She was not against it since it was her father who said it. It seemed like a last will. For as long as she remembers, she has always been at their huge home. T...
