Hollow Twilight - A LitRPG Novel

Chapter 18

Reid's fingers tensed, squeezing on the sandwich he was carrying into the cafeteria. His eyes scanned the tables, seeking the person he really didn't want to speak with. He sucked down the nerves gurgling in his throat as he spotted her and slid into the seat across from her at her table.

"What do you want?" Kari barely looked up from her own meal, some mushy chicken in an inexplicable sauce, surrounded with equally soft vegetables. Cafeteria food.

"I can't believe you eat that stuff, it's terrible."

"Oh so you're just here to trash on my food?" Kari stabbed her fork down into her paper plate, It stuck straight up, embedded in the fibers. She glared at him across the table, eyes blazing. Reid held down the regret encircling him. He had to push through and talk to her.

"You say mean stuff to me all the ti-"

"When I was younger, I brought my lunch." Kari resumed eating her meal after yanking her fork back out. "But then everyone teased me because it smelled funny." Kari's fork suddenly shot up between the pair, pointing straight at Reid's face. "So maybe I have my reasons, ok?"

"Sorry." Reid gently placed his own sandwich down on the table and unwrapped it, his eyes never leaving Kari.

"So you're just making yourself at home?"

"I have to," Reid replied, feeling his phone buzz in his pocket. He lifted up his sandwich and took a bite, trying to make sure he still appeared to be eating normally while he openly discussed interdimensional beings in a public school. "I logged in to Hollow Twilight and-"

"You followed my advice very well." Kari shook her head and went rooting through her backpack, taking out a notebook and pen. She flipped through some pages of notes before settling on a particular pair.

"What are you doing?" Reid asked, watching her carefully as she tapped a pen on the paper.

"Pretending this is school stuff, you're very bad at this."

"S-shut up," Reid stammered, feeling his cheeks go hot. He balled his hands into fists down at his sides, biting at his lower lip before a long exhale. Kari had a tiny smile in the corner of her mouth, her eyes watching him with gleeful curiosity. "I was just saying that-"

"What is up ladies!" Issac slid in to the open seat beside Kari, slamming down his tray onto the table with the resounding clatter of plastic on plastic. Drops of grease flew from his slice of pizza as it bounced on his plate. "What's going on here?"

"I apologize for his behaviour," Maple said, sitting next to Reid. She was directing her sentiment at Kari, giving her a little nod. Kari, meanwhile, hadn't done anything, wasn't even blinking, as she visibly processed what was going on, and Reid took a moment to bask in the satisfaction of her being stunned.

"Behaviour?" Issac countered, holding onto his chin as he leaned across the table, eyebrows wiggling. "I am always the perfect gentleman when I am in the presence of a gentlewoman, but that is never true around here." He shrieked as Maple kicked his hin under the table and he instantly retreated to the safety of his chair, curling into a ball. "You're only proving my point."

"I'm..." Reid trailed off, caught between Kari and his friends. She was still puzzled over how to deal with their sudden arrival, and he didn't know where to go from here either. "Sorry, I didn't know this was coming."

"Uh we totally texted you," Maple replied. "Maybe check your phone once. Plus we like always have lunch, this shouldn't surprise you. Also I'm Maple, we have, uh, fifth period together? Pretty certain." Maple did a little wave to Kari who gave her a crooked smile in return. "Doofus there is Issac, you know Reid, see now you're part of the group."