Silent Glances
The temperature in the room seemed to drop for me. Ethan's posture stiffened, a flash of something unreadable crossing his face as Khalid jerked his head toward the far end of the plane.
“I appreciate the subtlety,” I quipped sarcastically, pushing my hair back. After all, It was difficult to stifle my curiosity as I was well aware of being the topic of discussion.
“Watch her,” Ethan ordered, to who exactly I didn’t know but he was already moving toward the back with Khalid for me to guess who he spoke to. Caleb followed silently, his face grim.
I watched them disappear through a reinforced door, my stomach twisting with unease. They were talking about me again. I was not surprised, merely irritated.
It felt like everything about Ethan and his friends held secrets. There was a secret in every glance, every exchange, everything said, and everything unsaid. They knew something, that was news no more. However, I would be spending time with them, meaning I would get the chance to properly pry.
I would find out what their business was with me because as much as they try, there was no way for them to hide everything from me. There was only so much I could overlook.
Abigail let out a quiet breath and leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms. Abel, still pale but alert, sat across from her, his gaze drifting toward the closed door.
“You’ll want to rest while you can,” Abigail broke the silence, her voice stiffer, yet almost reluctant. “Things won’t get easier from here.”
I hesitated. “You seem used to this kind of… chaos.”
“We’ve been through worse,” Abel said quietly. “Trust me, this is just the beginning.”
The way he said it made my mouth dry. Like he already knew how bad things could get and was preparing for the worst. Looking at the odd man, I realized how well and maturely he was handling the situation.
Abel looked quite peculiar the more I stared. Actually, the twins looked way older than the rest of us. They didn't look like high school kids. Their countenance and build suggested they could be in college.
“Do you go to the same school as us?“ I let the question roll out as casually as I could.
His eyes were a quirky shade of hazel and green but it complimented his rich caramel skin. He was quite good-looking with his short hair and sharp features. If he attended our school, I would have heard about him at the same time Ethan began attending.
Abel shook his head gently before cautiously taking a seat where Caleb was. I wondered when he'd stop standing, he wasn't hiding his pain well.
“I...“ he dragged the word, his eyes shifting to Abigail who rolled her eyes.
There it was again. The suggestive glances.
“Dropped out?“ He finished but it was too sloppy a lie for me to play along with.
“You don't sound so sure,” I squinted my eyes at him and he dropped his gaze.
“Cause I'm not sure myself,” he retorted with an awkward laugh.
I pursed my lip letting the silence linger. “College is just not for me you know?“ He began. “Professors, thesis, whatnot” he kept on rambling as I predicted. Liars had the habit of trying too hard to sell their lies.
“How old are you?“ I interrupted as casually as I could.
“Twenty-five,” he replied quickly, maybe too quickly.
I nodded slowly, processing the information. Twenty-five?! That was definitely not high school age! His answer was surprising, and it confirmed my suspicion that there was more to him and likely the rest of them than met the eye.
“You don’t look twenty-five,” I remarked, studying him closer. His face, though chiseled and mature, still had a youthful edge. I guessed he was in his early twenties, not right in the middle of it. “You could pass for someone younger.”
“Right?“ Abel smirked faintly, seemingly proud of himself. “Good genes.”
I arched my brow. “Must be some kind of miracle genetics if you’re still hanging around high school students.”
Abigail snorted softly from her seat. “He’s not exactly hanging around by choice.”
I shifted my gaze to her. “So why is he here?”
“That’s classified,” she replied smoothly, a teasing glint in her eye, though I could tell she wasn’t entirely joking. “Besides, let's be real here, you are more curious about Ethan than Abel. I wouldn't waste my questions on him.”
Heat rose to my cheeks, but I kept my expression neutral. “Well he seems to be the one calling the shots, hard not to look his way and get curious.“
Abel exchanged a glance with Abigail, a silent understanding passing between them. I tried not to roll my eyes so I ran my hand through my hair.
“Ethan... just has a way of taking charge,” Abel admitted cautiously. “Even when he doesn’t want to.”
There was something layered in his words, a kind of respect tinged with weariness. It made me wonder what burdens Ethan carried that I couldn’t see. How much could I peel back if I tried?
“And you follow him... why?” I pressed.
“Because he’s worth following,” Abigail answered firmly, her tone leaving no room for doubt.
Her loyalty was striking and a little unsettling. Or rather was it just affection? It wouldn't be far off to think she'd like Ethan. He was easy on the eyes and they'd probably known each other for a while enough for someone to have feelings. I wondered how long.
Before I could ask more, the reinforced door at the back creaked open. Ethan stepped out, his dark hair bouncing gently with every step. His expression gave nothing away yet the stiffness of his demeanor was apparent.
Khalid followed closely behind, his usually bright animated face grim. Whatever they’d discussed, it was serious.
The air grew denser with unspoken tension. I swallowed hard, bracing myself for whatever he was about to throw my way.