However, to my great surprise, Mirabelle, Adrina, Desdemona, and Trin all began filing back in to the cafeteria, and each of them ran over to the table as soon they saw the stranger and Danika. Mirabelle was the first to reach the table.
"Danika, did you find Scarlett?"
"Yeah... but I think I should've stayed outside with you guys," she began to explain and pointed to Alucard, then whispered in Mirabelle's ear. "She and Alucard were having a little alone time..."
"Alucard? Isn't he that guy from Hellsing?"
Desdemona suddenly got in to the conversation. "Hellsing? Whatcha guys talking about Hellsing for?"
"Well," Danika began, "Scarlett and Alucard were..."
"We're not doing anything!" I broke into the discussion, annoyed at the misinformation. "He's trying to—"
"Aw! Scarlett finally found someone?" Desdemona happily jumped up, clapping her hands merrily. "I always knew you'd end up with someone like a vampire... kind of mysterious, but they are known to have also been very romantic."
"Alucard," I whispered, "just bite me. Take away the pain of this talking."
He smirked. "Just a moment ago, you were whining for your friends, and now that they're here, you want me to bite you?"
"Well, I didn't expect this kind of outcome. So naturally, seeing as I am a puny little girl, I resorted to my final defense and little known split personality: 'Le Wimp.'"
I suddenly heard Trin's voice. Apparently she was just digesting the core of the conversation. "Eww! Did you guys just say 'vampire'? Aren't they fake?"
Adrina smartly commented, "Well, so are a lot of Hollywood boobs, but that doesn't mean they don't exist."
She looked displeased and somewhat irritated. "Thank you for such wise words, Dr. Damiano."
Suddenly, I jumped up in bed. The covers were askew, and I was sweating. I touched my face, making sure I was really awake, and looked around my room to find it just as I remembered. I had my Alucard poster to the right of my bed, my Crybaby poster to my left, and everything else was just in disarray, seeing as I hadn't cleaned my room in a while. As far as I could tell, however, it was my room, and I knew by the disgusting feeling associated with perspiration that I wasn't dreaming.
My friends really didn't act like complete idiots, Alucard never came to lunch, and Danika hadn't assumed that I was making out with a vampire. For once, I was happy with having a normal, completely human life.
I went to school later that day, and surprisingly, lunch was almost as I had dreamed. Adrina and Trinity started off the day with their usual bickering, Mirabelle became angry and stormed off, but we didn't decide to go outside. Instead, we all just sat there, and suddenly, Mirabelle wasn't angry anymore. She began talking to Trin, and Adrina spilled her common share of smart remarks, and everyone was in a good mood.
"Whoa," I exhaled, a bit bewildered at the sudden change. "Wasn't everyone just fighting?"
"Yeah, but there's no point in trying to resolve a conflict only to create another," Mirabelle explained, and I almost felt like pinching myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
"So... can you guys wait to go to highschool next year?" Trin decided to change the subject. "Imagine how many hot guys are gonna be there."
Adrina gave her legendary elvish smirk. "I'm more interested in the girls than the guys."
Mirabelle laughed. "Well, we all knew that much, Adrina."
This is just too weird, I thought to myself, still unsure that Mirabelle's reasons for simply ignoring the problem were genuine. This has never happened before. My friends don't resolve problems this easily... we didn't even really talk about it. Usually, there's someone who sits there and blocks everyone out, a lot of screaming, and someone up and leaves the table in frustration. Now, we're just sitting here like nothing's wrong... This is definitely not normal.
Think about it Scarlett, has your life been 'normal' at all for the past day? I heard a deep, raspy voice in my mind, which made me nearly jump from my seat at the table and drop my opened bottle of water. However, I do have a bit of self control when needed, so instead, I just sat there with the pathetic expression of a deer caught in the headlights, and eventually, the voice spoke again.
Haven't you ever wondered why you and your friends don't really fit in? Maybe they've always acted this way, and you were just too caught up in the havoc to realize how truly peculiar you all can be. Maybe you're now just getting a glimpse at your so-called 'friends' from the view of one of your peers.
Because you've never taken that perspective, you're now going into a mental frenzy. Only now do you realize why all of your friends get taunted so much, and why people always act so nice to you. They all know you don't belong with these freaks, and they all are trying to reel you in to their side. Yet, you're too stubborn to do a thing, so you stay confined in this fermenting insanity, and one day, you'll lose this sight. You'll be just as strange as them, and there will be no escape.
You don't want that to happen, do you? These people will all abandon you one day, you know. But you have a chance to leave right now, and salvage your future. Now's your time to act.
"No!" I literally yelled aloud, drawing attention from everyone and creating that deadly silence of all eyes on your skin. I felt like sinking down in my seat and disappearing into the floor. I just proved what the voice was telling me: I was acting like some insane freak.
So I did what any rational human being would do in a stressful situation: I hid my face in my hands and used the "if I can't see you, you can't see me" method of hiding. I also took the time to begin talking to myself in my mind, desperate to make the voice go away. I could feel myself shivering, which probably gave the outward impression of me crying.
Whoever you are, leave me the hell alone. Go bother some mentally unstable person whose natural instinct is to believe that the voices in their head are normal, because you're annoying me to no feasible end. You understand that, buddy?
Oh, and so you can get your facts straight, I am not going to be left behind by my friends, either. I may have only known these people for a few years, but in that short period of time, we've grown a strong bond of trust. I would never give up my friends for anything, because they are as important as family to me. So just take your self-esteem-depleting talk and shove it, you hear!
Now leave me alone, you freak!
The voice chuckled. Good. You passed the first test: endurance. You can't be easily persuaded, which is exactly what I was expecting. Although I didn't think you'd have so much moxie... I like it.
I mentally kicked whoever was talking to me for being such a bother. Wait, wha! What do you mean by 'test'? Who are you?
Sorry, but that is to be kept confidential for the moment.
Well, aren't you just the biggest help? First, you invade my mind, and now, you won't so much as tell me who you are. Thank you so much. You've been such a convenient retreat into the wonderful world of Grating Vexation. I'll make sure to remember you for when I'm actually having a nice day.
The voice laughed again, and then, I heard a familiar voice at my shoulder.
"Scarlett?" It was Mirabelle. "Are you okay?" I could hear her voice straining, and I assumed she had been asking that same question for quiet some time, yet I was too engulfed in my thoughts to notice.
However, before I could answer her, I heard the voice again. This is really bothering you, isn't it?
If it wasn't, we wouldn't be having this discussion, would we?
Such a smart mouth. You'll make a very nice addition. My master will most certainly be pleased.
...Your "master?" What in the world is that supp—Oh no.
"Scarlett?" I heard Mirabelle saying again as she tapped my arm. "Scarlett? You all right in there?"
I shot up from my position and whipped my head around, searching for the no longer anonymous Mr. Telepathy. But to my dismay, he was no where to be seen, so I turned around and sunk my head into my hands again, relaxing my back against the table as I faced the wall.
"Scarlett? You're acting awfully weird... what's wrong?" Mirabelle still questioned, but I wasn't really listening. I was thinking about the voice. Where could he be hiding? He stood out like a billboard, so it would be very hard to conceal himself in such a school like this. That big, floppy red had would give him away, along with his height and the rest of his outfit. So if he wasn't just standing around, he must be...
I looked up to the wall, and sure enough, I saw a pair of red-iris eyes staring down at me. As soon as I saw them, I could not resist a habitual smart remark. Having fun hiding?
A toothy smirk crept up out of the wall below the eyes, and suddenly, his whole beingness was revealed. A large red trench coat, widely-brimmed red fedora, circular orange-lense sunglasses, elaborate red bow tie, charcoal double-breasted suit with white undershirt, and polished riding boots. Oh, and of course, the white gloves with pentagrams on the backs, and little tufts of jet-black hair creeping out from beneath his hat. This was definitely Alucard, or an amazingly tall Cosplayer with a very convincing costume who just so happened to be telepathic and could dematerialize through walls.
Having the time of my life. You should try it sometime.
Haha, very funny.