Wildest Dreams

t w o

Second day of school had its worst of scenarios, and one of that is finding a seat in the cafeteria where groups of friends huddled altogether, laughing at their own inside jokes. It was better yesterday, I ate in the courtyard but now I have to join a table with strangers.

"Maple, hey!"

I heard from across the cafeteria. When I looked to my right, Glen Lantz was already jogging towards my direction. He had the same smile on his face.

"Sit with us," he told me, gesturing at his friends who were sitting at one table not far away.

"Uh, sure." I shrugged. Glen's smile grew wider and he led me to their table. Their heads turned when we were standing in front of them.

"Guys, this is Maple," Glen introduced. "Maple, meet Nancy, Tina, and Rodolfo."

"Hey!" Rod threw a carrot at Glen as he sat beside him. He then turned to me and said, "The name's Rod. Glendolyn is just teasing."

"Hello." I smiled as I sat down beside Nancy.

"Weren't you that girl in science class yesterday that Mr. Wilson argued about Galileo and Aristotle?" Tina asked. She had shoulder length blonde hair, the upper half was on a bun, and a hair clip kept her fringe away from her eyes.

"Yeah, that was embarrassing." I chuckled.

"You spoke up to old man Wilson? You have my respect already, my girl." Rod winked and he slurped from his milk box. He was the boy with Glen when they arrived late to homeroom yesterday.

"Wait, was it about motion? Because yes, I couldn't agree more," said Nancy, tying her frizzy curly hair then ate a piece of chicken nugget.

"Makes me wonder if he actually graduated as a Physics major like he said," I muttered under my breath and stabbed my vegetables with a fork.

Tina clapped. "Maple, you're a genius!"

"Unlike Mr. Wilson," I added, smirking. We all laughed, which somehow caught the attention of a nearby teacher. She approached with a stern face and we tried to stop our laughing.

"Anything funny about our science teacher, children?" She asked.

"Why would we find him funny, ma'am? W-we weren't even talking about him," Rod answered, stifling his own laughs. We all were.

"If I hear another slander about Mr. Wilson, I have to send you to detention," she warned us.

I stayed silent. Detention was a familiar thing to me, but I didn't know how things go down here. Even if it does happen, I have these people with me anyway. It was weird that I was trusting them already after the struggling I had with my own grandparents. It was like I had a connection with—

"Jessica Benson?" The teacher questioned, looking at me.

My blood ran cold. For a moment, my heart stopped beating.

"Sorry?" I gulped, trying to meet her eye.

"You look like her. A young Jessica Benson from the end of Elm Street," she elaborated.

"O-oh. She's my mom." I pursed my lips, bringing my hands down from the table to fumble with the seams of my gloves nervously.

"Ah, well that explains it. I see you haven't inherited her looks alone, but her bad behaviour among friends as well."

"Hey, lady. That's just outright rude," Tina spoke up.

"Yeah. I don't think you actually have the right to tell her that, miss," added Nancy, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"And who are you, girl, to tell me what I'm supposed to say?" The teacher lifted her chin. I gazed down, glancing at the others on the table.

"Nancy Thompson, first year, and of course I have a say because you're being rude to my friend."

"I don't believe I have said anything—"

"Shut it, lady," Rod interjected. "You even dragged her family in the conversation."

"Now I am a teacher here, young mister—"

"Yeah so? It doesn't give you the privilege of picking on someone younger than you. Nonetheless, a student," Glen asserted and finishing the defence.

The teacher gasped, looking at all five of us. My heart skipped a beat when she took out a detention slip and slammed it on our table.

"Detention for all of you. NOW!" She yelled then walked away with a glare.

With a sigh, I picked up the piece of paper when Nancy stopped me.

"Where are you going? You haven't finished your lunch yet," she said.

"Detention. It's my fault anyway," I pursed my lips.

"What? No, that old hag was being a bitch. You're not going to detention," declared Tina.

"We'll be in bigger trouble if I don't go."

"Maple," Glen placed a hand on my arm. "That woman was disrespecting you and your mom. If anyone has to go to detention, it's her."

His hand moved down to hold mine. "You're not going to detention."

"'Cause we all are." Rod joked standing up from the table. Nancy and Tina rolled their eyes at him.

"But if it was that case, then we will go with you," Glen told me.

"N-no. You don't have to—"

"Maple, you gotta calm down, girl." Tina patted the table and they returned to their foods.

I looked at Glen and he smiled at me, reassuringly. Sighing again, I placed my bag down the floor and sat beside Nancy. Trouble seemed to still be obvious in my face, which made Glen offer me one of his string cheese. I kindly accepted it, returning the smile.

"You know, I bet your mom is a lovely person," Glen said.

"Yeah, she is..."

She was.

"Oh! By the way, Maple," Nancy perked up. "Glen and I live in Elm Street, the one mentioned by the teacher. So depending on which end, you might be neighbours with Tina too."

"I live on the South end," said Tina.

"I'm on the North, sadly." Tina clicked her tongue.

"If anyone's gonna ask, I'm around the neighbourhood as well," spoke Rod and we shared a laugh.

None of us went to detention at all at the end of lunch period. We all had English class together instead and the fun continued there. Maybe I was lucky to meet people like them; Somehow, they make life a bit more tolerable for me now.

Second day has its worst of scenarios, but the good ones always find a way.