The Extraction Process

"Erik!" Amber called out across the gym after training. Erik was distracted.

"Hey Amber." He forced a smile that felt as stiff as a cardboard cutout; his lips barely moved as he tried to appear casual.

"You okay? You left so quickly this morning."

"I had a meeting with a teacher. I was running late."

"You could have at least waved!"

"Sorry about that." 

The others joined them. Gwen studied Erik closely, and he knew she was getting suspicious.

"Hey, Gwen! Floyd..."

They studied him for a moment—Floyd with mild curiosity, Amber with concern in her eyes, and Gwen with a scrutinizing gaze that made Erik feel uncomfortable.

"Erik, you seemed in quite a hurry earlier. What was that about?" Floyd asked.

"Oh, Erik just mentioned he had a meeting with a teacher. That's why he was rushing." Her smile seemed to ease the tension.

"Really? Which teacher was it?" Gwen's gaze was still fixed on Erik.