Free Epic Escape by Emily Evans

gelatin.
    Megan thought about the article and swallowed. She knew what to do. “If you’re going to kiss me sometime, you have to stop eating hoof.” She took his bowl of gelatin and tossed it to the table behind her.
    The gelatin hit the table, sprung from its container, and landed on a student one table over. That student glared at the wrong kid and threw a roll straight at his head.
    Her attempt at intriguing Chase had devolved into a middle school level rumble. The vampire skimmed a cookie Veronica’s way. The treat landed beside her hand, more flirt than food fight. Veronica giggled.
    Riley snagged a pizza slice off a nearby tray and lobbed it at the vampire’s head.
    The food fight escalated, but Megan could only focus on one thing--Chase, or more precisely, Chase’s hand. He traced the camisole’s straps across her shoulder. “Am I going to kiss you sometime?”
    Tingles sprang to life everywhere he touched. Megan couldn’t answer him, and heat filled her body. She couldn’t believe she’d said that. It must’ve been the hunger talking. She opened her mouth to try and form an answer. Before she could, a teacher with the privilege of serving as cafeteria monitor interrupted her attempt.
    “Watch those hands.” The teacher frowned at Megan. “See? You got him in trouble. No spaghetti straps young lady. You’ll have to come with me.”
    Megan didn’t want to go anywhere with anyone. She bit her lip and hesitated. Chase removed his letter jacket and passed it over. She quickly put his coat on, becoming compliant with the dress code. By wearing Chase’s letter jacket.
    “Fine.” The teacher looked up at the flying lunches. A tiny fairy flitted through the air, taking advantage of the food fight to snag choice morsels. “You there, those better not be your fangs.” The teacher went after him.
    “How are we going to get out of this?” Veronica said, sounding more mystified then deterred.
    No one answered.
    A glob of gelatin flew toward Riley. He threw himself sideways and dodged as if the gelatin were explosive.
    Splat. The goo blobbed onto a girl walking behind him and oozed across her waist. She turned to glare at Riley.
    “So if we get tattoos to remind us of this trip, what kind will you get?” Megan said, looking at Riley’s bicep.
    That distracted Veronica. She flinched and wrinkled her nose. “We’re not getting tattoos.”
    The ferocity of the food fight increased. Riley held up his tray to block a second projectile. It seemed prudent to make a move, so Megan slid under the table and crouched behind her tray, holding the slick plastic high in front of her.
    The shrill sound of the lunch end bell slammed a halt on the food fight, and sent the students scurrying, crawling, and flying away.
    Veronica’s hand appeared under the table, and she helped pull Megan up. She wore a slightly superior expression, but the tilted chin and raised eyebrows lacked power, given the blob of casserole stuck in her bangs and the mushy orange piece of something clinging to her ends. What was it? Cheetos dipped in some liquid, ranch-flavored dressing maybe. Megan smiled and straightened her hair.
    Riley assessed the exits. “We have a choice. We can go to class or we can skip and hit the streets.”
    “We should go to class,” Veronica said. She’d never cut school in her life.
    Ignoring Veronica’s suggestion, Chase grabbed Megan’s hand in his larger one and headed toward the exit.
    Riley smiled, clearly favoring that idea, and followed. Veronica trailed last, looking down the hallway wearing a frown, but when they reached the door, all four walked through.

Chapter 28

OFFICE
     
    T hey landed in an office wearing grey business suits. Grey surrounded them: grey carpet grey walls, and grey cubicles--a place where happiness goes to die.
    A woman wearing a dark wool suit and an in-charge expression held up a thick stack of papers. “The time for fun and games has ended. This is work. Sign and date each of