School of Secrets (The Perkins School for Self Improvement #1)

Chapter 7

Walking into the cafeteria for lunch, I quickly realize that Derek and Amber are nowhere to be found. Feeling incredibly out of place, I make my way methodically through the line. Lunch today is set up buffet style, one of those build-your-own sandwich bars. I throw together a substantial sandwich while looking around for someplace I might be able to sit. Sure, there's the usual table, but I'm not about to look like a loner by sitting there by myself.

Grabbing a bottle of water, I finish my progress through the lunch line, and I've just decided I'll look less lame if I'm eating alone in the courtyard when I catch sight of Marco.

He zeros in on me at about the same time I see him, lifting a hand to motion to me.

"Hey, newbie!" he calls as I get closer, "You can hang out over here today."

In the back of my mind, I remember the numerous marks on his left hand, the way Amber referred to him as 'the devil worshiper'. At the same time, he's never come across as anything but agreeable to me.

I decide I'll take my chances, and I close the last bit of distance between myself and his table.

Marco's table is relatively full. He's sitting next to a girl who appears to be of Japanese descent, and I count at least five others at the table aside from her and Marco.

The girl moves closer to Marco, leaving space for me to steal a chair from the neighboring table and slide up next to her. Once I've taken my seat, the girl considers me.

She's about five feet tall, with lengthy raven-colored hair pulled back in a braid and piercing brown eyes.

"So," she says, "you already know Marco."

She doesn't ask, but her tone compels me to nod anyway.

"He met me at the airport."

She nods, still looking at me with her calculating gaze.

"I'm Yumi," she says at last, "I'm in the tenth grade."

"I'm Tim," I tell her, "nice to meet you."

Yumi meets my gaze as though, by looking at me, she can see straight through to my soul.

"You chose them over us. I'm not sure if I think it's that nice to be meeting you."

"Excuse me?" I stare back at her, taking a bite of my sandwich while trying to comprehend her meaning.

"You chose to sit with the three musketeers instead of us. Don't you know where the real power is, you moron? Amber, Derek, and Marco's pathetic ex-girlfriend have nothing on us. Well, Creighton and Derek have money, but that's about all they have going for them."

"Well, Derek's my roommate." I defend.

Yumi takes a ferocious bite from her sandwich, still nailing me with an admittedly freaky death glare.

"Amber took my place! I should have been the girl prefect for our grade, not that wannabe. It's based on GPA, sure, but it's also based on character. I make straight A's, I've been doing community service for years. If that's not enough, both my sisters were prefects. She doesn't deserve it! If you call her your friend, I don't have anything to say to you."

"Umm?" A small voice pipes up from my other side, "He's new. Maybe he doesn't know who his friends are yet."

My glance goes to the small owner of the small voice, my eyes widening in surprise. She's not very tall at all, and if I had to guess I'd say she'd only be about four feet tall standing on tiptoe. She has short strawberry-blonde hair and eyes that remind me of the green of moss. Though she's participating in the conversation there's a slightly distant look in her eyes, giving her a dazed expression. It's not so much her appearance that takes me aback, it's the fact that she's at least five years younger than the next-youngest kid at the table.