Tobias's POV

The test was one of our biggest marks this year. You flunked it, you flunked English. Period.

It wasn't that hard. Heck, it was ridiculously easy. The problem was, no one else thought so. Everyone was groaning and complaining about how haaaaaard it was. No one had studied. Well, I sure hadn't, anyway.

Most everyone I saw was sneaking a peek off of Erek's, since Erek was smart and always got 100% on pretty much every test. I sat right beside him, but I didn't look. If I knew Erek, he was deliberately answering the questions wrong to psyche out the other students. He would go to the teacher after the test and tell her about it, and ask for a rewrite during lunch. And he would get it, too.

I myself could easily ace this test, but I did well on almost every test, and was teased for it. I was called a freak for getting good grades even without studying, and had been accused of cheating more than once. It was thought that I, as the official best friend of Erek King, cheated off of his work all the time.

So this time, I carefully answered question after question wrong, trying to make it look like I was just as dense as everyone else in the class. I hated getting higher marks when everyone else was failing. It made me stand out. There was nothing worse than standing out.

And after class, unlike Erek, I would not go to the teacher and ask for a rewrite.

This had been going on for some time. I was always trying to be like the other kids in class. I loved to read, but I didn't, because everyone else hated it. I loved to watch the sky at night, but since no one else did, I instead wasted my time playing video games at the mall. I loved to draw and to think about the world, but I never expressed myself in my work, trying to make it look as bad as your average 13-year-old boy's.

Even Erek couldn't really understand what it was like. Oh, sure, he was unbelievably smart, but he was always joking around. He never took things very seriously. Unless, of course, you mentioned violence to him. Then he was dangerously serious. But otherwise… he just didn't understand.

When we were finished the test, we were given some free time to work on homework. Most kids just hung around at the back of the class, talking and laughing. I sat in my desk, waiting for the bell to ring.

Erek, as usual, was the center of attention. He was in the middle of a group of kids, telling some wild story that they had probably heard a thousand times before; but told by Erek, it was always better the second time around.

I sighed and ran a hand through my unruly blond hair. I could never get it to look quite right, and to my embarrassment, it usually stuck out in just about every way possible without being four-dimensional. I should probably have it cut sometime.

I considered the events of the day. I had woken up at four in the morning, soaked in sweat and utterly terrified by some strange dream that I apparently shared with my father. Upon arriving at school, two kids who called themselves Andy and Tap-tap had cornered me and given me the ultimate swirly, causing me to be late for my first class. I had just officially failed the biggest math test of the year, on purpose. Dad was out on some business trip, Loren was at home, and Erek was going to The Sharing after school.

Great. Well, there was always the arcade.

I shook my head. What the heck. I didn't care what Erek said, I was going to The Sharing with him. From what other kids said about it, it didn't sound half as bad as Erek made it up to be. You could make friends there, it was something to do after school, and it was a bully-free environment. I had considered trying it for some time, and now I was sure, since I had nothing else to do, I would go.

Now, only to convince Erek. Sigh.

After school, I raced to catch up with Erek. He had a strange look on his face before he noticed I was watching him. I couldn't quite discern it.

When he saw me, of course, his face instantly brightened. Erek can change his expression and mood like flipping a switch. It's a tad disconcerting, but you get used to it. I have, anyway.

"Hey, Erek," I said in greeting.

He grinned. "Hey, yourself. What's up?"

I bit my lip, trying to figure a way convince him. "You mind if I tag along?" I asked.

His face darkened immediately. "Nuh-uh. No way. You are going home Tobias, right now. And I am going to The Sharing."

I smirked. "You sound like my dad."

A slow flush began to creep up his face, but it was gone in a flash. "Sure, yeah, whatever. You're still not coming."

"Why not?"

For a moment, I could almost read the words in Erek's face. But then the image was gone, and he was smiling. "Because The Sharing is really a front organization for a bunch of evil psychotic aliens who want to take over your mind," he confided seriously, but his eyes twinkled.

I laughed. "Erek, you are on some sort of weird trip."

He shook his head, openly grinning now. "But do you see now why you shouldn't come? They may take over your mind and make you talk to Rachel daily! I'm only concerned for your safety, Tobias," he said innocently.

I shuddered. "Then someone should do something to stop them, huh?" I said, grinning.

He scowled. "Seriously, Tobias, go to the arcade or something."

"Come on, Erek, I have nothing else to do. I'll only come tonight, okay?"

Erek sighed. "You'll have to stay with the guests, then. Only full-members are allowed to the meetings and stuff."

"Are you a full-member?" I asked.

"Yeah, unfortunately," he muttered. "Come on, if you're coming, you're coming."

o0o0o0o

The Sharing was incredibly crowded for a small organization. I squeezed my way through dozens of people to the couch and plopped down beside some kid I noticed out of the corner of my eye. He looked sort of familiar, but I wasn't really looking at him.

"Tobias?"

I turned to him, startled. Then I smiled slightly. "Oh, hi, Jake," I said, recognizing the sandy-brown hair and eyes. "What are you doing here? Are you a member of The Sharing?" Somehow, it was easier to talk to him than other people.

He shook his head. "Nah, but my brother is. He invited me." Jake made a face.

"You don't like it?"

"Not really. I guess it's just not my thing. I just came because Tom wanted me to," he replied.

I nodded. "Erek's a member, and I had nothing else to do tonight, so I came with him."

He smiled, then abruptly changed the subject. "So, how'd you do on that English test today?"

I stared at my feet. "Awh, heck, I'm pretty sure I failed," I muttered.

He grinned. "Yeah, me, too."

We sat in silence for a while, until a man came on stage and started speaking to us.

I froze the moment he started talking. Slow chills went up and down my spine.

There was something about him that scared the crap out of me. Was it his eyes? His voice? What about him made him so utterly terrifying?

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. You idiot, Tobias. Come on, you don't even know the guy. Shake it off.

I didn't really listen as he introduced us to The Sharing, just stared into space. I did spare a glance at Jake, though. He looked almost like he was going to fall asleep, but his attention was rapt on the speaker. What did he call himself again?

Oh, yeah. Victor Trent.