In the Shadows

Part Four: the Gang

The bell chimed loudly across campus. It was lunch hour, something I've dread the past few days. Only a week into the school year, I had become comfortable navigating my way through each of the buildings. When lunchtime arrived, I was overcome with my anxiety once again.

I gathered my belongings into my bag and prepared to exit the science lab. Maybe today I might see Cain. He had walked me to my class each morning, but I never saw him after that throughout the day. His absence made me hesitate calling him a friend, but the way he was with me made me believe we were very close. It was a confusing dynamic.

While I readied myself for another afternoon of sitting and eating alone somewhere, I noticed a familiar group walking the opposite way down the hallway. I recognized Monica, and Sara, linking arms with tall, older boys. The boy's long hair curled out from underneath their baseball caps, their jeans sagged around their waist despite the studded belts tied through them. They seemed oblivious of the girls in their posse. The boys spoke to each other with inside jokes and light hearted insults. None of them had a back pack, instead they held their skateboards closely.

    From the doorway, I watched the crew slip out the back door of the science building. I heard the metal latch slam, as if it locked behind them. I wanted to know more.

Before I had the chance to peep through the window at them, I heard a sing-song voice echoing in the empty hallway. Skipping in from the front door, a tall girl followed after her friends. Everything about her was long and slender, she spun down the hall in her black ballet flats- her long patchwork scarf flowing in circles around her. In an instant, she arrived in front of me and placed her cold, smooth, hands on my face.

    "Hello, little one." She cooed. Her wavy black hair framed her piercing blue eyes. Her eyes and nose were perfectly round, she smiled brightly behind pink lipstick. She looked me over, straightening out my shirt and brushing my hair over my shoulders.

    I replied, "Hi?"

    She wrapped her arms around me. Her embrace was thin but firm.
    "Would you like to join us for lunch?"

    "Um, that's okay." I was nervous.

    "I'm Maddy. You're going to eat with us today." She took my hand and led me through the back door.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the light after sitting in the dimly lit lab for so long. I continued holding Maddy's hand. The door opened to a side walk that led around to the front of the building, a fire exit. We went off the path and trotted down the hill towards a chain link fence. There was a gap in one of the panels, covered by a thick bush. Maddy pushed aside the branches and walked through the hole. On the other side of the fence, sat in a close circle, was the same group as before. They had shared and lit a pack of smokes, and a travel sized bottle of cinnamon liquor. I was more intrigued than ever before.

Maddy wrapped her arms around me, leaning down to rest her head on top of mine. "Everyone. This is my new little friend."

The guys gave a half smile and nod my way. Monica and her friend rolled their eyes without looking up.

    "Hey, I'm Stephanie." I said shyly. Maddy sat in the circle, pulling me down beside her.

    We sat in the dry, yellow grass, hidden behind a wall of shrubs. The hill we were on overlooked the baseball field. Some how in the mid-day light, it looked even more impressive than when I had last seen it. As I sat with this odd new group, we watched some students run out onto the field. They pulled large metal rakes behind them, smoothing the rich brown dirt around the infield. Once all the preparation was finished, more players wandered onto the field in their exercise clothes and began to stretch. I watched the team warming up, as I wasn't a part of the conversation around me. After a cigarette, some potato chips, and a sip of the booze later; the bell rang out again to end the lunch hour.