WingWard Side

Chapter 4: School

Sure, the morning was boring as ever, but soon enough our 6th bell rang and called for lunch. I grabbed all my stuff, carrying my books in my arms, and stumbled out the door towards the cafeteria. The halls were crowded and loud and filled with lots of people I didn't know, all enemies in my mind. I just kept the idea of hanging out with my gang at lunch, like our own little LateShake, and kept wandering down the halls.

Finally the bright day broke through the air as I walked outside, having to blink once or twice to adjust. It felt colder than usual, a slow wind bristled around and it almost felt like winter. Suddenly I felt a hand drop on my shoulder. I jumped back, imagining those dang Foxbloods, when I saw Egghead standing there.

"Woah CakePop, didn't mean to scare ya." He brushed past me and walked along the blacktop towards the green. Several metal picnic tables were scattered about, surrounded by thin brittle trees and large stones and stumps. Our table was distanced farther back, closer to the end of the school and much less visible. Bulldog was already there when I saw it, so was Pluto and Gabby just about to sit down. Raptor was leaning against a nearby tree, reading some book, and Egghead walked over and sat down by her to ask what she was reading. I dropped onto the seat by Pluto and set my backpack down. Then I reached inside and pulled out a plastic bag with a cookie dough cake pop in it, along with my white earbuds plugged into my phone with my music already set. Pluto held out her hand for one, and I gave her the left earbud. Bulldog reached for my bag and I snatched it back.

"CakePop, you cannibal." Gabby giggled.

"Ey, they're my favorite." I snapped back. "So no grabbing." My eyes fell on Bulldog and he leaned back.

"Sorry, didn't know you were still jumpy." He said defensively. Then I saw Roger almost trip past the wall up ahead. We all looked at him. He put up his hands and shook his head, but he had a little smile on his face. Then sure enough, some blonde girl threw a can at him and shouted.

"Ahh, what a surprise." Bulldog grumbled. Roger laughed a little and shoved his hands in his front pockets. The girl rolled her eyes and stomped away. Roger laughed again and walked up to us. He gave a sly smile.

"Gosh, Roger, quit dallying around with them girls." Gabby spat at him. "We'd like some of them to like us." She crossed her arms and checked her phone.

"Aw come on, we the WingWard side. They ain't liking us either way." Roger sat down by Gabby and overlooked her lunchbox, scavenging for food. She inched away.

"Yeesh, which one was that? Samantha?" Egghead looked up from the tree to Roger.

"Nope." Roger shrugged again and eyed my cake pop, which I drew back.

"Annie?"

"Nah, that was like a month ago." Roger said while still facing us.

"Mia, Ashlyn, Kit, Cece, Jan?" He listed every girl he'd known that was stupid enough to date Roger in the past month. Roger declined all of them. I saw Pluto roll her eyes next to me. Suddenly, I remembered what Bulldog had said that night before, about Pluto and I. I felt my nose start warming up so I shook it out of my thoughts before anyone saw. Luckily they were too focused on Roger's many girlfriends.

"That's messed up, Roger." Gabby huffed, and we all laughed.

"Come on, guys, that was Katie. Y'all gotta keep up with my social life." Roger laughed a little, and most of us did too, besides Gabby or Pluto.

"Aw, I liked Katie." Pluto sighed. "You messin' up everything, Aden." That was Roger's real name, Aden Jackson. Pluto was the only one who sometimes said his real name cause' maybe that's how they talked at home. "Just stay away from my friends." She added quietly.