TWENTY ONE: DINING TALK

When I come to, I’m in my room on the bed. I looked around the room and discovered that I was alone. My mind travelled back to what happened as I tried to recall how I ended up here.

I remembered the solitary confinement and then the headmistress’ warning, my eyes widened again as I realised she had threatened to kill me much earlier than she planned, had I continued provoking her.

Ember, I was about to enter the dining room after her when my vision became blurry, someone caught me before I fell, someone…

Raphael?

I remembered his face being the last thing I saw but the image was blurry, or was that a dream, how did I end up here then or did he carry me here?

I was asking these questions to no one in particular. I had a slight headache and as I adjusted my position, my stomach began to grumble. I was still yet to have dinner, I had a feeling it was very late. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and stood up from the bed.

Daphne was in solitary confinement and I never knew where Phoebe was.

I made my way to the door, leaving the room, I noticed the hallway was empty and quiet meaning everyone had gone to sleep. My stomach grumbled again causing me to groan. I had to eat something, I wanted to eat something.

I didn’t feel safe walking alone in the middle of the night but my hunger was driving me.

Would I be able to find food at this time? The dining room had probably been cleared by now, still I made my way there.

The silence was killing me, I truly wondered what time it was. I pushed at the dining room’s door and discovered it was open so I went inside, hoping to find some leftover food or anything.

“Why is there….” I stopped midway my speech as I noticed a figure at the centre of the room and his grey eyes turned to meet mine.

“Of course” I murmured as I found Raphael coincidentally sitting in the middle of the dining room alone.

He stares at me but doesn’t say anything.

“Were you the one who carried me to my room?”

“Would you prefer I say no?” He asked, causing me to scoff at him.

“And that’s how you thank someone that helped you?”

“I never asked you to,” I retorted.

“Noted” He said while nodding his head. I rolled my eyes and looked around the room. The whole place was already cleared, no sign of leftover food, nothing.

“Why are you here?” I turned to the rude boy.

“Not your business” He replied and I only nodded.

“I don’t sleep well at night,” He suddenly said.

“I wonder why” I replied sarcastically.

I began walking towards him and noticed his eyes narrow

“Three feet,” he warned.

“That didn’t apply when you caught me,” I reminded him. He only glared at me.

“Why did you collapse?” He questioned and as much as I wanted to be sarcastic, I genuinely didn’t know.

“I guess I was just tired” I sighed and sat at the table before where he was.

“Here” he said and tossed something towards me, I barely caught it before raising it to my face. It’s a sandwich.

I stare at it dumbfounded and pull it away from my face to look at him.

“Why?” I asked.

“Aren’t you hungry, you can give it back” He snapped.

I glare at him and stare at the sandwich pack,

“Thank you” I muttered and my stomach growled. I blushed in embarrassment.

I opened the foil and began to bite into it, as I took the first bite, it was like my hunger grew and I began to eat more.

Before I knew it, I had gobbled up the whole sandwich and sighed in relief while licking the sauce off my fingers.

I looked up to find Raphael staring at me.

“Monster” He murmured with a subtle smile, something I didn’t think could happen.

“I was hungry!” I snapped back, my cheeks turning red once more, I had ignored the fact that he was there and rushed the sandwich.

“I’m sure,” he mocked.

“What’s wrong with you?” I asked, he was very weird and I wasn’t sure what I felt of him.

Raphael only stares hard at me and before I know it, he is on his feet and he makes his way towards me, I stare at the weird boy sceptically, what was he planning to do? He stops at my table and plops down on the seat opposite me.

“It’s ridiculous that we are sitting on different tables when we are still three feet apart like this” He said and I stared at him in confusion.

“So you realise your stupid rule is ridiculous?” I scoffed. “Why even three feet, what…” I stop mid speech as Raphael stretches his hand across the table and wipes the side of my lips with his finger.

I blink twice and watch his finger retract back, stained with sandwich sauce and he cleans it against a kerchief. Before I can speak he throws the handkerchief at my face.

“Learn to eat properly, you’re not seven”

I still stare at him dumbfounded before my gaze travels to the handkerchief on my lap.

“You have issues” I snapped back at him, gaining myself. One minute he was kind, the next he was being rude.

“You are clearly the cause,” he added.

“I did nothing” I replied and took a deep breath.

“Why three feet, why do you bully me?” I asked, meeting his grey eyes.

“I don’t bully you”

“You do,” I retorted immediately.

He scoffed and stood up “There’s something about you Martins, I can’t place my finger on it yet but my gut tells me it isn’t good”

I swallowed hard, was he sensing that I wasn’t one of them, that I was human?

Daphne had mentioned that Raphael was the only one of his kind, could he somehow sense what people were.

When I looked up, his brows were furrowed and his eyes scanned mine hard.

“Your reaction just now proves I’m right” The friendliness in his tone had vanished.

“Goodnight Martins” He said then stomped out of the dining room, slamming the door behind him, causing me to flinch.