PERPETUAL MIDNIGHT: CHAPTER FOUR
When Ethan got back to school, the first thing he did was look for Tracy. She was still in class, and he paced up and down the corridor as he waited for her. The seconds dragged by, making them feel like hours.
When the class door opened, it almost knocked him over, but he quickly dodged it, and as soon as he saw Tracy, he rushed toward her. He pulled her by the arm in the opposite direction of the Study Hall, the last class on a Monday night.
“Hey, dude. What’s going on?” Tracy asked, pulling her arm from his grip. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, more than you usually do.” She giggled at her own joke.
“There’s this girl –”
The smile on her face vanished. “What do you mean, there’s this girl? You mean the new one? Wait. There’s two new ones.”
“The one with the dark hair.”
“Okay… I’ve seen her. What about her?”
“I want you to find out who she is.”
“Zoey? I already know some things about her from her transfer file.” She smiled and made her dark eyebrows move up and down. The silver stud pinched through the skin in her left eyebrow flashed as the overhead light reflected off it. “As soon as I could I went to see Jonesy in admin, and offered my help, like the good student I am.” She gave him a wink. “And I had a quick peek through their files. They both seem innocent, like the humans they are. They’re not a danger to us, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Her name is Zoey?” His voice was soft. “It doesn’t suit her, don’t you think?” He shook his head. “Besides, that’s not what I’m worried about.”
“What then?”
He gave her a look filled with sorrow.
“No!” She gasped. “You’re pulling my leg!”
“When I saw her, everything went quiet, and I was lost. I think she’s the one –”
“No! Don’t even say it. For crying out loud, Ethan, how can you even think something like that is even possible – so quick?”
“After all this time, don’t you think I’d know – so quick?” There was a sarcastic tone in his voice. “I think I have to go home.”
“No. You have to face this. Get it out of your system.” She pushed her arm through the crook of his arm and started walking toward the Study Hall.
Ethan knew he did not want to face this. He wanted to see her and never stop looking at her. He never wanted to see her again for as long as he lived, and that was still going to be a long time.
Tracy led him through the back door of the Study Hall. Usually, not much studying happened in Study Hall. At the back of the hall there was a bank of vending machines with hot or cold food, and two with junk food.
After the machine dispensed his double steak burger, he walked across the room to their usual table. He scanned the room but did not see her.
The room was hot, crowded and noise-filled, and it was anguish. Although his friends were already seated at the table, they could tell from the expression on his face that he wanted to be left alone.
Tracy had gone to find Zoey, and to see if she could convince her to come and sit here with them.
He had hoped to be alone for a bit before she came, to calm his nerves. Bad luck would have it that Andrew flopped down beside him and started talking.
Ethan did not hear a word he said and concentrated only on eating his hamburger. Hoping Andrew would catch the hint and talk to somebody else.