This was a great morning, Nicholas decided. Seiji was having breakfast with them. Bobby was staring at Seiji, delighted and starstruck. Fencing was the first thing Bobby and Nicholas had bonded over, so Nicholas was sure Bobby and Seiji would get along well, too. Other people were murmuring and pointing at their table, no doubt jealous Seiji was sitting with them.
“Aiden hates me!” Eugene said sadly. His voice was muffled since he was speaking into the cradle of his arms.
Seiji nodded. “He does seem to dislike you. I’ve noticed that myself.”
This wasn’t what Eugene needed to hear. Nicholas kicked Seiji in the ankle.
“Nicholas just kicked me,” Seiji reported, eyes narrowing. “I’m fairly certain it was on purpose!”
Bobby, who had a beautiful soul, hastily intervened. “Eugene, I’m sure Aiden doesn’t hate you. He’s probably feeling a bit sensitive right now, because Coach threatened to kick him off the team and make you roommates with Harvard instead of him.”
Seiji and Nicholas gave a mutual shudder at the hideous words off the team. No wonder Aiden was in a foul mood these days.
“Is that what’s going on?” asked Nicholas. “Sweet.”
Bobby tilted his head, pigtails tipping to one side. “What do you mean?”
“I meant for the captain,” said Nicholas. “Eugene would be a way better roommate than Aiden. Harvard could finally have some peace and quiet.”
He realized Harvard and Aiden were best friends, but surely Harvard was exhausted by the constant talking at this point. Anybody would be. Nicholas viewed the dining hall, faces crowded around the long rectangular oak tables, benches crammed with boys in navy and gray. The sight of so many students assembled, all of them belonging so much more than Nicholas ever could, was as intimidating as being thrown into a really fancy sea. But Harvard would fit right in at any table. He was sure any of those older boys would be thrilled to hang out with the captain.
“Well,” said Eugene, “I guess it’s possible Harvard is tired of having Aiden’s guys over at all hours. If you know what I’m saying.”
“Wow,” murmured Nicholas, as realization dawned. “Are you saying…?”
Eugene nodded. Bobby and Dante were nodding as well, in a resigned fashion. Apparently, this was common knowledge.
“Aiden has his friends over, like, at night? And in the mornings?” Nicholas demanded.
“Well… yeah, bro,” said Eugene. “From night until morning. Sometimes.”
Nicholas was scandalized.
“Does he throw parties? That’s gotta be distracting for Harvard! The captain’s fencing shouldn’t suffer because his roommate is a party animal.”
A silence settled over the table. Nicholas assumed everyone was as horrified as he was, but their expressions had gone strangely fixed. He looked to Seiji, whose eyebrows had drawn sharply and disapprovingly together.
“I agree completely, Nicholas,” said Seiji. “Aiden shouldn’t be throwing parties! Do you realize what’s happening here? Because it seems obvious to me.”
“Oh, thank God, someone’s going to tell him,” Bobby murmured.
Seiji leaned across the table toward Nicholas, as though he might whisper to him and still be heard over the buzz of chatter rising to the rafters. Nicholas leaned forward to hear what was so obvious to everyone else.
“I suspect that if Harvard wasn’t being deprived of sleep by these social gatherings, the captain would be higher ranked among the fencers,” Seiji informed Nicholas earnestly. “Harvard might potentially be in the top ten rather than the top fifty. No wonder Harvard can’t find time to work on his low lines. I honestly can’t bear to think about how this irresponsible behavior is affecting the captain’s fencing.”
“… Oh my God,” Bobby whispered.
“Right, Bobby?” asked Nicholas. “We’re all shocked.”
There was another silence. Nicholas was pleased to see even Dante seemed stunned.
Seiji, making a visibly painful effort to be sociable, turned to Dante. Nicholas thought Seiji had selected Dante to address because Dante was the strong silent type, and Seiji found quiet more comfortable than conversation.
They all watched in horror as Seiji made his fatal mistake.
“What are your thoughts on low lines? When working with the épée, naturally.”
“I don’t care about épées,” Dante told him.
“Ah,” said Seiji. “More of a sabers man? Our coach feels the same. For myself, I prefer—”
Dante explained, “I don’t care about any kind of fencing.”
Seiji exchanged a slightly panicked glance with Nicholas. Nicholas shrugged, like Go with it. He found Dante’s attitude puzzling as well, but Dante was a good guy. Dante and Bobby were best friends. Seemed as if everyone had one of those. Nicholas wondered when a good time might be to bring up being best friends with Seiji. Possibly not soon, since Seiji was clearly finding a friendly breakfast to be a trial.
Bobby gave Seiji a look of rapt admiration, then, obviously torn, gave Dante a look of best-friend love. Dante’s attitude about fencing must be hard for Bobby to deal with, Nicholas thought with sympathy.
“Dante’s a great cook,” offered Bobby. “His whole family gets together and makes these huge meals. They cook the most fantastic Italian food.”
Nicholas did love pizza. The food at Kings Row was amazing, and the meals were so regular. The teachers actually got mad if you skipped any of them. Still, he really missed a delicious, greasy slice. Mom would give him the money for pizza sometimes, when she wasn’t gonna be home.
“Fascinating,” murmured Seiji politely. “Unusual.”
“Not really,” Bobby defended Dante, admirably loyal to his best friend even when addressing his fencing idol. “Cooking’s a more popular hobby than fencing.”
“They don’t have a Great British Fence-Off,” muttered Dante.
There was a thoughtful pause.
“Oh, that sounds like such a good show,” Nicholas murmured.
“I like your idea for a television show as well,” Seiji told Dante. “Why do you picture it being British specifically?”
Dante’s mouth opened and closed. No sound came out.
“Could be because of the European history of dueling?” Nicholas suggested, and looked to Seiji. “Like in the book you let me borrow. Did you know that if you killed someone in a duel back in the old days, you could run away to France, because in France, dueling was still a totally cool and legal way to kill someone you had beef with?”
Seiji nodded, pointing at Nicholas for emphasis. “I did know that, but clearly not everybody does. You’re right; the show would be educational for many people. Perhaps they could hold fencing displays in old manor houses and castles and châteaux? And, of course, in colleges such as Cambridge, Oxford, and Trinity, where the legacy of fencing students is so illustrious.”
Breakfast conversation was so awesome now that Seiji had joined them! Nicholas bet nobody else had as much fun as they did.
Dante had clearly given up on talking and was giving Bobby a silent, pleading look. Nicholas guessed Dante was shy. Seiji was pretty famous, so maybe Dante was overwhelmed.