Entering the human side of the school Mark shakes his head to the chagrin of Anthony who is stood to the left of the door having just let him through.
"That's four days straight now." Anthony says.
"Its not like we're chummy we just say hello as I pass through, you're making this a bigger deal than it is." Mark, dismissing his innuendo for what felt like the millionth time, "Why would I lie about something so meaningless?"
"Why would you lie at all?" Anthony says without a second thought, Mark looking away as he continues, "Apparently the top ten have private rooms in the fancy part of your half of school so I guess she wouldn't have any reason to come down here anymore."
"So you believe me?"
"No other choice, I'll stop saying you're lying." Anthony begins to walk away leaving Mark for a moment.
"Those are two entirely different things." Mark says slowly walking to catch up.
Returning back through the connector, as if returning from another world entirely, Mark is hit with a wave of noise and chaos.
Following a carved out path others in front of him had made, he makes his way through the bustling, almost suffocating hall until both he and the others break free and disperse all in different directions.
"Your break is over!" Hearing the woman's thundering voice Mark turns to listen along with those actually targeted, "Get to your classes. Anybody caught using their abilities answers to me!" Looking at the Practical Use teacher, Miss Walsh, you'd think she was someone ripped straight out of Greek mythology, but in reality she had obviously awakened Strength, the process to do so the most physically altering as the entire body is forced into changing to accommodate the power the whole body is to possess.
In one way or another every ability changes the body, unnoticeable or impossible to miss, even those with passive abilities.
Suddenly Mark is shoved in his back, not too hard but enough to have him stumble slightly, looking up he recognizes the culprits, Andrew and Robbie.
Wrecking Balls that make it their business to barge anyone they perceive as lower than them practically two small hurricanes paving their own way, preferring to go through any obstacle rather than making the effort to manoeuvre past them.
Standing up straight, he reads the sign on the door and sighs lightly before thinking to himself, "Aptitude is today?" Hunching over slightly he pushes open the class door.
A stern knock on the door steals the principals attention away from paperwork, the door opening before he can respond.
"Sir, the kid is here to see you." His assistant says poking her head inside.
"Thanks, Anya." Cage places his pen down and stretches, "Send him in."
Opening the door and holding it, she steps aside allowing Jacob to enter.
Jacob approaches one of the chairs placed in front of the principals desk in the complete opposite way he usually acts, quiet and reserved.
"Don't sit. What is it? I'm busy." Cage says, clearly disinterested, ready to be done with the disruption already.
"I was wondering when I could duel next? I want to be ready for the multi-school tournament at the end of the year and I haven't been doing anything lately." Standing awkwardly, not really knowing what to do with himself.
"Who?" Cage stares at him awaiting a response but Jacob stares back silently, "Who?" He repeats himself, his voice almost condescending now.
"You've beat everyone else, there's no-one. Everything is so stagnant." Cage sighs lightly and pinches the highest point on his nose.
"I'll set you up a sparring match sometime, if that's all.." Cage waves him away and picks the pen back up.
"Thank you, Sir." Jacob containing his enthusiasm as he leaves.
Before the door closes a hand slips in between and props it open, entering the office.
"If I had known he'd be so clingy I wouldn't have taken him in. Why couldn't he have been like you?" Cage says flippantly, still writing.
"Would you like me to stop allowing him in so often?" Anya says, standing by the door like a soldier at their post.
"No.. He'd just become emotional, you know how he can get. Until we're back in the fold this is the best way to control him."
"He could be a valuable asset but I don't see him being anything special especially when we return.. Does he know?" Anya asks, her curiosity obvious.
"Did you when you were his age? Of course not." Almost surprised at the question.
"Not that, sir. Does he know we know his secret yet?"
Cage stops writing and lets out an exaggerated laugh almost relieved she hadn't asked such a stupid question, "That? No, not a clue."
Staring intently at the clock as it slowly approaches the end of the hour Marks attention is pulled by the teacher, Mrs Haymath who hardly looks even ten years older than her students.
"Guys listen up." Pausing for a moment making sure everyone is looking at her before she continues, "Most of you are eighteen now, most of you don't see yourselves working with your abilities and that's more than okay but please take your classes more serious, it can do nothing but good for you all when applying for colleges." The ring of the bell signalling lunch echoes out perfectly as she finishes almost like it was planned, "I expect more effort next time." She calls out to the indifferent, evacuating students.
Pushing through the chaos, which is the school cafeteria, Mark and Anthony find themselves at the exit with their lunches in hand.
Leaving, Anthony pauses for a moment wanting to but not being able to speak about what he's thinking.
"They've got to fork out the money for another cafeteria, sharing one is such a pain." Mark says walking through the corridors littered with chatting students.
As the two turn a corner, Scott and a few of his friends walk by. While the two pretend not to even know each other Scott cant help but shoot him a look of pure loathing, Mark shaking his head in response, befuddled at what he possibly could've done to deserve that kind of treatment.
Stopping outside a classroom with chairs posted up by the door, the two sit like they usually do.
Anthony looks up and down the almost completely empty corridor, as far away from the cafeteria they can get, as Mark mindlessly tears open his food.
"Its quiet without Alicia here." Anthony says now opening his lunch.
Mark side eyes him, "Thought you didn't want to talk about her since she moved?"
"I want to sit in the cafeteria sometime."
"Why? Its miserable." Mark, leaning back in the chair.
"You don't put yourself out there you wont get anything." Anthony says, following Marks lead leaning back.
"And what are you trying to get?" Mark asks already knowing the answer to the question he'd been asked before.
"A social life I guess. Plenty of normal people are in there, I wouldn't be the only one."
"Sure but most of them line the halls because they don't have endless money bags. Only way your not chased out is if someone vouches for you." Mark taking a bite as he finishes.
"No harm no foul though, right?" Anthony says optimistically.
"No harm to you I'd be fair game though, best they can do to you is make sure your food hits the floor before it hits your face. And there's no seats, we've got seats here." Mark moving on the chair, as if to prove this is superior.
"Its gotta beat this out though." Anthony says.
"Nah, I'm not interested in wasting my free time."
"C'mon.." Anthony persists to the annoyance of Mark.
"I don't mind the peace and quiet so no.." Standing, Mark continues, "Don't let me stop you though, have fun."
"Why are you being like that?" Anthony asks frustrated, to no response from the already leaving Mark.
Heading back towards the other connector instead of the one used by everybody, Mark throws away his half eaten lunch.
Awakeners can go a full day without feeling hunger but serving lunch is mandatory regardless so its not unusual for lunches to be thrown away almost fully intact.
Mark comes to the connector he usually uses, beating himself up inside.
"Why'd I do that? I'm not even upset.." Thinking to himself as he buzzes open the door and swings it open.
Half way to the opposite door the noise of a paper page being flipped catches Marks attention.
On the bench, one leg over the other and a book in hand, sits a girl. Her hair ridiculously blonde and noticeably tall for a girl.
He cant help but laugh to himself on the inside.
Turning back and sitting beside her, but not close, the first thing he notices looking at her is a slightly crooked nose.
The two look at one another for a moment, Valentina waiting for him to say something.
"Why are you here?" Mark asks dumbfoundedly, thinking about the odds she shows up now of all times.
"Why are you here?" She responds, staring him right in the eye, her tone almost a confused, playful combativeness.