Chapter 2 (Steve)

7:36am

I looked up from my wristwatch, down the crowded hall. Where were they?

The halls were alive with commotion and light. Large windows at the end of the building flooded the hall, lighting up everything from lockers to faces.

But still, I couldn't find them.

I looked up to the locker I'd been resting against. The number 158 was pressed into the fading green paint. It was the right one. All last week we kept missing each other, so we'd all agreed this was the new meet up spot. At least, I thought we had.

7:37am

If they didn't get here soon we'd never have a chance to talk to Mr. Erskine before first period. And at this point we might already be too late. The halls had filled up fast. Students weaving in and out and around each other, a flurry of different colored clothes and vibrant hair. They looked like feathers, like bright birds in flight. There were so many of them.

3,014 students in total. 739 in my class alone. There was no way I'd ever get to meet them all before graduation. But maybe, by the end of the year, if the elections went well, I'd be able to do something for them. Something to make a difference. Something to make things-

I stopped mid-thought when I saw him. His dark hair falling past his shoulders, his pale face, dark eyes… But, it couldn't be.

It couldn't be.

The crowd shifted and I couldn't see anymore. With the hospital and everything, it couldn't be him, I thought as I searched every face for another glimpse. It looked so much like him. But it couldn't-

"On your left." An arm bumped into mine out of nowhere and I turned to find Sam smiling at me. "What's up with you?"

I shook my head, laughing a bit. "Sorry."

"I texted you like, 10 minutes ago, to meet me out front," he said, stepping closer to his locker, hands spinning the padlock.

It couldn't have been him, I told myself again. But I couldn't help but turn back, to search the flock of color for his face.

"Why don't you have your phone?" I barely heard Sam over my thoughts.

"Uh, yeah it's school policy." There's no way it could have been him. Someone would have said something. It can't be him. "No phones on campus."

"Com'on Cap, you know no one follows that."

I turned around to face him, a little annoyed. "I'm only captain when we're in the water."

Sam laughed, unloading text books back into his locker. He had his bag awkwardly held between his elbow and the stack of books in his arms.

"Here, let me help." I reached out, taking Physics and Engineering from him. "What's this one for?" I asked.

"Engineering club." Sam grinned, "It's gonna be pretty cool this year, sounds like somebody got Stark to sign up."

I nodded. There's no way it was him. Yeah, maybe he'd be well enough to come back to school sometime, but not now. It was way too soon. And besides it's not like this is the first time I've thought I've seen him somewhere and it turned out to be somebody else. He just had one of those faces.

"You okay, man?"

I shook my head a little, turning back to face Sam. "Yeah, sorry. Just, distracted."

Sam closed his locker, snapping the lock back into place and hiking his bag back up on his shoulder. I handed him back his books.

"So, where's Nat?" I asked, realizing for the first time that she wasn't there with us.

"She texted she was hanging out with Clint. Which you would, you know, know. If you weren't such a good-"

"Quit it Wilson," I shoved his arm.

"Aye aye, Captain."

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