11.Anna sat at a table alone. She had no idea where Zoey was. Normally she'd be walking around getting fresh air; but she was nowhere in sight. On her plate was a hot hamburger on fresh wheat bread. Some lettuce, pickles, a dab of tomato. She'd put on mustard and ketchup but no mayonnaise. She hated mayonnaise. As she eats her burger, she sees out to the corner of her eye Naomi looking like a scared kitten. She looked as if she'd seen a ghost. Anna waves in her direction and Naomi comes rushing to her, quickly grabbing a seat and looking like she'd just been attacked.
"What happened?" Anna asked the quivering naomi. Naomi turned a scared eye in her direction and muttered something.
"I met….Uh" She started her words but couldn't seem to find them, "I met harri-" she paused again clearly out of breath. She looked like she was about to have a panic attack.
"Naomi, look at me." Anna said, trying to calm down her friend, "Who did you meet?" Naomi looked at Anna and started to cry. Her face rained down with tears and a few girls looked around noticing her crying. Naomi whispered into Anna's ear even though her voice was still cracking.
"I met harribel." She said trying to catch her breath, "I was so scared Anna." She said as she limped down holding herself.
"Naomi, It's ok" Anna tries to calm her down. A few girls come over and ask what's wrong, but Anna assures them that Naomi's fine. Anna embraces her in a hug and offers Naomi a shoulder to cry on. On the other side of the room, Harper stands up and walks towards anna. She leaves her group of chatty, more popular girls at the table. Harper's expression wasn't friendly. She looked ready to slice Anna's throat.
"Anna, If you did anything to Naomi I swear-" Harper starts her threat but Naomi interjects her.
"S-She didn't do anything." Naomi said as she tried to calm herself down, "I just had a mishap. That's all"
"What happened?" Harper asked as she pats Naomi's back. Anna mutters something.
"She met harribelle." Anna whispers. Harper sighs, crossing her arms under her chest.
"I know Harribel might be a little strange, but you can't be scared of Naomi." Harper said, trying to encourage her.
"She's just a cat girl like you and me. Nothing to be afraid of." Harper also hugs Naomi and they all seem to share a moment. Anna sees Naomi wipe her tears away and Anna hands her a tissue to blow her nose.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Harper asks, looking at Naomi's calm yellow eyes. Naomi gives a half heartedly smile.
"I'm fine." She said sniffling, finally calmed down, "Oh right, Anna come with me!" Naomi grabs anna's hand and leaves a confused harper standing.
"Wait I didn't finish my burger!" Anna said as she desperately reached for her burger. It was just out of arm's length. Naomi leads her to the library where it was mostly empty. It was still early at lunch. Naomi reaches into her shirt pocket and pulls me out. I wave at Anna, still scared from harribelle. Seeing Anna's relieved face, calms me down surprisingly. I'd rather be with her than with Harribelle.
"Thank goodness." Anna said, relieved as she gently grabbed me and placed me in her flower pocket. Anna hugs Naomi again telling her how thankful she is. Naomi hands here a remaining granola bar.
"In case you get hungry." Naomi said with a wink.
"I owe you one." Anna said, but thought to herself for a second. She really wanted to return that other mouseboy she'd found in the locker to her; but the room to her classroom was locked shut. She'd decided that if she could, she'd return him to her tomorrow. Naomi nodded and headed back to lunch while Anna sat down. She pulls me out and has me in her hands.
"I'm so glad you aren't, you know; dead." She tells me with an actual concerned face. I nod at her smiling. She smiles as well.
"As soon as lunch is over, I can return you to zoey and this will all be over." She laughs, smiling at me. I was actually enjoying being around her; when she's not trying to bully or eat me anyway. Anna REALLY wanted to go back to lunch, but didn't want to risk putting me in danger. She'd stay at the library picking up a book or two.
A nonfiction book about class inequality and started to read in the seat. I also sat back, looking at the large printed words in jet black ink. Some of the words I knew, others I couldn't understand. I desperately wished that mouse boys had a library of some sort. When I was older, I would be sure to open a library for my kind. A way for mouse boys to read and educate themselves. It was what I needed.
Time flew by faster than I thought as the bell rang signaling lunch ending and that it was time to go home. Anna quickly rushes to class, being the first one lined up to get her things. Eventually, other girls lined up and the halls once again were filled with noisy chatter. The teachers opened the doors and Anna quickly got her things. A loud thunderclap shook the school again and a few girls screamed.
"Hurry up and go." A teacher said to them. The girls soon emptied the halls as they went on their way to get on the buses that waited for them and those of them with licenses; their cars. Anna pulled out her cell phone and noticed a text message. The message was from Zoey which said,
I'm here
12."She's here" Anna tells me as she grabs her things. She hears a loud thunderclap again and hears a light drizzle of rain. Anna runs to the stairs and quickly finds them. She hustles her way up 3 flights of stairs and gets to the roof, tired out but still alive. There she sees a slightly shorter figure with brown hair looking out at the city beneath her. I look out of Anna's pocket and see my most favorite person in the world. Joy overtakes my body and I feel absolutely marvelous. I climb out of Anna's pocket sliding down her shirt and leg. Anna quickly pushes down her skirt to prevent me from looking. I had no intention of doing so as I glanced at my giant guardian in front of me.
Ignoring the loud thunder and dribble of rain, I start to run over there. Zoey could easily make it to me with 10 steps but she just stood there, unmoving.
"Zoey. I brought you something." Anna calls out to her. Zoey turns her head and sees me running; however she looks dazed? Confused? I couldn't tell, but I was still so happy that I'm finally reunited. Zoey leans over, bending down, and looks at me, squinting her eyes. I'm smiling like crazy, wearing a stupid happy grin. Zoey picks me up and just looks at me. Was she staring in unbelief? Happiness? In shock? Anna just watches this unfold. She looks above and sees dark, gray clouds above her and feels the slight drizzle of rain. Anna is happy that we're reunited. She takes a step towards Zoey and says something.
"You would not believe the day I've had." She said, "It was a wild one." Zoey doesn't appear to be listening , but Anna continues anyway. Zoey's eyes pierce my gaze. I thought she was just out of words. It appears that she's opening her mouth to speak.
"Anyways, How was your day Zoey?" Anna continues but she suddenly drops her things, "Zoey? Zoey! What are you doing?" I look back at Anna, suddenly frightened, look and see her rushing towards me. my vision suddenly gets very dark and the sun suddenly disappears. It feels weird, mushy, and wet? The air smells like peppermint though it still has a foul odor. I hear Anna screaming on the inside.
"Zoey? What the hell are you doing?" Anna's muffled voice screams out, but then I suddenly realize what's going on. I've been so long on the outside and so safe that I've seemed to have forgotten what this world is like. Anna on the outside tiptoes towards zoey.
"Zoey, whatever you do...Don't" She inches a little bit closer towards zoey. Zoey giggles and hums to herself, "Shit Zoey….Not you too." I feel as suddenly shift in gravity as I shift backwards and I see something dangling on the end. A uvula? No. It couldn't be. This couldn't be happening. It can't be happening. I scream Zoey's name, urging her to reconsider this.
"Zoey….Don't" Anna is only a few inches away. She's ready to take whatever means necessary to get me out of there. She'd work too hard to make sure I'd survive to be taken out like this. Zoey looks at Anna like a child looks at a parent. Fully intent on disobeying her.
"Don't you dare-" Zoey swallows. Leaving me to relieve my worst nightmare as I slid down her wet pink throat.