In the cafeteria, nine students gathered around one of the thirteen round tables. Alex, Carmichael, Liam, Blaze, Alessia, Olivia, Mira, Mina and Rosa.
Alessia and Liam were engrossed in feeding each other French fries, to the right of them was Carmichael and Rosa who were in a silent thought conversation and giving each other googley eyes. Mira and Mina sat next to them smiling at their friend's new love interest and wishing they had their own. Beside them sat blaze who was fuming having to watch 'his Rosa' flirting with another guy that wasn't him. Although he had never made a single attempt at wooing her.
Alex and Olivia were eating their lunch and conversing about Alex's upcoming road trip to a private university six hours away. "I've never heard of the place." She stated.
"Well it is very private," he replied with a little smirk.
"So private that it doesn't show up on a google search?" She asked suspiciously. Showing him her phone's screen, with zero results.
"Yes!" He answered.
"How do you know how to get there?" She asked.
"I got my directions in the letter they sent me." He answered.
She eyed him suspiciously, "How did you find out about them and apply?" She asked.
"Well I didn't, they sought me out." He said, grabbing a few fries and shoving them in his mouth.
"Sounds suspicious to me." She stated.
"What's going on at this place that their is no information about it." She asked taking a bite of her chicken sandwich.
"I assume learning," he chuckled.
"How did you get an invite?" She asked curiously.
"I guess you just have to know the right people." He teased.
"Mmmmhmmm," she said sarcastically.
"You're welcome to come with us, to check it out." He said invitingly.
"Us?" She asked, "Who else got an invite?"
Alex looked around the table and her eyes followed. Everyone at the table, except Carmichael, raised a hand.
"All of you got an invite?" She asked in complete shock.
"Wow what are the odds that all of my friends got an invite, except me." She commented skeptically, eyeing Alex.
'She's going to see right through this,' Alessia commented in thought.
'No she won't.' Blaze thought back.
'She most certainly is, she's not an idiot, Blaze,' she thought.
"I didn't get one," Carmichael stated, trying to throw her off.
"One person." She stated
'I thought they sent hers out.' Mina chimed in.
'They did, it's obviously being kept hidden from her.' Carmichael stated.
'Maybe she hasn't received it yet. Not everything is a conspiracy.' Blaze countered and with much sarcasm.
'They were sent out two weeks ago.' Carmichael stated, staring into Rosa's eyes.
Rosa blushed, and bit her lip trying to hide her smile.
'Can they send another one, maybe to the school?' Alessia asked.
'I'll make a call.' Carmichael replied. He got up from his seat, "I'll be right back." He stated, mostly to Rosa.
Blaze silently mouthed, 'I'll make a call' as theatrically as he could, Earning him a shot to the ribs from Mira.
'Stop it!' She thought only to him.
'NO!' He silently mouthed back to her.
'I don't have to!' He thought.
"I thought you can't go without an invite?" Olivia pointed out.
"I'm sure they'll let you look around with us." Alessia reassured her.
"Who knows, maybe you'll get one before the trip." Liam chimed in with a wink.
"When is the trip?" She asked.
"Two weeks." Alex stated.
Olivia couldn't shake the feeling they were keeping something from her, but she didn't want to think her friends would really do something like that.
She decided to put the thought aside and watch them more closely from now on.
How would she get an invite to a place she had never even heard of? Did she even want an invite? None of it made sense.
'She's not going to buy it.' Alessia reiterated.
'She will!' Blaze stated with irritation.
'I can see the wheels in her head turning. She's not going to let it go.' Alessia said.
'She'll never suspect a thing,' Blaze thought.
'Besides the great Carmichael will save the day,' he thought sarcastically. Earning him daggers from Rosa.
Carmichael returned to the table, taking his seat next to Rosa, who was happy to have him back. 'It's done.' He thought. 'Cyrus will be delivering the invite personally.'
They all froze, except Olivia, who continued to eat her lunch, oblivious to the silent conversation taking place around her.
'He's coming here?' Alex thought.
'Yes.' Carmichael replied.
'Are you serious?' Blaze thought.
'Yes.' Carmichael replied.
'Why?' Alessia thought.
Carmichael sighed and rolled his eyes. 'What's wrong with him coming?' He thought.
'I thought he would wait until the university trip.' Alex thought.
'He decided he wants to meet her now,' he replied.
'What if she finds out?' Alessia thought.
'How would she find out?' Carmichael thought.
'It's kinda obvious,' Blaze thought eyeing him.
'No it isn't.' Carmichael thought.
'Yes it is!' They all thought, In unison.
'Look, he makes the rules, not me. I just follow orders.' He thought.
'Why didn't you try to talk him out of it?' Alessia thought.
'I did try,' he thought.
'Not as convincing as you thought you were, uh big Mike,' Blaze teased, with a smug look on his face.
Which earned him a kick to the shin under the table, compliments of Rosa.
Her act of physical violence earned her a kiss to the temple, compliments of Carmichael. Rosa's heart began beating wildly when his lips touched her skin, and her cheeks blushed, profusely.
Blaze almost set the table the same as his name, but stopped when Alex clapped his hand on his shoulder.
'You know how he is, he does what he wants, regardless of the consequences.' He thought, 'hence, why we are all in this mess to begin with.'
Olivia looked up when she noticed everyone was silent. She watched them closely as their eyes shot back and forth between each other for several minutes and finally all of them stared at her.
"What?" She asked, a feeling of uneasiness washed over her. "Is there something on my face?" She picked up her napkin and started to wipe her mouth.
'When do we expect him?' Alex thought.
'This evening.' Carmichael thought.
'He wants to stay at your place Alex.'
"Damn it!" Alex said out loud.
Olivia was taken aback, "What's wrong Alex?" She asked. "Nothing. I just forgot something." He replied.
'Hey Alex,' Alessia thought.
'Yea,' he thought.
'Language,' she thought, with a big grin.
He shot her daggers, 'Is there anything else you left out Carmichael?' He thought.
Carmichael hesitated, 'He wants you to invite her for dinner, this evening.' He thought with a teethy grin.
"Jesus fucking Christ!" Alex exploded.
Olivia almost jumped out of her skin. "Alex! Are you okay?" She asked, eyes full of concern.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to gather himself, "Olivia, would you like to have dinner at our house tonight?" He asked, through a forced smile.
"You know I'm not interested in you, ya know romantically, right?" She tried to say it in a hushed voice, but everyone at the table heard her reply and snickered.
Alex shook his head, trying to contain the half laugh, half cry within him, "That's not why I'm inviting you to dinner." He stated.
"We're all going to be there, it just wouldn't feel right without you too." He said, with sincerity. "Aww, that's sweet Alex, I'd love to come. What time is dinner?" She asked.
"Dinner's at seven." He replied.
'Hey Alex?' Alessia thought.
'Less don't, just don't!' He thought.
She stifled a giggle.
Olivia looked around the table like she was missing something.
'This is going to be catastrophic,' Liam thought, leaning back in his seat, 'and I'm here for it,' he tossed a few fries into his mouth, and bared a big grin.