Denial

"You never take off that bracelet, why's that?"

I jumped a little, startled. Lucas had seen it.

"You do not seem quite your self today. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then why have you been acting weird?"

"How? I have not been acting weird."

"You have barely talked to anybody since we came out here on the bleachers. First, you started out this morning being all perky and happy, more happy than I've seen you. Now, you're back to your nervy, scared self, only more worse."

"That is a very hurtful way to describe me."

"Sorry girlfriend. But your mood is unstable this morning. All I did was ask about your bracelet and you literally jumped out of your skin."

"I did not jump."

I denied hotly. I could not let him go anywhere near the truth and if I was honest to myself, I was a bad liar. I only get away with lies when I was not asked directly or for long. Probe for longer and I'm spilling the truth out from my guts.

"Yes, you did."

"You guys, stop squabbling like an old married, dysfunctional couple."

"Hey"

"Hey"

Lucas and I chorus-yelled our displeasure at Zach's descriptive use of words on us.

He raised a hand in surrender and smiled an apology. It was phony though.

"But you both should just zip it and let me hear good, melodious sound. Not squawking ones."

He eyed us both.

I did not know how Lucas and I ended up laughing, but we did. Letting out gales of laughter, Zach soon joined us. I even heard a chuckling sound from someone else, I tilted my head to see it was Aaron. So he'd been aware of what was happening too? Only Trenton didn't seem to find it funny which was no bother to me.

"You guys are crazy."

I heard Aaron say.

Then our eyes met. His sterling gray orbs stared intensely and for a second, I forgot all about missing clothes and important bracelets. I could not take my gaze off and he was not taking his off either. I really took In his features for the first time, he was a specimen that was worth every attention it got. Saying he was attractive was an understatement.

"Here, let me take a look."

Lucas took my hand to admire the bracelet, breaking the spell-bound stare between me and Aaron. I was not sure he'd or the others had noticed the exchange of look between us or its intensity. It was both terrifying and electrifying.

But every thought of what that stare had done to me was momentarily forgotten when Lucas trailed his hand on around the bracelet, touching the big green stone. There was a reaction when he did that and I was tempted to pull my hand away from his. That bracelet was very important to me, it held my life. I allowed no one near it, not even mom. But it just wasn't about that, the bracelet held my identity. And when touched, it could react and affect me some. But I could not pull my hand away from Lucas, he was a sweet person, I did not have the heart to do it. Also, it would only make him more suspicious about it. He'd been complaining about my unstable mood this morning, pulling my hand away without giving him any tangible reason would just make him think I was trying to avoid a relationship with him and our connection might cut off. I was not ready to lose him. I did not want to lose him or make him feel bad, so I endured the reaction and let it surge through me while I held it in. He was still trailing his hands all over the stones.

"This bracelet looks so ancient. It looks like an antique." Lucas' tone held wonder and surprise. "How did you get this? It seems so old but beautiful."

I licked my lips as my brain quickly tried to think of a story to tell him. This bracelet, no one knew how it had come, even mom did not know. She had once asked me but I'd only shrugged and said I'd found it when I had gone out to play. I was very young then.

"I found it."

Deciding to tell him the same story I'd told my mother.

"Found it? People don't just find things like this."

"Well, I did. My luck, I guess."

I hoped he would leave it at that and not ask more questions or raise more doubts.

"You just found such a vintage treasure lying around?"

"Yes. Does that sound impossible?"

"To a greater degree, yes."

"Oh."

I did remove my hand then and stretched.

"So you are saying you found this piece lying…"

"I'm hungry."

I blurted. I was not really hungry but I had to stop Lucas from saying more. That bracelet story was not meant for anyone's ears. No one was to know how it had come, that was for me and for me alone.

"But it's still morning."

Zach had sometime ago removed his ear piece. I looked to where Trenton was, was he not fine yet?

"Is Trenton not feeling okay, yet?"

"I don't know. When he's in that mood, he only know when he's out if he becomes his normal self."

I had whispered the question to Lucas, and he had replied in the same manner.

"His normal self? He only has one kind of self."

"You might be right there but only Trenton knows when he's fine."

"And how do you guys know?"

"Are you really hungry, Katherina?"

I raised my head to meet Aaron's eyes.

"Yes."

I had started the lie, it was going to be weird saying no.

"Trenton are you okay now?"

He did not answer Aaron for a while. Just when I had given up of him ever replying, he stood. Maybe that was the sign he was okay. The rest of us stood and left for Salvatore cafeteria.

"It is ten past eleven guys."

Zach announced.

"What?"

I checked my phone to verify. It was indeed past eleven. I could not believe we had sat outside for two hours.

"Do we have another lecture today?"

"Yes, we do."

Zach replied, peering into his phone. I guess he had the soft copy of our lecture schedule.

"What time?"

I asked.

"By three."

"All of us?"

Aaron asked.

"Yes, all of the classes."

He nodded and said nothing more.

In silence, we headed towards the Salvatore cafeteria.

My thought still hung up on those clothes and who had taken them.