Author's notes: As before, I don't own LJ Smith characters, but any you don't recognize are mine. Since my story just got on, I only have one review so thanks Debra. (()) means thought speak and '' means private thoughts. Enjoy!!!!!
Chapter Two: School food, Yuck!
Phil had successfully made it through mythology, honors English, European History, and pre Calculus. 'Poppy always thought I was an over achiever,' mused Phil. Now it was time for lunch. As he went through the line, Phil thought about the voice he had heard in his head. It had been a female and he knew it was someone in his mythology class, but who? He made sure to see if anyone from his mythology class had any others with him. There were four students that shared European history with him as well as the mythology class. It seemed that they came as a unit, three girls and a guy named Galen. Phil noticed them watching him occasionally. All of them were almost too good looking to be normal high school seniors. Phil wasn't the best at judging guy's, but he saw how the girls in the school all looked at Galen. He had also caught a few of those looks coming his own way. Phil could also tell that the girl with the long black hair was his girlfriend. The way she looked around reminded Phil of a cat. Galen and the girl, in some subtle way, reminded Phil of James and Poppy. He didn't know why but it struck him as odd. Phil was really reminded of his vampire sister when he saw the girl with the red hair. Then the last girl gave Phil the feeling that if this were ancient times, she would be the maiden sacrificed to whatever evil was out there. Yet he also felt that she could just as well fight that evil. Phil silently wondered if these four could be connected to the voice he heard in mythology. He had been so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't know anyone was talking to him until that person tapped his shoulder. Phil turned around shocked and then he saw Galen standing in front of him.
The group had decided that they should befriend the new guy and find out if he had any secret agenda or if he was an innocent. Galen had been "volunteered" to make first contact, the girls telling him that guys could talk to other guys easily. 'Hmm, a pretty face probably would get the guy to join us too,' Galen thought. So, the shapeshifter prince walked up to the new guy, who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. "Hey man, want to come sit with us?" Galen waited for a response, but one did not come. 'He's obviously a heavy thinker.' Galen tapped the guy on his shoulder, "I was seeing if you want to come sit with our group." The guy was startled at first, but then said, "Yeah. Sure. Oh, sorry about not hearing you at first, but I had a lot on my mind, it being my first day and all. Thanks for the offer." Galen led him over to where the girls were sitting.
Phil walked up to the table with confidence. He wanted to make a good impression, maybe he could have a few friends here after all. "Hi, I'm Phil." Then the group went around with their introductions. "I'm Galen, this is my girlfriend Keller," the boy motioned to the black haired girl, "the red head is Winnie, and last but not least is Iliana." Phil said hi to each of them and they returned the greeting. Phil told the group where he had moved from and they told him that they all lived in Iliana's house. It seemed a little strange to Phil, but they explained how Keller and Iliana were cousins and that the others liked it so much here, that Iliana's family was letting them live and go to school here their senior year. Then the group broke into general high school lunch conversations that ranged from classes, to dating, to exactly what the so-called meat loaf was made out of that they were eating. Phil began to feel that he was really fitting in here, but he was shocked by what was said next. "Hey Phil," Galen looked his way, "why don't you come over to our place after school today. We could get you caught up on European history and mythology." Phil looked around the table, the girls looked kind of shocked that Galen had asked but didn't say anything. Phil looked back at Galen and responded, "Sure." Just then the bell rang and it was time to move on. The group agreed to meet after school so that Phil could follow them to Iliana's. Phil left the cafeteria a little shocked and a little confused. He had somehow worked himself into a tight nit group. There was a feeling in the back of his head that something else was going on here, but he didn't know just what, but it did have something to do with that voice.
As Galen walked out of the cafeteria towards their next class, he knew he had a lot to answer for. Keller was on him immediately. "Why did you invite him over already? We don't even know anything about him yet!" Keller hissed at him. Galen looked back and confidently said, "If we take him to the house and he is a Nightworlder, we will know right away, because he won't be able to get in the house if the wards do their job." Galen smiled as his plan dawned on the rest of the group. Keller looked back at her soulmate and smiled, "I knew there was a reason I liked you so much and that is one of them." With that said, she kissed him and turned down the hallway barely hearing what Iliana was saying to Winnie. "Don't you think Phil's a cutie?" Winnie gave Iliana a nod and they all followed Keller.
Phil had followed the group in his jeep. He had also met Nissa when they got outside. This group was getting stranger. Why did they have someone who was just here to drive them? They said she was another friend who had already graduated and was just doing some traveling before heading off to college. 'Oh well, whatever suits them works for me.' They had pulled up in front of a nice looking house that must be Iliana's. They all got out and walked towards the porch. As Phil came up to the door he noticed that the entire group seemed to be watching his every move. Phil was starting to get very nervous by the time he got the door. Just as he went to step through the door, Phil somehow met with an invisible wall. A second later he was knocked to the porch floor by the invisible force and a second after that the entire group was standing over him. Keller and Galen seemed to be almost growling, Winnie and Iliana had balls of light in their hands, and Nissa had produced a wooden rod from somewhere. Phil had no doubt in his mind now that they were part of the Nightworld, but what was he going to do?