ALESTER:
*grrrraaarrehhhhggghhh*
Alester's stomach growled loudly, reminding him of his mother's words. "We missed you at dinner."
"You can't hide in your room forever."
His eyes narrowed as realization struck him. His mother knew he hadn't eaten, and yet she hadn't brought him any food.
He pushed the palms of his hands into his eyes and groaned. She always had a way of getting what she wanted, and she wanted him out of his room, and apparently had no qualms about letting his stomach do it for her.
He contemplated staying in his room for the night just to spite her, but his stomach growled again. It begged for substance.
"Aaaauuugggghhhhh." He groaned and pushed himself off the bed. There was no time to be petty. He needed to get food in him before his stomach held a rebellion.
Alester took the stairs two at a time, and this time he took the stairs that led directly to the cafeteria. Typically, those stairs were for parties and special events only, but he no longer cared. He would avoid confrontation at all cost, and perhaps be a little rebellious as he did so. It wasn't like the stairs would tell on him.
As Alester picked leftovers out of the fridge, he let his mind wander over the last 48 hours. He found himself laughing at the irony of it all. He had been so wrapped up in himself, Phiona, and Samantha that he hadn't really noticed anyone else. Now that he thought back on it, he remembered there were quite a few disappointed faces after Phiona claimed him as her mate. And with all the misery of that moment, at least it got him out of dancing with a roomful of women vying for his attention.
The cafeteria door flung open with an audible "Oh."
It should have been comical, the way Alester froze mid-step. His plate overflowing with food in one hand and a peach prying his mouth open as his other hand closed the fridge. But as they saw each other through the two open doorways, neither of them felt like laughing.
"I guess I found what your mother forgot." Samantha mumbled in the doorway.
He watched as Samantha contemplated entering the room. She took a step and hesitated.
"I suppose. It can return by itself."
She had turned to leave when her words finally registered in his brain. His mother had sent her to the cafeteria, just as sneakily as she had sent him. Samantha hadn't known he was going to be there.
One step out the door and Samantha froze as her belly growled. Had she not eaten?
Alester hastily pulled the peach out of his mouth, making sure not to tip his plate.
"Wait." He said without thinking. Her brown doe eyes turned to look at him, waiting for him to continue.
"There are leftovers in the fridge."
He gestured towards the kitchen, peach and all. Her eyes followed where he pointed and she bit her lip in contemplation and then turned back towards him, waiting for him to confirm his words. His heart ached as he realized she was asking permission to be in the same room. He nodded his approval.
"Get some food and sit with me."
He walked to a table, set down his food, and pulled down two chairs. He sat in one and gestured for her to sit in the other. What was he doing? He hadn't planned on inviting her to eat. Was it his mother's words that pushed him to do it? It had to be. His mother told him to play nice, so he was. Except he cared, more than he wanted to admit, that she might not have eaten.
Samantha grinned at him sheepishly before she rushed into the kitchen and grabbed some leftovers. He sat stuck, watching the kitchen doorway as his heart pounded in his chest. It wasn't until he saw her exit the kitchen that he could finally pull his eyes away and even then he stared at his food, listening as her steps drew closer.
Every one of his hairs stood on end when Samantha sat next to him. He found himself unable to look directly at her, but he could study her plate, and a laugh escaped his lips as he did so. She had piled her plate just as high as he had.
"I like a girl with a good apatite." He said and immediately regretted it.
Samantha grimaced at his words. Was she self-conscious?
"I'm sorry. Sorry. I don't know why I said that." He corrected himself and resigned to look at his own plate. He stuffed the food into his mouth before he could say anything else that he would regret.
Samantha laughed, "It's ok. I have a bit of an appetite. I slept through dinner."
"Why did you do that?" He studied her face, hoping it would tell him, but her eyes never reached his direction.
"Oh. well. I guess Phiona is a good trainer. After her workout, I was exhausted." Samantha fiddled with her fork before she stabbed something off her plate and shoved it in her mouth.
Alester's eyebrows shot up. "Phiona trained you?"
"Yea, isn't that what you guys talked about in the hallway?" Samantha spoke around the food in her mouth.
"Hallway?" Alester repeated, dumbfounded. He thought back to earlier that day and realized Samantha had been in the hallway when he was bringing his dishes to the kitchen. She must have seen Phiona stick to him like a leech. He had been so focused on ignoring the both of them he not only forgot Samantha was there, but he also hadn't heard a word Phiona had said. Apparently, Samantha had.
Alester felt his cheeks burn. He tried hard not to remember what happened the last time he was in the kitchen.
"Oh. I wasn't paying attention. I didn't hear her." Why couldn't he have found a better excuse, Alester kicked himself? The last thing he wanted to do was come across as uncaring. But it was the truth; he hadn't been paying attention and hadn't heard her.
"Oh."
Alester didn't dare look at Samantha. He figured she must think the worst of him. He could only eat and wonder why he was being so awkward.
"So... are you two like friends now?" Alester asked around bites and peeked in her direction.
She stared into the distance, biting her lip and twirling one of her curls around her finger. It was as if she was contemplating what to say. But wasn't it just a simple yes or no answer?
He waited, but she didn't move. Did she not hear him?
"Samantha?"
"Huh?"
"I- errr- I asked if you and Phiona are friends now."
"Oh. Uhm... I guess?"
She... guessed? She guessed! Ha. She couldn't even answer a simple yes or no question.
Anger bubbled up inside him. He had tried to be caring, civil, and open, and yet, she was being vague and distant. Why was he still expecting her to give him honest answers?
It brought him back to reality. Samantha wasn't the innocent girl he had found in the woods. She was a woman who kept herself guarded and distant with idle conversation and half truths, and she had hurt him. And for what? Money! Still, his mother's mission stayed in his head. He had to be nice...