After sitting through more classes with teachers she had never heard of, Karyn went for lunch. As she sat together with her new group of friends, she scanned the school cafeteria. It looked just like a normal school, only filled with people completely foreign to her. There was a popular crowd, filled with jocks and giggling girls, one of which was most likely Jon. Karyn had seen his new face on her phone, but she wasn't able to distinguish the girls. There was even some sort of goth crowd, a bit smaller though and more toned down, there were only two girls and one guy. Karyns group was somewhat more on the nerdy side, but still on a tame level.
Karyn looked in the direction of a group of guys who were very clearly the new nerds of this school and wondered who they might have been before, only to suddenly have someone suddenly block her view.
She looked up to see the face and said, "Goddamn Athena, don't sneak up like that!"
"It wasn't planned." Athena giggled.
"What is SHE doing here? And... why are you calling her Athena?" Meg asked with a somewhat annoyed look on her face.
Karyn looked at her, to Athena and then back to Meg again. Meg for the first time today had spoken out in a clear tone of disdain.
"Oh, you know how it is, sometimes you just call someone by the wrong name." Karyn said giggling awkwardly.
"Uh-huh, and 'Athena' here didn't even seem to notice?"
"I... I'm sorry, I... I'll better leave again." Athena said in her regularly nervous tone.
"No, stop! What did you want." Karyn said to Athena who had already turned around.
"I... uhm... well, I wanted to ask if... I could join and eat with you?" she said fidgeting with her hands in front of her.
"Oh, sure. Take a seat" Karyn said and could feel a kick to her ankle.
She looked into the direction of Meg who looked at her with a shocked expression.
"Thank you so much, I need to grab something to eat first though." Athena said and ran of to get some food.
"What the hell are you doin Karyn?!" Meg said.
"What?"
"You're seriously inviting Isabelle DeVries to our table? I wanted to eat in peace, not have some bible stuff preached to my face. I get that shit at home enough already."
"Wow, you really don't like her. I guess you see her in church often?" Lizzy joined in.
Meg let out a heavy sigh. "She basically lives there, helping out and doing her very best being a good girl and shit. I think her mother doesn't approve of her doing it. Doesn't matter though, I really don't want to listen to her shit."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know that." Karyn said.
"Yeah... you don't really know anything today... well, it doesn't matter now, it's not like we are going to uninvite her now. But only today, k?" Meg said.
"Well... Ok." Karyn answered, feeling guilty.
"I think Isabelle is nice, maybe she isn't too bad" Alice said.
"You don't have to listen to her shit every sunday." Meg said and put one of the soggy fries into her mouth.
The group saw Athena walking back up to them until a fifth plate was placed next to theirs.
"Fries and chicken, not too bad, right?" Athena said and smiled at Karyn.
"How did you recognize this as chicken?" Lizzy said and poked her clump with a fork.
"So, Isabelle, why exactly did you want to sit with us?" Meg asked her in a clearly antagonizing voice.
"What, me?"
"Yes you!" Meg said with an annoyed voice.
"It... it hasn't been the best of days up until now. I feel like everyone is just avoiding me."
"I wonder why." Lizzy silently giggled and Meg kicked her in a very noticeable way.
"Why don't you sit with your other friends?" Alice asked.
Athena had an embarassed smile on her face and just began to gracefully eat.
"Ooookay, no answer to that I guess" Meg said.
Lizzy slammed her hands on the table, "Any of you watched 'Crown's Play' yesterday.".
"I'm waiting for the season to be finished." Alice said.
"Last season has gone downhill so bad, I already quit." Meg said.
Now they were looking at Karyn, who only watched the first season with Jon. She didn't know if in this changed reality something about that had changed. Before she could even answer, Athena spoke.
"I watched it too."
"Wait wait wait... YOU watched Crown's Play?" Lizzy said completely dumbfounded.
"It is very difficult to explain, but yes." Athena said.
"Wow, I might have misjudged you Isabelle." Lizzy said nodding with her head in approval, "How did you like it?"
"Well... I found it very intruiging, when the group walked through the city to fullfill their new plan."
"Whaaat, that's the lamest part, it was just walking and talking. We even knew all that already! The battle in front of the city gates though, woooooow!" Lizzy said.
"That was.... It was far too violent, I don't want to think about it too much." Athena said.
"Ooookay... so you watched Crown's Play until now and thought that was violent?" Lizzy said.
"I'm still amazed Isabelle watched that. I mean, it's very far from your religious stuff. Didn't even know you watch tv at all." Meg laughed.
"I... I don't think I will ever watch that again. This violence is nothing anyone should ever see" Athena said in frustration.
"Yeah... this is more like what I expected from this conversation." Meg sighed.
"So, Karyn. I thought, today after detention, maybe you want to come with me to go to the church as well?" Athena started only to be interrupted by Karyn.
"Ath... uh, Isabelle, definitely not. You know exactly why." Karyn said waving her hand to change the subject.
"Wait a second. You have detention, YOU?!" Lizzy said, again completely dumbfounded.
"I was late for class today, but I will never let that happen again. So I will accept my punishment and then live on my life." Athena said with a very determined look on her face, as if she would fulfill a very important task today.
"Well, even she can be late I guess, feeling better about it now Karyn?"
Karyn just smiled and nodded.
"Maybe you guys would like to come to the church with me. You might not know it, but something grand happened and god can help you become better people than..."
"Isabelle, stop it. We are not going to come with you. My parents are already crazy enough about it. The times I am there is more than enough for me." Meg said loud and clear.
"Fine then. I'm sorry for having bothered you" Athena stood up. "I think I didn't hear your names?"
"Oh, alright! My bad, I'm Lizzy and this one here is Alice" Lizzy said pulling Alice to her.
Athena then looked at Meg, "And you?".
"Uh... Isabelle? Are you alright?" Meg said with her eyes wide open.
Athena realized they should know each other in this changed reality and started to panic.
"I think I better leave." she spoke out fast, turned around and walked two steps, only to be grabbed by her arm by some sort of jock.
"Athena, you're coming with me." he said.
"Noooo, Zelda! Let me gooo", Athena stammered while being dragged away.
"This was possibly the weirdest shit I have ever seen." Meg said, still clearly in shock.
"This guy actually called her Athena too, have you noticed? And Isabelle said Zelda?" Alice said, for the first time looking very disturbed as well.
"Well well well guys." Lizzy leaned back in her chair, folded her arms and grinned into Karyns direction, "Some veeeery weird stuff is happening today and for some reason our friend Karyn seems to be a part of it."
