*Cough cough*

"This tastes like... Like... I don't even know, it tastes worse than anything I've ever tasted!" Maxwell complains as the entire high school student body tries to choke down... I don't even know what it is the lunch ladies were trying to make today. It looks kind of like split pea soup with chunks of way overcooked hamburger, but it tastes like algae and sludge from the bottom of a lake. I quietly push my tray away from me. There is no way you could ever get me to eat what is served here. Every time I try to bring the fork to my mouth Zander is there to stop me from committing the worst kind of suicide possible: Death by Cafeteria Food.

Toby gags as he swallows a spoonful of the poison. "I'd rather be stabbed to death than have to eat this crap every day." My left eye twitches, and I bite my lip to keep from laughing hysterically. Tatum's thoughts flood my mind like a tidal wave. Sure, I'll put you out of your misery. I silence her with a large bite of the soup. Even though she's not controlling my body right now, she can still see what I see, hear what I hear, and taste what I taste.

"Where do you think Hadly is today?" Toby turns to me. "Do you know where she went? She doesn't usually miss school unless she absolutely has to..." My eye and fingers begin to twitch uncontrollably at the question. Sweat trickles down the back of my neck as I try to think of something to say.

"W-why would you th-think that I know where s-she is? I h-haven't seen h-er since the l-last time I saw-saw her..." A mental image of Tatum face-palming fills my mind. You idiot, that sounded so suspicious!

Blood rushes to my cheeks, and I try to hide it behind my wavy auburn hair. They're going to know! They're going to figure out what I did! Panic drowns out my rational thoughts as Maxwell and Toby look at me curiously. Toby gives me a little smirk.

"Is that so? You have no idea where she could possibly be?" He jabs a finger at my side, knowing exactly how to get information out of me. I fall out of my seat and lay giggling on the cold dusty tile. Maxwell rolls her eyes at me. Toby just chuckles quietly to himself, helping me up. "You ready to tell me where she is yet?"

I feel Tatum pushing towards the front of my mind, taking control of my voice. "She came part of the way here with me, then walked towards the woods about a mile from my house, asking me to come check out this cave she found. I refused because I was already going to be late for school. Then she got really annoyed with me and ran off on her own." Tatum gives my voice back again and retreats to the dark corners of my brain. I mentally thank her for getting me out of that mess.

Toby has a hurt look on his face. "She never told me about the cave. I thought we were supposed to tell each other everything..." He looks down at the table.

I rest a hand on his shoulder. "Don't you have even one secret that you've kept from her?"

He blushes slightly. "N-no!"

"I'll take that as a yes." I smirk and get up to dump my sludge in the trash bin. Suddenly I feel a sort of shove coming from inside my mind. Black rims the edge of my vision and a tingling numbness spreads through my body, starting at the tips of my fingers and working its way through me.

"W-what..." My speech is slurred. I can't feel my tongue or my lips anymore.

Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer. I'd say we're about as close as close can get, wouldn't you, Simone? The sound of Tatum's maniac laughter fills my head. Usually when she gets like this Zander is there to hold her back, but I can't hear or feel him this time.

Where's Zander? I push my thoughts at her with all my might.

I took care of that brat hours ago. Didn't you notice when he stopped giving you all of the answers to your test, you idiot?

I may or may not have been taking a nap at the time...

He kept getting in my way, so I killed him. Tatum's voice was nonchalant as she said, Now I just have to take you out, too. You weren't expecting me to hurt you in front of the whole school, and you let your guard down. Honestly, it was too easy. She burst into giggles. Goodnight, Simone.

••••••

Song: Don't You Dare Forget the Sun (Get Scared)