“I think I’ve got it,” I say.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, thanks though.”
“You still up for lunch?”
I glance out the window of the classroom. Even if I wasn’t, there’s really nowhere to go. Apparently, Mrs. Liu is out sick today, and I really don’t want to spend any more time than I need to around her substitute. And whatever sunlight was hanging around this morning is now hiding behind thick layers of black clouds and rain. So the quad’s out too.
“Don’t really have a choice, do I?” I tease, rinsing out the last beaker.
“Not unless you plan on making a paper boat out of your sketches, which is not something I recommend you doing, as it would be a huge waste of talent. So yes, you have no choice.”
“I could go to the art room.”
“There you go, poking holes in my plan. Besides, I hear Mrs. Liu is out today or something.”
“So you orchestrated this thunderstorm and made Mrs. Liu sick, just so I’d have to have lunch with you?”
“Nooo.” He drags out the O sound. “But if you happen to see an evil-looking weather machine in someone’s backyard, I most definitely do not live there.”
“No worries, I won’t call the FBI or anything. And I already told you yes.”
“Just making sure you weren’t having second thoughts.”
“Funny, I think all I have these days are second thoughts.”
Nathan gives me a sort of look, but then he just laughs me off.
“Hope you two are getting real excited about cleaning your station,” Thomas says from his desk.
“Sorry, Mr. W!” Nathan grabs a wet rag and starts wiping down our desk, smiling like a goof the entire time.
The moment I step through the cafeteria doors with Nathan I want to turn around and run. Maybe a paper boat isn’t such a terrible idea. I can probably make something fairly safe with a few layers. But leaving is impossible, thanks to the crowd of my fellow classmates pushing us farther and farther in.
“Sorry, it’s a bit of a jungle in here. Don’t fight the crowd, that’s how you get trampled.” Nathan takes me by the shoulder and leads me to this set of tables that’s in an elevated part of the cafeteria. We steer right toward the one at the far end, settled in the corner where two girls are sitting together.
“Ladies.” Nathan grabs my shoulders. “This is the mysterious Benjamin De Backer you’ve heard so much about.”
Both the girls look around my age. One of them has dark brown skin, darker than Nathan’s, and her hair is done in this mix of black and blue braids. She’s currently unpacking her lunch from this polka-dot lunch box that I have to admit I’m sort of in love with.
The other girl is Korean American, thick-frame glasses sitting on the very edge of her nose, wearing a denim jacket decorated in at least a dozen different buttons and enamel pins. They both look up when Nathan starts talking.
“Ben, this is Meleika Lewis.” He points to the girl with the braids, and Meleika waves at me.
“You can call me Mel.” Meleika smiles.
Then he points to the other girl with all the buttons. “And this is Sophie Yeun.” Nathan claps his hands. “I’m gonna go get in line. You want anything, Ben?”
It’s then that I realize I don’t have any money on me, and I doubt there’s been any magically added to the student account I’ve yet to touch. “No, thanks, I’m good.” I’m used to not eating until I get to Hannah’s house anyway.
“Okay, girls, don’t tear him apart.” Nathan claps me on the back and leaves me with two girls I’ve known for all of twenty seconds. I take the empty seat in front of me, right across from Meleika, mostly so I’m not standing there like some total creep.
“It’s nice to meet you, Ben.” Meleika tears open a bag of chips and offers them to me. “Want one?”
“I’m good, thanks though.”
“Nathan’s told us a lot about you,” she says.
“He has?”
Sophie answers first. “He said you ate lunch out on the quad, with the burnouts.”
“I do.” Then I think about what that implies. “I don’t smoke though. It’s just quieter out there.”
“I’m sure you’ve at least gotten a contact high, dude. The quad is big, but not that big.” Sophie laughs, mostly to herself, while I shift uncomfortably in my seat.
“So, Benjamin, why haven’t you taken advantage of our cafeteria’s fine dining options?” Meleika glances over to the neighboring table, where there are other students sitting with trays filled with something that looks relatively close to pizza. I mean, it’s square, and that’s probably a pepperoni slice?
I shrug. “Never felt the urge.”
“Well, at least now you get to hang out with the two greatest people at this school,” Sophie says, beaming.
“I don’t see them around.” I laugh so they know it’s a joke, and they both start chuckling, so I’m taking that as a good sign. I’m actually a little proud of that one.
“He’s got jokes,” Meleika adds.
Sophie taps her nails on the table. They’re painted this really neat turquoise. “I like you, Ben.”
“Thanks.” I feel like I’m grinning too much. “That’s a first.” I try to laugh.
“Is the interrogation over?” Nathan sits his tray on the table with the same suspicious-looking pizza as the other table.
“Not even close, but he’s passed the first test.” Meleika bites into her sandwich.
“Is there going to be a quiz at the end of this?” I ask.
“He’s funny, unlike a certain someone.” Sophie eyes Nathan.
“My jokes are always fantastic, thank you very much.” I can’t tell if Nathan’s pretending to be offended or if he actually is.
“Oh yeah?” Meleika asks. “Go on, tell Ben the one about the scarecrow.”
“Fine.” Nathan turns to me. “Why did the scarecrow get an award?”
“Um.” I actually try to think of any possible answers, but I’ve got nothing. “Why?”
“Because he was outstanding in his field!” He throws his hands out, big goofy grin on his face.
All three of us just stare at him, blankly.
“You get it?” he asks. “’Cause you put them in fields?”
“Oh, I get it. It’s even funnier when you have to explain it,” I say, before I turn to Sophie. “You’re right.”
“See?”
“Whatever.” Nathan rolls his eyes and bites into the pizza. “Y’all just don’t appreciate good humor when you hear it.”
“Sure …” Sophie says under her breath. “So, Ben, do you like it here?”
“It’s okay,” I say.
Meleika huffs. “You picked a great time to transfer,” she adds sarcastically.
“You guys dressing up for Spirit Week?” Sophie asks.
Meleika pulls out her phone. “Yeah. I need the extra credit in Biology.”
“Extra credit?” I ask. I saw the list of theme days, but nothing about extra credit.