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Isn’t there anything else to talk about today? “More than seen We share two classes And … he’s kinda my chemistry partner now”
Kelsey snorts, then points “Add ‘lunch mate’ to that list”
I look up and follow her line of sight, which reveals why she asked if I’ve seen him in the first place Two tables away, Vann has taken a seat, alone The girls sitting at the other end of his table look his way, their eyes full of curiosity, lust, and wariness Vann pays theruffly into histhe to him and must pay for their crime He doesn’t look up at all from his tray
I suddenly feel for him It’s obvious he hates it here I wonder what sentenced him to the punishment of this sht not have murdered
“My dads think I should do sohtfully staring at Vann with no fear in her eyes That’s so I don’t know much about her past other than she used to be kicked from foster ho adopted her a year or so ago Being on the edge of the city li either Fairview High or Spruce High to send her to, and made the wiser choice “I don’t want to do a sport But also, irls on the softball teairls ‘Course, soht do it for ym” She snatches another chicken strip, and chomps on it “Can’t win”
That’s another co … into anyone “You do realize those boys on the baseball teaht?”
“Oh, I do,” she admits “Still, Hoyt Nowak’s ass sure looks nice in a pair of tight baseball pants” She grins, chewing away
I roll my eyes “Don’t you have your own lunch?”
“Forgotelse Who cares? You don’t ies, of course,” she adds as a sweet aside
I squint uncertainly at her I wonder if she’s secretly saving up her lunch enerous”
“Will you put in a word for me if I try out for the play? When are auditions, anyway?”
Half my day has flown by, and I still haven’t been to the one place that brings me actual comfort: the theater Of course, with all e or elsewhere, I wonder if I’ll find the same comfort there at all “Auditions are at the end of the week, I think Friday Then everyone waits the whole tortuous weekend before the cast list is posted Monday”
“Yeah I think that’s what I’ll do That’ll keep the dads off h, my dads just love me sooo much” She pretends to coine far exceeds the quality of her life in the foster systeet cast in anything, then maybe I can paint sets with you”
I smile “That sounds like fun”
She see in raduated last year, too But look, we’re not alone We’ve got each other, right? Hey, you didn’t get yourself a drink or any napkins!” she notices “Stay right here I’ll be back”
Kelsey tears off before I can stop her I s suddenly like h Nomy first four periods, I can always come here to lunch and bitch about it to Kelsey She needs a friend to confide in, too, and I guess for whatever reason, we’ve come to trust one another over the past year since she moved here, even if we know so little about each other personally Maybe we should rectify that this year
“Toby-Toby-Tobes!” co my attention to Hoyt Noho now stands across the table fro my tray “My buddy! My man! How’s your lunch?”
I glare at him “Go away, Nowak”
“Tobes! That isn’t how you treat your study buddy! Come on” He sits down across from me “Dude, you haven’t touched your mashed potatoes Is it that you don’t like the taste? Does the gritty texture bug you? Here, I’ll make it better” A can of soda appears in his hand—or maybe he had it this whole tionna help you out,crack of the tab, he tilts the can and proceeds to pour the dark, sticky contents of his soda over my mashed potatoes I don’t even have time to protest I just sit there and stare while my potatoes becoirl nearby, then snatches a few packets of mustard, mayo, and ketchup fro theonna love this, Tobes, my man I call it the Nowak special”