Too High For The Net

2| Sonny's

     It feels like that typical family reunion dinner in which all the adults sit at the long table while the cousins or the kids just sit at a separate table. Fi, Rowan, and I sit at a table for four, skimming through the menus. We aren't that close to the guys' table, but we could still hear them talk about us.

"Why are they just there?"

"Go tell them to sit here."

"No way, bro, my sister would rather not."

"I feel bad."

"Wha—why?"

"'Cause they came and I feel like we banned them from sitting with us. Discrimination."

"Tell them to sit here."

"One of them doesn't like men."

"Huh? What does that mean—"

"Oh, dear Lord," one of them grumbles before standing up. The three of us lift our heads to see Milo clasp his hands together.

"Hi," he says, "I'm Milo, if you don't know already—"

Rowan nods. "We know."

He shuts his mouth but opens to speak again, "Oh, uh, cool. Anyway, would you guys want to sit with us?"

I look at Fi, but she just shrugs. "Umm, I mean, I'm fine with that."

"Yeah, same," Rowan agrees.

Fi's lip twitches. "Well, I'd rather not sit by myself."

"Okay, great," Milo says, grinning and pointing to the table where the rest of the guys sit. "We're over there—"

"We know," Rowan nods again.

When we walk over there table, the guys scootch together to make room. The guys being Milo, Hugo, James, Xiao, Jonah, Leon, and Travis Quen. Fi goes in the booth first to sit next to her brother, and then I go in with Rowan following.

"Uh, Rowan," James asks, "you're friends with Maisie Hart, right?"

She nods. "Yes, why?"

"Oh, she's coming to dinner, too. With Phoebe," he explains, nodding to the two empty chairs across us.

The waiter comes to our table to collect our orders and menus, and by time we were finished, we sit there in silence.

Travis clears his throat and leans over the table while looking at the three of us. "So, umm, what grade are you guys in?"

Geez, this feels like we're having dinner with a boyfriend's family for the first time.

"Juniors," we all answer at the same time.

Travis grins. "Oh, cool. I remember when I was a junior—"

Xiao arches a brow at him. "Dude, it was last year not fifty years ago."

"Feels like forever," Travis shrugs.

"So, what do you guys like to do?" Jonah asks, and I feel Fi tense up beside me. "Do you play sports or?"

Xiao snorts with his arms crossed and eyebrows raised. "Is this some sort of awkward interview or some sh—OW!"

Milo pinches his bicep. "Hey, let's not swear at this table."

Xiao squints his eyes. "I didn't know you were Maisie."

I look back at Jonah who's still looking at us, and then I realize he still wants an answer. "Oh, uh, I don't play sports. But I do a lot of the, um, music stuff."