Chapter 20- Be careful

At another end of the cafeteria, four seniors were leisurely having breakfast. Davies and Conner chatted away with Janice chipping in words occasionally. Derek sat, wearing his usually aloof and apathetic expression. Quietly sipping from the coffee mug in his hands, he didn't bother adding to the conversation just like most of the other times.

"looks like their properties have been arranged to be taken away ", Conner said , stuffing his mouth with food and relishing it's taste. They had been filled in on the happenings at the Gourd the previous night. Surprisingly, gossips had started flying around this morning. The students had been "expelled" having broken some serious rules, which, no one knew of. The school had to retrieve their properties in their stead since they couldn't ,judging from the nature surrounding their expulsion. So was the rumour. It was baffling how people could spin stories to suit their imagination. But this was also good. If not, how else could the higher-ups explain the sudden disappearance of two students. Of course,they wouldn't go around informing their students that these two were responsible for one of the death in the woods and now happened to be burnt to crisps in an underground basement. So the rumours were essential.

"Such a waste. We couldn't get anything useful from them. There's no telling how many there are out there prying for their next target. Troublesome",Davies rubbed his cheek, his voice sounding slightly irritated.

"it doesn't matter" Derek said in a deep voice, "It's a full moon tonight. we're going hunting..."

"And don't you even think about wriggling your way out if this one too", Janice added while shooting Conner a glare. Conner rolled his eyes at her. He was definitely thinking of ducking tonight's hunt. He'd rather stay in the dorm doing nothing than sitting on the trees and hiding in bushes all night long , lying in wait for creatures.

Conner turned towards Davies for help

"Sorry man. You have to do what the lady says"

" Uhh... " Conner feigned a disgruntled expression seeing Janice's smug look.

Derek ignored the trios banter, his attention drawn somewhere else. He found himself staring at a certain white haired girl sitting at the other side of the cafeteria. Naturally, he now recognized her after they both ran into each other a couple of times in the past.

Then she smiled. A similar scene was playing in his head. Back at the first when she had laughed during Greek. Those deep brown eyes that curved at the tip and twinkled when she smiled was more or less brought to his attention. He was thinking, they were like nothing he had ever seen. Derek suddenly became very irritated at his thought. He looked away and brought the mug to his lips, gulping it's content down all at once.

Derek ran his fingers through his long black hair, ruffling them. He had actually taken out sometime to style his hair today and now they were back to their disheveled state. Something must be wrong with him.

Davies noticed his brothers action but decided to keep mute. Derek never liked talking about things that bothered him anyway. After a while , hands clasped under his head, Davies turned to Conner in amusement

"hey, your girlfriend looks like she's on to something. Aren't you curious on what trouble she's gonna stir up this time? ".

Conner frowned looking towards the direction Leila was headed for. Things that followed happened very fast. Kira unexpected outburst and Natalie's baffling action that stunned half the people in the cafeteria into silence.

"Ah! didn't see that one coming" Davies exclaimed with a wide grin, looking like he just watched a good show. He glanced at his brother once again. No emotion could be found on Derek's handsome face. He was back to his usual stone cold demeanor.

Conner stood up with a grim face, "I'll be right back" he said between gritted teeth's and went off.

* * *

Not to mention Kira who was completely gobsmacked, Natalie herself was half stunned, equally taken aback by her own actions. For all she knew, when Kira had her face and shirt drenched in liquid she had momentarily blanched out. It felt like she had been taken back to the days she was bullied in her first highschool.

Being locked up, betrayal by people she had thought as friends. The unremitting hostilities which only stopped when she was transferred. Natalie had told herself then, she wouldn't allow her loved ones experience such.

Subconsciously, with such thought, she raised her hand and whipped it across Leila's face unreservedly. At some point, Leila had raised her head which had been tilted from the tight slap. She stood unmoving like a frozen sculpture, holding her cheek which was swollen as she stared at Natalie in utter disbelief.

Conner's arrival broke the spell. He didn't say a word, only giving Natalie and Kira an apologetic look and then turning to give his girlfriend a deathly stare. He proceeded to drag Leila out, his face twisted in unspeakable anger and embarrassment. Not even caring that Leila was falling over from the large strides he was taking.

Thank goodness that episode was over!. Natalie breathed a sigh of relief on seeing them leave. She felt someone tug at her arm. She turned and saw that Kira was done wiping off her face, wearing a grin like she hadn't been...

"Come on ",Kira took her by the arm and led her out of the cafeteria under the trailing eyes of everyone.

"Girl, you're so freaking awesome!",Kira squealed as soon as they left. People at the hallway looked at them strangely. Natalie turned a shade of red on seeing the attention they garnered.

"I swear , I would have done the same if you weren't faster. The guts she had... Did you see that face?...bet she didn't see that coming", Kira went on and on in delight not giving Natalie a chance to utter a word. But soon after rambling her expression changed to that of worry.

"Leila's pretty vengeful. A crazy bitch. We need to be careful now we have a bone to pick with her. No that wouldn't be enough... I'll accompany you everywhere you..."

"Kira...", Natalie had to place her hand on Kira's shoulder to stop her from rambling more. Her head was literally spinning from all the talks and animated moves.

" Calm down. Don't worry. I'll be careful and we'll accompany each other everywhere ". She had heard so much about Leila. Of course, she didn't need anyone to remind her of how dangerous a person with a bad temper could be.

Kira paused and pursed her lips. She blinked under those huge glasses and slowly nodded to Natalie's words . Natalie continued and pointed at the washroom,

"right now, you need to wash off or we'll be late for our class". They had arrived at another end of the corridor without knowing it.

As she gently shoved Kira towards the washroom, the door suddenly swung open leaving the two stunned and short of word. Something even more bewildering was Leila, hair disheveled and eyes red and swollen terribly. It was all obvious. Leila McKenzie had actually cried!.