Chapter 1.2

Outside, the atmosphere was still. And I don't know if it was the contrast between that and the bustle inside, but it gave me an uneasy feeling. Maybe if I hadn't spent years living in peace, I would have paid more attention to that feeling, but I didn't. I huddled against the chill and hurried inside and made my way to the library.

There were many people inside, but our library was massive with a block for each subject and a large seating area at the centre. Now I was there, I didn't really know what to do. I sat down in the corner, where there were lounge chairs, and stared at my closed social science book in a daze.

"I don't think that's how you revise!" a voice burst from behind me.

I flinched at the sudden sound "Theo!" I reined in my annoyance, but I think it showed a little, "how would you know anyway?" I grumbled.

"That's fair." She admitted.

"What are you doing here?"

"Revision." She replied, oblivious to my apparent irritation, or more likely, she didn't care.

"No, you're not." I interjected, she was probably here just to annoy me or disturb my peace because she was bored.

"Neither are you." She argued.

"Theo I just want to be alone." I complained bluntly.

"Yeah… That's what Alex said too."

"Are you going to listen to either of us?"

She shook her head. "Nah, don't really feel like it."

"You're so annoying. I'm honestly still surprised we're still friends." I really was. We quickly learnt how annoying she could be, but for some reason, the three of us couldn't get rid of each other.

"I know but I just enjoy being annoying so much." She grinned evilly.

"I know you do." I sighed, slowly giving in. I knew she wasn't going to leave now. "So what are you really doing here?"

"Oh, I am purely here to annoy you." She admitted with a grin.

"You really are the devil… So, do you want to revise with me?"

"Might as well get some in." she swung herself into a seat opposite.

I opened my textbook at the bookmark and scanned the page for something I could quiz her on "Define confirmation bias."

"When you already have a belief, so you interpret any new information in a way that confirms it."

"Hindsight bias."

"That's like when you find out the outcome of something, and you look back and think that you knew it all along."

"Availability bias."

"When you think something is more common if you can think of more examples, but less common if you can't think of any… This is boring Ezra, why don't we meet Alex for the rest of lunch?"

"No-one's forcing you to stay here, Theo." I closed my eyes against the throbbing that was starting at the back of my head.

"But you're in a funk."

"I'm not! I just want to be alone! But then you interrupted my silence!"

"You're always in a weird mood when someone mentions Garlantia." I shot her a warning look to leave it alone, but she wouldn't. "Now you're glaring at me 'cause I mentioned it."

"There are times when I just want to be left alone, Alex gets it! Why is it so hard for you to understand?"

"Excuse me, but if you're going to argue, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the library." I hadn't noticed the receptionist approach us from behind when he complained I realised I'd started to raise my voice.

"I'm sorry. Yes, We'll go." I tuck the book under my arm and drag Theo out after me. I couldn't believe she got us kicked out of the library.

"Let's go back to our form room. We can revise there." She suggested, but I knew she didn't have any intention of revising. I nodded and silently followed her down the stairs. Our form room was just a floor below the library and a few doors down from just below the staircase. We trudged down in silence, half of me was annoyed that she got us kicked out, but the other half didn't really want to be alone. I guess she was right, I was in a mood and little was going to fix that.

I didn't pay any attention to the others in the classroom and slouched down into my seat. Even in times of peace, there were moments where I wanted the world and everyone in it to piss off. I put my head to the desk and closed my eyes, blocking everything else out and tried not to think about anything. A second later, something drops near my head, when I open my eyes there's a chocolate bar next to my hand.

"Peace offering?" Theo smiles gently.

My stomach chose that moment to start grumbling. "Thanks." I unwrapped it and immediately took a large bite out of it. The sweetness did admittedly make me feel better. I wasn't even sure what I was really mad at her for. I gave her a small smile and stuffed more chocolate in my mouth than I probably should have.

Just as I was finishing, we started to hear a commotion in the hallway. Normally, I would have ignored it, but then someone screamed, followed by the sounds of a scuffle, and we both thought maybe it wasn't your normal high school fight.

Our teacher, Miss Davenport, who was marking papers at her desk, rose cautiously "What an earth is going on out there?" she strode towards the door and stuck her head out. Her body goes taunt and she freezes for a second or two. The other students watching, started to get curious and slowly edged their way towards her, but before they got there, she slowly shut the door and turned to us.

"Children, remain calm. Don't panic." She said, but she wasn't convincing, and her voice trembled, spreading fear throughout those left in the classroom. Conversations stop, and we watch fear leak into her expression.

Was the hell did she see? I rose to go and have a look, but she frantically shakes her head, and I slowly sink back into my chair. We could hear mass movement of the other sides of the door. People are crying, there's shouting. But for some reason, we're fixed to our seats, unmoving, waiting silently with our rising fear of an unknown, unseen, danger.