Free Find You in the Dark by A. Meredith Walters - Find You in the Dark 01 - Find You in the Dark Page B

caught doing something embarrassing.  “Sorry, Clay.  Nice to meet you.”  She gave him an overly bright smile.  I frowned at her and silently communicated to her to stop trying so hard.  Daniel looked at Clay almost as though he were examining him.  “Hey.” He replied back. 
      Okay, well it looked as though Daniel would be a hard sell.  He was so territorial sometimes.  Clay cleared his throat and started eating his lunch.  The vibe around our table became really tense.  “So, how's your day so far?” I asked Clay, trying to cut through the thickening silence.  Clay shrugged, not looking at me.  “Just another day.” He said before returning to his lunch.
      Wow, this was getting bad and fast.  If he didn't want to talk, why the hell did he sit down?  Of course it didn't help that Daniel was watching him while he ate.  I shot daggers at my best friends, urging them with my eyes, to snap out of it.
      Rachel sat up straighter and opened her eyes dramatically at me.  “Sorry” she mouthed.  I pointedly looked at Clay, who was shoveling salisbury steak into his mouth.  “So, Clay. Did you finish that assignment for Creative Writing?  I'm having a hell of time writing my short story.  I think I got a whole paragraph before I gave up.”  Rachel said, laughing in that really fake way of hers.  At least she was trying.
      Clay shrugged again.  Was that his only reply?  He was being really rude.  Not at all like the Clay I had come to know over the last week.  I felt a knot in my stomach by his attitude.  He was so rigid in his seat as though he wanted to be anywhere but at our table.  I just didn't get what he was trying to do?  I mean, he was the one who had approached us.  But now, he looked as though he couldn't be finished with his food fast enough.
      Was it me?  Had I done something wrong?  Should I have been more vocal to my friends when they were being so weird towards him?  Why was I obsessing over what I did?  But did I do something? 
      Then after a few minutes of complete silence, Clay stood up.  I looked up at him in surprise.  What the heck was going on? 
      He finally looked down at me and I saw his face soften a bit.  “Thanks for letting me sit with you.  I'll see you later.”  He gave me a half smile and then turned around and left. 
      “ What the fuck was that?”  Daniel asked after Clay had left.  I was still watching him make his way through the cafeteria, his shoulders slumped over and his head down.  I had no idea how to answer Daniel's question.  Because I don't know what that was. 
      “ Maybe he's just shy.”  Rachel volunteered.  Daniel snorted.  “Or a whack job.  He has that whole school shooter thing going on, you know?”  Okay, that made me lose it.  “You don't even know him, Daniel!  So stop being so god damn judgmental!  Maybe he was acting strange because you were being an ass!  Did you ever think about that?”  My voice was loud and I had to struggle to calm myself down.
      Daniel looked at me like I had grown a second head.  I never yelled at him.  Ever.  “What is your problem, Mags?”  He asked me.  “Ugg!”  I gathered up my trash.  “My problem is that Clay is my friend.  And you are my friend.  So you need to start learning to get along with him.  And maybe next time engage in a little conversation.  Show people you have more than the social skills of a fucking first grader!” 
      “ Maggie!  Chill out!”  Rachel urged, trying to smooth over the situation that had started to escalate.  I just shook my head and got up to leave.  Forgetting that I was really sore, I groaned as I moved too quickly. 
      Rachel was on her feet and moved to stop me from leaving.  “We're sorry okay?  We didn't mean to make him feel uncomfortable.  The whole thing just threw us all right?”  She was using the placating tone she usually reserved for Daniel. 
      What was my problem?  Why