Lunch

The bell rang, and lunch began. Within minutes the cafeteria was filling up with students, either grabbing a chair or getting into line for food. The older students quickly picked familiar spots with friends, while the freshman hovered uncertainly, trying to discern an open chair amongst the invisible seating chart.

As for the food itself, well, suffice to say that the only students in line were freshman. Those who were old enough to know what to expect from the cafeteria had all brought their own lunches.

***

The number of crowds she was having to deal with was really beginning to grate on the Wooden Girl’s nerves. This wasn’t even a very large school, but these shadows had an annoying knack at always gathering en masse between her and wherever she was trying to reach.

Not that she was very enthusiastic about reaching this destination. Seeing what could only be called brownish-gray goop dropped on her plate had been just the latest horrible event in what was becoming a terrible day, and her stomach was rebelling at the thought of sitting down and eating it. Hunger and nausea were locked in battle, and it was still uncertain which would emerge victorious.

As Wooden worked her way to an empty seat, she passed a table occupied by several older girls in green dresses. It was clear that the one in the center was the leader of the group, based on how eagerly the others listened to what she said, and her distinctive appearance. She was completely bald, with emerald green eyes and a narrow predatory face. She wore a green dress like the others in her group, but at her waist the dress grew tighter and slimmer, until it turned into snake’s body. The lead girl giggled when she looked at Wooden’s makeup.

“I didn’t know the school had hired a clown.” The other girls dutifully laughed at the joke. Wooden glared at them, but that only made them laugh harder.

Usually, Wooden would have ignored the remark. But she was not feeling in a good mood at the time. With a look down at the food on her tray, she came up with a much better use for it than eating.

With a sudden movement, she flung her food off the tray and onto the girl’s dress. The laughter stopped immediately as the girl at the mess sliding down her.

“My… my dress!” She shrieked. “You BITCH!” She opened her mouth, revealing large fangs, and lunged at Wooden. Wooden raised her tray to defend herself, and-

The sound of a finger snapping echoed through the cafeteria, and everything stopped. The Mother of Snakes hung suspended in her lunge, goblets of food floating motionless in the air around her. A man in a white suit had appeared in the cafeteria, and began to walk toward the frozen fight. He had long black hair that gave the impression of someone who hadn’t entirely left the Sixties behind, and a perfectly trimmed goatee. His face had the look of an affable and learned man, but the appearance of kindliness was offset by his pitch black eyes. And his right hand was completely covered by a black silk glove.

“I won’t be having a food fight on the first day of school.” Principal Jack said to himself as he reached the Wooden Girl and the Mother of Snakes. He looked Snakes up and down, and made a disapproving noise. “Still too snake like.” He reached out with his left hand and poked one of the floating pieces of food, then licked the finger. He quickly spat it out and shuddered with revulsion. “And I may have gone overboard with the food. Oh well, it’s easily fixed.” He raised his right hand, and snapped his fingers.

***

The number of crowds she was having to deal with was really beginning to grate on the Wooden Girl’s nerves. This wasn’t even a very large school, but these shadows had an annoying knack at always gathering en masse between her and wherever she was trying to reach.

She looked down at the food on her tray. The hamburgers they served here certainly didn’t look very appetizing, but it was better than nothing. Still, she made a mental note to start bringing her own food. Just as soon as she learned how to cook.

She was going to be eating the cafeteria food for a long time, wasn’t she….

As Wooden worked her way to an empty seat, she passed a table occupied by several older girls in green dresses. It was clear that the one in the center was the leader of the group, based on how eagerly the others listened to what she said, and her distinctive appearance. She had wavy emerald green hair reaching her waist, which matched the color of her eyes. She wore a tight green dress like the rest in her group, and when she smiled one of her teeth looked like a tiny fang. She giggled when she looked at Wooden’s makeup.

“I didn’t know the school had hired a clown.” The other girls dutifully laughed at the joke. Wooden glared at them, but that only made them laugh harder.

For a moment, Wooden wanted to retaliate, but pushed away the impulse. They weren’t worth it. She walked past them and kept looking around, until something caught her eye.

***

“Your hair is so cool!”

Salmacis looked up from her food. It had sounded like that was directed at her, but… no, no way. She looked around, and saw a girl in pale makeup and black clothing looking at her.

“Is it naturally like that?” The girl in black said.

Salmacis blushed, and looked down. She ran her fingers through her blue hair. She’d never thought of her hair as “cool” before….

“Yes….” Salmacis managed to say.

“Wow!” The girl sat down across from her. “I’m the Wooden Girl.”

“I’m… Salmacis.”

“Even your name is cool! You’re a freshman too, right?”

Salmacis nodded.

“I haven’t been able to meet many other freshmen! Except… well….” Wooden waved at the shadows around them dismissively. “Which classes have you had so far?”

“Mr. Lowe’s English, and Ms. I-330’s history….”

“I’ve had Proxiehunter for math and Steward for theater.” She stuck out her tongue to show her opinion on the two. “I’m pretty sure Proxiehunter’s insane, and I don’t think we’re going to ever do anything in Steward’s.”

“Oh… I liked my two teachers…. Although….” She looked around, as though not wanting to be caught committing the horrible sin of speaking negative of a teacher, “I think Ms. I-330 might also be crazy. She keeps getting the chronology of things mixed up. And sometimes she refers to history with the wrong tenses, like it hasn’t happened yet, or it’s happening right now.”

Wooden laughed. “Maybe all the teachers here are crazy? The school is weird enough that I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Salmacis smiled, and as the conversation went on, started laughing as well. Then suddenly, she stopped, and forced her face to become emotionless. Two older girls bearing some resemblance to Salmacis walked up to the table. The taller had short cropped black hair, and her face was completely devoid of feeling as she inspected Salmacis and Wooden.

“Salmacis. You will eat lunch with us.” She said.

“Yes, EAT.” Salmacis said, a slight quiver beneath her attempt at monotone. Without a word to Wooden, she gathered her food and stood up.

Wooden began to talk, but then she noticed the other girl looking at her. This girl had the same familial resemblance as the others, but with long hair the color of seaweed. But it was her expression that frightened Wooden into silence: Absolutely cold, cruel eyes combined with a hungry smile.

The two older girls began to walk away, and Salmacis followed them. When she thought they weren’t looking, Salmacis quickly turned back to Wooden and shyly waved goodbye.

***

After finishing his lunch, the Cold Boy had gone to the library. The noise of the cafeteria had been a little too much, and Mr. Sigma didn’t seem to mind students coming into his library during lunch, as long as they didn’t bring any food or drinks in.

There were a few other students in the library, quietly reading or whispering to each other. There was one table that caught Cold’s attention: a girl had set up a study group, and nearly a dozen other students were gathered at the table around her. She had red hair and a pair of wings on her back. And her face… she was the most beautiful person Cold had ever seen. The other students in the study group seemed to be paying more attention to her than to the curriculum she was describing, and Cold could hardly blame them. The girl looked up, and smiled when she saw Cold looking at her. He suddenly realized that he had been staring, and turned away to hide his blush. Quickly he grabbed a book and sat down, keeping his face in the book where no one could see it.

There was another student in the library, wearing a business suit and without a face. He was in the nonfiction section, several books under his arm. He picked out another book and opened it to read as he walked to the checkout desk. When his path took him by the study group, the girl’s eyes lit up, and she spoke to him.

“Hey Slender, want to join us today?”

He didn’t even look up from the book. “I’m busy, Vision.” He walked past without even slowing down.

The girl sighed in frustration, and threw herself back into leading the study group.

The Cold Boy felt anger rising in him. How could that man have blown her off so easily? His righteous outrage made the decision for him: He was going to confront this student, age difference be damned!

But then the student came closer. He was even taller up close than Cold had thought. And the energy which he was directing towards that book in his hand was… it was almost frightening. Cold’s anger slowly fizzled away, and he stuck his face back into his own book. He wasn’t going to be the knight in shining armor this time.

***

The school’s indoor pool was kept dark, illuminated only by the blue tinged light that came from the pool itself. Ichor was the only one using the pool, easily swimming laps back and forth, her long hair appearing to not cause any difficulties.

The other two Ink sisters sat by the edge of the pool. Salmacis poked at her food, her nervousness driving away hunger.

“Our purpose at this facility is to gather knowledge.” EAT said to Salmacis. “Not to interact with the student body. Such an activity is not necessary to the fulfillment of our mission.”

“Yes, EAT.”

“You will not dine in the cafeteria any further. We will provide you with lunch, and you will consume it here.”

“Yes, EAT.”

“Further communication with other students will be only done when absolutely necessary. Otherwise, you will focus your time on the acquisition of more knowledge.”

“Yes, EAT.”

Ichor pulled herself out of the pool, water streaming off her swimsuit. “Perhaps,” Ichor said, “Salmacis was attempting to practice infiltration. By creating the superficial appearance of friendship with others, she may covertly gather intelligence, and manipulate them to further her goals.”

EAT considered this for a moment. “Was this your intention, Salmacis?”

Salmacis didn’t trust herself to speak, so she nodded instead.

“This is acceptable.” EAT said. “You are to resume having your lunch in the cafeteria, and interacting with these students for the purpose of infiltration and knowledge acquisition.” With that declaration, EAT stripped down to her swimsuit, and dove into the pool.

Salmacis felt a smile starting to appear on her face, but pushed the impulse down when she noticed Ichor watching her. “It certainly is fortunate that was your intention, Salmacis.” Ichor said. “Sister would have been most displeased had that not been the case. And that would have been unfortunate, would it not?”

Salmacis nodded slightly.

Ichor’s cold smile appeared. “I certainly hope that you do not give me any reason to inform Sister of any disappointment.” She moved that smile closer to Salmacis. “You wouldn’t do that to me, would you?”

Salmacis shook her head.

“Excellent.” Ichor picked up Salmacis’s plate and began to wolf the food down. Salmacis didn’t challenge the action. The happiness she had felt for a moment was quickly draining away.