-Tara Stone-

"So then he was like 'dude why not?'And I was like 'because I'm already sitting at the awesomest table' and he...Tara...Tara? Why are you staring at my legs?" Wyatt asked clutching his water bottle in his hands as we walked down the hallways together. We had P.E together. "Is there a certain way athletes walk?" I asked, Wyatt looked like he was walking normally. "Williams interrogated you didn't he?"  We stopped to high five some people who I didn't recognize and were probably a grade lower than us two, they congratulated us on being in the School Mash.

I was like a mini celebrity in these hallways ever since I walked up that stage. Isabella hasn't even spared a glance at me. Its been forever since I've seen Ashton too but I'm guessing there both evilly plotting somewhere, you never know. "Yep, how'd you know?" I asked and he cringed "we used to go to school together, we weren't friends I mean neither of us are. It's best you stay away from them" Wyatt opened the door and I walked in looking around the sweet smelling gym (constantly sprayed with air freshener) and everybody was awkwardly standing apart except for the group of friends that wouldn't stop talking to each other. "See you" I said distracted as I walked to the girls changing rooms.

Wyatt stalked off the other way his stature angry, I had a feeling something happened between my three teammates, and Asher was worried I was going to jeopardize the mission.

I opened the door to the changing rooms and bumped straight into no one else but Isabella. "What do you think your doing?" She said harshly backing away from me "uh...walking?" I meekly backed away putting my back against the door. "Just because you look different doesn't mean you are different, so just stay away from me" Isabella crossed her arms and we stayed in silence looking anywhere but each other "can you move?" She finally said with a sigh and I realized the reason she was just standing there was because I was blocking the only exit.

I nodded and slid back up the door so I was standing straighter and walked to my locker "that sounded so awkward" a girl whispered next to me whispered sliding her shirt on. I could only nod.

...

I was dragging behind as everyone ran ahead of me not regarding my small figure jogging at such a slow pace she could be a snail. Even Wyatt who was leading the whole parade.

"Catch up slow poke" Landon said slowing down so we were jogging together his baggy gym uniform flapping around. "Easy for you to say, my muscles aren't supportive" I let my jogging phase disappear as I let myself run off into the crowd of other people and then started my jogging pace again. Landon caught up to me quickly without even breaking a sweat "you just need to run more often, it will get easier"

"But will it? Will it really?" I said using a little air I had left in my lungs. I blew my hair out of my face and now I was the one trying to keep at pace with Landon. "We should be science partners so we can get to know each other better, partner to partner, teammate to teammate" I looked at him surprised not even knowing that he was even in my science class, they said we could choose are own partners tomorrow since today was just an introduction.

"Seems cool" I replied as we finished are final lap together. I redid my pony tail and walked to the water fountain dehydrated and tired. "Tara, hey" Wyatt walked up to me as I took a long soothing sip of water that ran down my throat like a gift from the heavens. "Hello Wyatt" I raised up from the water fountain and wiped the drops of water falling from my chin. "What we're you and Landon talking about?" He got straight to the point crossing his arms like he disapproved.

"Me and Landon? We were just talking about being possible science partners. Why do you care?" He scratched his head and looked around searching for an answer "uh, me and him don't get along well I guess"

"I understand, don't worry he won't be joining us at the shadow table" I laughed, our little small table in the corner of the cafeteria where no one could see would just be ours.

...

Or so I thought, in front of me sat three scowling boys sitting as far away from each other as they could glares passing through each head like lasers. The tension was so thick I was surprised I could see this fog. The get to know each other faze of are training was beginning by making us all sit at the same table together.

The lunch lady's peeked between the little window in the door every now and again to make sure we were. The school was acting like we were prodigies that couldn't be touched.

I hated the feeling I had my gut now, The one where your so nervous that even your sweat runs cold and body tenses to where you find places in the room where you just stare until the bell rings to save you from answering the teachers question. My stomach was in knots. Shifting my gaze from my lunch tray I looked at Landon who sat to my right. the hazel eyed confident and loud boy in the group poking at his baked potato. To my left there was Wyatt, typing away on his phone pretending he wasn't even here as the world escaped from his mind. So across from Asher, eating a salad and a plate of French fries also pretending that this moment was happening that we, weren't here.

"I've had enough of this" I scooped up my tray in my hands and stood up lifting my leg over the seat so I could get over. As fast as I got up the lunch lady came out raising her eyebrow as me in question simply asking if I dared. "Just sit down its no use, we all signed up for this didn't we? What else did you expect" Asher caught us surprised when he decided to speak up against my departure pushing away his empty tray.

I sat back down not defeated but curious cause currently there has been a question swimming in my mind, right now may be the best time to bring it up. "I thought everyone who participated In the School Mash were chosen randomly, how come you three weren't?" All the information I had gathered about this was that the School was giving them a scholarship to the college they wanted to get into, and that Asher wanted it the most.

Landon ran his hand threw his hair letting it fluff up in the air "we knew she was going to ask sometime"

Wyatt stuffed his phone back into his pocket opening his mouth to start the answer to my long awaited question, but Asher beat his too it "it all started last year at our old school" Wyatt looked like he wanted to chop off Ashers head and as Asher paused Wyatt continued the story "yes last year, it was about the middle of the school year and we we're all doing our own thing, and at the same time we were being stupid boys"

"Actually they were being stupid boys I was being a stupid Man" Landon but in

"The point is, we were being reckless teenagers and getting known for it. That's when they approached to each of us separately. A well known and respected club, not a school club. they acted more like a gang than anything" Asher said

"They called themselves the pitchforks, anyone of all ages and sizes we're in the club there were no restrictions, so it was a dream boat for anyone in town. A senior and a freshmen approached us about it named Rhett and Ben, they promised me that no matter what I did I wouldn't get detentions anymore or have to worry about being caught for something" Landon nodded over to Wyatt to tell his side of the story and he cleared his throat

"I was promised an adventure, that they we're going to travel all over the world one day and take me with them" he finished and we all stared at Asher now and his cheeks were burning up red "no need to be shy Ashy, tell them what they promised you"

"They promised me I was going to be king of the school"

At that I snorted "That's one heck of a deal, so what happened? They make you do something to get into the club?"
They nodded there heads in agreement "something like that"

I waited expectantly as they gathered there thoughts "so we all met them at exactly eight in the morning on the football field, they went all out with hoodies covering there identity and bats"

"Bats?" I asked

"Baseball bats, they each had one and as we shuffled around on are feet until Wyatt stepped up and said..."

"So what exactly are we here for? I have to go home soon it's taco night"  Wyatt said

"Then the only one in a green hoodie walked up to Wyatt and gave him a bat, then they gave each of us a bat. They said whoever can beat the donkey until it spills wins the candy" Landon said shivering

"Each us were the donkey, so like the stupid kids we were we chased each other until we were too far away to even see the school, so we all went home. The next day the school was found vandalized, by baseball bats. Guess who was blamed?" Asher sighed looking away at the clock on the wall, ten minutes until lunch was over.

"So we pled guilty and since they had no proof it was us besides the baseball bats with are finger prints on them all we got was ban from all after school activities"

"No sports"

"So we had nothing to go to college with besides are grades and we all want to do some sort of sport for our charier so we all trained and worked hard separately because we hated each other's guts may I add, and then the school offered us the opportunity because Ashers family was threatening to sue and that's why we're here now"

The clock then ticked to one and the bell rang calling us all up from are seats "all see you guys later, nice story by the way" I laughed and walked away holding my tray