"...is something bothering you?"
I only catch the tail end of the question. Did I really see that? But it doesn't really matter, does it? I have to check it out anyway.
"Nah, I'm good." I say, a little hurriedly, "I just... I gotta go to the bathroom. Go ahead and eat."
I stand up, leave the table, and head for the hallway just behind Lyn. I realize belatedly that I'd just given a stupid-ass excuse for leaving. The nearest bathroom is in the opposite direction. But no one comes after me, so I guess it works out. Either they didn't realize, or they didn't care.
The hallway is deserted. The rooms around are mostly labs, and only a few students are allowed to come and go without permission. And those people are probably out having lunch anyway.
All the doors are closed... except one, apparently. At the end of the hall, I notice the door to the Biology lab shutting slowly, soundlessly. There, then.
As I head down the hallway, my footsteps sound determined, somehow. But when I finally get in front of the door, with my hand on the knob, I hesitate. For a heartbeat, I hesitate. But I've gone this far. So I turn the knob. I'm not even fully through the door when I hear his voice.
"So you came, Mikhail Kira."
So I was right. It was him behind that pillar in the hallway, motioning me to follow with a casual wave. Lyn's ex-boyfriend. Eldrick Win-Wein-whatever.
He's leaning against the teacher's table at the front of the room. Once again, I'm struck by how similar his features are to Lyn's. I mean, now that I look closely, their bone structure is different and all and they definitely aren't related, but the pale skin, the startling eyes; they all remind me of her.
He's looking up something on a white folder with the school seal on it. And my name. I realize with a start that it's my school file. My records.
He probably notices my gaze because he remarks, "Oh this," as he flicks the folder for emphasis, "I got it from the office. The staff can be very accommodating if you're polite enough." His tone is amused, and faintly condescending. Like office staff were beneath him or something. I'm not sure why, but I feel acutely uncomfortable. Like he'd just confessed something horrible. I know for a fact that people aren't just allowed to see school records, but he could have gotten mine just sneaking around right? And while it wasn't exactly a good thing, it wasn't horrible either.
Shaking off my discomfort, I ask "What do you want? Why'd you call me out here?"
"You know Mikail Kira--"
"Kai."
He looks at me with one eyebrow raised. "Okay, Kai," and his voice is different from the needling, slightly patronizing one I heard him use on Lyn. If I thought he was a stupid, arrogant bastard before, he's a dangerous arrogant bastard now. I can almost feel the edge in his voice.
"I was a little worried when I saw you with my Chym. She seemed a little... attached to you," he continues nonchalantly, "But I guess I shouldn't have been worried." He tosses my file on the table. "I'd say you're a little too plain. For her tastes." He smiles at me along with the last words. The malice is almost tangible.
He takes slow, arrogant steps towards me. At the invasion of my personal space, I reflexively want to back away. But I don't.
"All the same, I'd like you to stay away. She's mine." His voice is soft, but I could hardly call it something as weak as a whisper. A warning, more like. His eyes are a piercing, violent blue. I can see danger in the depths of them. I feel an echo of last night's headache coming on. But I stare right back. I don't react.
What? He thinks I'll go "Sure thing, boss!" and walk away? Arrogant bastard. How did Lyn end up with this jackass anyway? One of those 'bad boys are hot' things? Jeez.
He backs away. Finally. I'm not sure but I think I see a faint hint of surprise on his face.
"Was that all you wanted to say?" I'm surprised by how even my voice is. Bored even. I don't really like confrontation. It's too troublesome. But there's a first time for anything, I guess. I continue, "Let's get a few things straight."
I count with my fingers to emphasize. And because I want to make him feel like an idiot. Which he is. "One, she isn't yours. She said it herself, so as far as I'm concerned, you're an ex-boyfriend. And regardless, you can't own someone, even when you're dating them, you idiot." His right eyebrow arches slightly but he doesn't say anything so I continue. "Two, I won't 'stay away' from her. She's a good friend of mine. If you want to talk things out with her and she agrees, then fine, it's none of my business. But don't tell me what to do."
I try to gauge his reaction, and I'm slightly pissed off to see that he's perfectly calm. He laughs a little and it pisses me off even more.
"I'm happy to see that Chym made such good friends here. She was always wanting more... company." He almost spits the word out. Contempt in every syllable. A smirk plays on his lips, "But you might not be so enthusiastic if you found out the truth about her. About who she is. And what she's capable of. She hasn't told you a lot about herself, hasn't she?"
My expression probably gave me away. His smirk turns into a smile, triumph in his strange eyes. He continues on, voice teasing and sharp at the same time, "If you're such good friends, why don't you try asking her, Kai?" And with that, and an infuriating grin, the arrogant bastard walks past me and leaves the room.
I stood there a moment longer, processing what just happened. I lean on the table and sigh. Tension that I hadn't noticed floods out of my body. The fuck was that about? But I can't deny that he rattled me a little. Especially with that last part, about me knowing Lyn. He... he was right. I don't know a lot about her past...
But that doesn't mean I don't know her. Of course I know her! She's been my best friend for the last three years. And no matter what she's done, that won't change. Yeah, that was what was important. Still, my curiosity ate at me. Damn it.
With a sigh, I leave the room. If she wants to tell me, she'll tell me. And that's that.
I return to the cafeteria. Lyn and Cat look up at me the moment I get back. I wonder what they talked about while I was gone. Probably wouldn't beat the conversation I just had. The questions are in their eyes. I answer before they can voice them, and try to laugh it off, "Just guy stuff. It doesn't really matter." Guy stuff? Really?
I sit down hurriedly and dive at my chicken before they can actually ask questions. Cat just shrugs it off and starts eating again. Man, she eats a lot for such a small-looking girl. And Lyn. She just stares off somewhere, and I can only wonder about what was on her mind.
The bell rang a few minutes later and the three of us headed back to our classroom, chatting a little, but not really saying anything.
That thing with Lyn's ex-boyfriend gave me even more to think about, and the rest of my afternoon classes passed in another intelligible blur. The last bell rang quicker than I thought it would. But dismissal was a welcome distraction.
So to the burger place then? Hey! Was Cat coming along? That girl would empty out my wallet for sure... Ah well. At least I won't have to see that arrogant bastard's face.