Breakfast was the same routine the next morning... except this time I was dragged to Petra's table.

Literally.

"So, how you liking this illustrious place of learning?" Petra asked as we sat down at the table. It was filled with people-- but none of them looked as perfect as those at Kari's table. Their smiles weren't nearly as manufactured, and they looked more like human beings than statues.

"I haven't really learned anything yet..." I said, confused. Petra just laughed at me.

"Well, that's ok, you won't mind it when class starts again." Petra said, grabbing the salt from a fair-skinned girl that was about to put it on her egg-like-substance.

Which looked kinda good, actually.

"You can say that again." A girl on my right said with a smile. I flinched a little. When the hell did she get there?

"Hi. Don't worry, I wasn't there a minute ago, you aren't crazy. Name's Lena." She said, sticking out a freckled hand in front of my face. I shook it warily.

"Morning Pet, Lena, Julie (I assumed that was the girl Petra had stolen the salt from- she was the only other one at the table), person I don't know." a blonde, sleepy-eyed guy said, appearing on Julie's left.

Where the hell are all these people coming from? And where did the people that used to be there go? The table was full just a few minutes ago...

"Jack's a fourth year. After fourth year, you get a bracelet that allows you to appear wherever you need to, whenever you need to. Selena's the Goddess of sunlight - she just uses the light rays... I don't remember exactly how she does it, but think if it as her own personal elevator. Lucky bitch never has to climb five flights of stairs to get to lecture meetings." Petra mumbled, gurgling a bit as she took a swig of the strange brown liquid in her cup.

Which looked really, really disgusting. Probably tasted that way too, if the slight wince on Pet's face was any judge.

"It's twig tea. Good for your health." Julie said, sticking a cup in front of my face.

Yeah. Well, supposedly pregnancy is good for your health, but you don't see people taking a number for artificial insemination, do you? There was no way in hell I was drinking that stuff that looked as if it could have plausibly been ladled out of a horse trough.

So I took it and downed it in one gulp. Julie gave me a satisfied look, and I gave her a weak smile.

It. Was. Actually, not that bad...weirdly.

It tasted like the crap my grandmother made me drink whenever I was sick.

Suddenly, a shadow covered my plate, and Petra brightened considerably.

"Ets! How lovely to see you so chipper in the morning. This is-"

"Little sister Annie. I know."

"Your early morning bitchiness astounds me."

"Well, not all of us can be little Miss Model Citizen."

"Well, of course not! You aren't a Miss!" Petra said happily.

The shadow moved away, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I had wanted to turn and look at the boy behind me, but he just gave off this... air. I felt so much... ickiness coming from him, that it suffocated me.

Which might account for the not-knowing-I-was-holding-my-breath thing.

"Who was that?"

"Only the Angel of Death. He's a bit unfriendly in the mornings." Julie said brightly, sipping the twig tea.

Oh. Wow. That was an Only?

If that was an 'only' situation, what the hell else was at this place?

"So I've noticed." I said sarcastically. Julie just beamed at me and kept drinking her tea.

I'm starting to think she's one of those always-happy people that just don't get sarcasm.

Poor things.

"Uhhh... Petra?" A young, blonde, nervous looking boy walked up to our table (speaking of people coming up, where the hell did Lena go?). Petra gave him a broad smile and motioned for him to sit down.

"Sorry Julie." he said to Twig-tea girl and sat down. She looked at him and waved her hand broadly.

"Don't worry, you didn't touch me." she said. He still looked a little worried.

Cue attempt at inward eyebrow raise.

"Did Bobby come talk to you?"

"Yeah, last night at dinner... speaking of which, where were you?"

"Unpacking. Bobby did something that made my stuff run away whenever I tried to get it, and I had to chase all of my socks for about an hour before I could catch them all!! Besides, I was so tired... The flight from India always makes me queasy." the boy said.

"India? To Michigan? Non-stop?" I said before I could help myself.

Now, to get to Japan (where dad's from) to Hawaii, it takes a while. Takes even longer to get to Michigan.

The boy gave me a strange look, and I felt weirdly defensive (Although, if some random person with poufy hair had butted in on my conversation and asked me personal questions about my travel habits, I would probably have done the same. Probably. Ok, so maybe I would be a little more aggressive, but that's not the point.).

"Anna, this is Jareth, my little brother. Jareth, this is Anna, my roommate. He's freshmeat too, I'm sure you two will have some classes together." I smiled at him, and he gave me a nervous grin in return.

That's when he looked at me.

And I mean really looked at me.

I don't even know how to describe it. It wasn't creepy, exactly, or perverted, or anything...remotely describable.

Which I'm sure gives you an exact visual. Yeah right.

It felt like... you know on those really gross and kinda creepy medical shows? When they do brain stuff by poking a steel rod through your eye? Not exactly the most pleasant sounding thing, right?

Visualize the steel rod as a look and you'll get what it felt like; It was as if he was searching me through my eyes.

All of the sudden, I felt the unspoken interrogaation stop, and he gave ne another nervous look.

"I have to g-go get my stuff... See you later Pet, Julie. Nice to meet you Anna." he said quietly, practically fleeing from the table.

Are my insides that scary?

I heard a sigh from Petra.

"Sorry about that- Jareth's an HM." she said in a low voice.

Oh. Wow.

"An HM? I didn't even know they existed anymore!"

HM stands for Honesty Marshal. They're truth tellers- they can't lie, they know when someone else is lying, and they're known for their ability to make you feel guilty for stealing a carrot off of someone else's plate.

Which would explain the whole indescribable-steel-rod-look thing.

So first the metamorphosis thing, then the Angel of Death, then an HM.

I'm beginning to believe this school year might be just a little more interesting than I thought.