Yesterday's outing seemed to have caused a cosmic shift in the platelets of our friendship groups. Yukishiro, Quinn and Azlan started walking to school together, and Bennett wasn't entirely repulsed by the idea of Maya walking into school with him.

So that just left Silas. He couldn't walk into school with a robot, so he was left all alone. Since walking to school with Azlan, Silas never had to fear being alone. But now, things had changed.

Silas spotted Azlan and breathed a sigh of relief. He rushed over to the girl, tapping her on the shoulder. "Hey. Thought we were gonna walk to school together?"

"Oh! Sorry, Si. I was at the coffee shop with Leo and Quinn", she said, smiling when two people came out of one of the rooms.
"Speak of the devils."

Silas' face fell when he saw Quinn and Yukishiro. Not that he had a problem with them, he just didn't expect to see them with Azlan again.

"Hi, Silas!", greeted Yukishiro.

"Hey", said Quinn.

Silas nodded his head at the pair. "Hey."

Azlan looked at her phone. "Oh dude, you should get going! You have to get Katie, remember?"

Silas nodded before looking at the ground to hide his frown.
"Yeah. See you later then."

____________________________

Bennett stared at the messages on his phone, unable to shake the feeling that this was more than just some prankster.

Unknown Number
Bennett please. Trust me. When the time is right I need you to meet me somewhere.

Unknown Number
I know you are reading these Bennett. Please respond.

Unknown Number
Time is running out Bennett.

"So you're telling me your parents just hugged you? They didn't shout at you or anything?", asked Maya.

Bennett pulled away from his phone to focus on the girl beside him.
"Yeah."

"Your parents are amazing", said Maya.

Bennett rolled his eyes.
"Sure."

Maya furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"Are you ok?"

Bennett sighed.
"What's with all the words, man? Haven't you ever heard of walking in silence?"

"Bennett!", called out an approaching Elodie.
"Are you ok?"

Bennett groaned, slamming his hand into the nearby wall. He groaned in pain, biting his lip to stop himself from crying.

"Bennett!", exclaimed Maya. She grabbed his arm and attempted to turn him around, but he just shoved her.

Maya stumbled, losing her footing and crashing to the ground. Bennett gasped as he looked at Maya. Elodie's eyes widened.
"Are you ok?", she asked, holding her hand out.

Despite being in extreme pain, Maya couldn't help but be fixated on the fact that Elodie was concerned about her. Their relationship was rocky, to say the least, so Maya really wasn't expecting her to stay and help.

Maya grabbed Elodie's hand, tensing up only when Elodie pulled Maya closer to her. Elodie sensed this so spoke as they walked away.
"Sorry about that."

Maya shook her head. "It's f-fine."

"The nurse will know what to do", said Elodie.

Maya looked over her shoulder.
"Wait, Bennett needs her too!"

Mary-Anne rushed to Bennett.
"I'll take him", she said. She glared at him when he moved away. "Let me take you or I'll happily break your other hand."

______________________

Silas walked into Spanish class with a spring in his step. He was chaperoning K375B today, so he was bound to be needed. There's no way he'd be left out now.

K375B took her seat next to Silas. She noticed Silas' smile.
"You appear to be in a different mood than usual. My findings say you are... happy."

Silas chuckled.
"Yeah, I am."

"Happiness is a positive emotion.
I am glad you are feeling happy, Mr. Silas."

"Katie, you have to tell help me", said a on the table in front of them. "Let me copy your notes, I haven't done them."

Katie stared at her beautifully written notes.
"But the notes were homework. Should that not have been a priority?"

"My cat was ill so we spent most of the day at the vet's", explained the boy. "Please, Katie. You'll really save my butt."

"So, by giving you my notes I will be protecting you?", asked Katie. When the boy nodded, she stared into the distance for a few seconds.

The boy furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"You ok?"

Katie looked at him again.
"Yes. I will do it."

The boy grinned.
"Thanks! You're a lifesaver. Come sit with me. I'll just tell Mr. Lass I'm helping you with something."

Katie nodded, before picking up her stuff and joining the boy.

"Are you really leaving me?", asked Silas.

Katie nodded.
"I must help him."

Silas sighed. How has this happened?

"Silas!", called out the teacher. "Get some lamps from the storage room please."

"Can't someone else go?", he asked.

"No. I asked you. Hurry now", replied the teacher.

Silas groaned, making sure to continue the noise as he made his way to the door.
"My life sucks."

______________________

Maya was sent to the hospital for a suspected dislocated shoulder, whereas Bennett's hand was cleaned and stitched up by the nurse.

"I'm afraid I'll have to tell Principal Reed", said the nurse. "But I'll hold off on telling him until later. Keep some ice on that and get going to your class now."

Bennett just nodded. His mind was on Maya, and what had happened earlier. Ever since his ordeal, he felt like he was walking on egg shells around his family. One remark about being locked in a confined space and he'd be sent to Dr. Cromford's Office for weekly therapy sessions again.

School was the one place where he could be himself. Or, the version of himself that was created after the ordeal.

So when Maya and Elodie questioned him, he just lost it. He felt like the darkness from his home was infiltrating his home, like gas from a burst pipe.

Bennett left the nurse's office and headed to his next class. Suddenly, the halls were pitch black.

"What the f*ck..."

He heard gasps and screams from nearby classrooms, followed by a chorus of questions from some students.

No. Not today. Not now.

Bennett's breathing became irregular, his brain asking for more air than he was ready to breath in.
"Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t."

Bennett slid his hands along the walls, searching for a door. His hand reached one, and he yanked it open.

He was immediately blinded by light coming from the storage room. As his eyes got used to the light, he gasped, his brain not used to the sight.

"What the f*ck is wrong with me?", asked a stunned and confused Silas.

In the middle of the storage room, stood a luminescent Silas.

______________________

Hi.

This chapter and the next one are loosely inspired by Season 1 episode 2 of Strange Days at Blake Holsey High.

Poor Silas is feeling left out. But what exactly has happened to him?

Elodie seemed to put her frustations with Maya aside. Will this be the start of a repaired friendship?

Bennett's clearly struggling. Things are about to get a lot more difficult for him. Will anyone help him?

What are your thoughts on this chapter?

DoodleYeet

LeMystical-Puffle

hopefulfirebird

agathokakological_05

italllic