Lisa's POV)
I followed Susan and Tisha to the cafeteria, my heart beating a little faster with each step. The hallway buzzed with the usual lunchtime chaos—lockers slamming, people shouting across the hall, the smell of fries and pizza drifting from the cafeteria doors. I tried to act normal, like this was just another day, but something inside me felt… off. Like the air was charged with a strange kind of anticipation.
We joined David and Steven at their usual table, and I tried to play it cool.
"Hey, guys," Steven said, making space for us. "What's up?"
Tisha plopped down beside him, already mid-sentence as she launched into some gossip about the school's latest drama involving a breakup between two seniors that everyone apparently knew about except me. She talked with her hands, animated and dramatic, while Steven leaned back in his chair, grinning like he was watching a live show.
David sat across from me, his eyes flicking to mine briefly before he went back to his food.
Something about that glance made my stomach twist. Not in a bad way, exactly—just… complicated. David and I used to talk more. Joke around. Lately he'd been quieter, distant in a way I couldn't quite explain.
I picked at my salad, trying to join the conversation without tripping over my words. Susan was right – David had been distant lately. I wondered if I'd done something wrong. Every time I thought about asking him, my courage disappeared.
Susan nudged my elbow lightly. "Lisa, you're quiet today."
"Just hungry," I said quickly, forcing a small laugh.
Steven launched into a dramatic reenactment of something his cat had done that morning—apparently knocking over an entire stack of cereal boxes. Tisha nearly choked laughing while Susan wiped tears from her eyes.
Even David cracked a smile.
For a moment, everything felt normal again.
But then the tingling sensation in my fingers returned.
It started faintly, like tiny pins pressing gently against my skin. I flexed my hands under the table, hoping it would fade like it had earlier that morning. Instead, the sensation spread, warm and electric.
Like tiny sparks dancing under my skin.
Weird.
I tried to ignore it, focusing on Tisha's stories, but the sparks intensified. My fingers began to feel warm, like they'd been dipped in warm water. I rubbed my palms together under the table, hoping no one would notice.
Steven noticed me rubbing my hands together. "You okay, Lisa?"
I shook it off. "Yeah, just... cold, I guess."
Cold was the opposite of what I felt, but it was the first excuse that came to mind.
David looked up, his gaze lingering on me for a moment. His expression changed slightly—like he was studying me.
"You want my jacket?" he asked.
My heart skipped. "No, I'm fine, thanks."
The conversation flowed around me – sports, music, plans for the weekend. Steven argued that his team was definitely winning Friday's game. Tisha insisted she was only going for the snacks and the drama in the stands. Susan suggested we all go together.
I laughed at a joke, feeling more at ease.
But the sparks were getting harder to ignore.
They crawled up my wrists, spreading slowly along my arms. My skin prickled, almost buzzing, like static electricity before a storm.
I squeezed my hands into fists.
Then, out of nowhere, the sparks intensified.
My vision blurred.
Next thing I knew, the cafeteria was... changing.
The walls shimmered like water disturbed by a stone. Colors warped and stretched. The chatter of hundreds of voices vanished in an instant, replaced by a strange, low hum vibrating through the air.
Everyone froze.
Steven sat mid-gesture, mouth open in the middle of a sentence. Tisha's fork hovered halfway to her mouth. A milk carton tipped on a nearby table, suspended in mid-fall.
It was like the world had paused.
And I was the only one noticing.
My heart pounded as I slowly looked around.
The lights flickered above me, their glow stretching like reflections on water. My hands were still warm, glowing faintly—or maybe that was just my imagination.
Then I looked back at the table.
David wasn't frozen.
His eyes locked onto mine, full of surprise.
"Lisa..."
The world snapped back.
The milk carton hit the floor with a dull splash. Voices rushed back all at once. Chairs scraped against tile. Someone laughed loudly behind me.
The hum stopped.
I blinked, my head spinning as I looked around, trying to figure out if anyone else had noticed.
"What... just happened?" I whispered.
Susan leaned in. "Did you see that? The lights flickered."
I shook my head, unsure. But David was staring at me like I'd done something. Like he knew something I didn't.
Tisha piped up, "Guys, let's hit the game after school!"
The crew started planning. I stayed quiet, my mind racing. What was happening to me? Was I losing it?
As we finished lunch, David stood up, his eyes still on me. "Lisa, you coming?"
I nodded, trying to read his expression. Was he curious about me?
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. We gathered our stuff, and I followed the crew out. Susan nudged me. "You okay? You seem... spaced out."
I shrugged. "Yeah, just... weird day."
We headed to our next class, but my mind was elsewhere. What was that weird sensation? And why did David look at me like that?