To say that Maya and Zoe are popular wouldn't be wide off the mark. Considering that Maya is in the cheerleading team and Zoe is the editor of the school paper, coupled with the fact that they're both gifted with extraordinary good looks, I'd say they are way up the social ladder.
Me? I'm not even on the ladder. A few girls have called me handsome during my time, I'm not athletic though I'm quite fit and I don't have much to show for my school time apart from my 4.0 GPA average. Oh, and I also play a mean game of chess. So as you can see, I have not ticked the appropriate boxes to be on 'the ladder'.
I guess my relationship with Zoe and Maya helps me a lot. For instance, I have people to sit with at lunch, since we hang out with a wider clique of their friends. I say 'their' because they are not really my friends. For starters, I don't even know what half of them are called. Whenever I don't know one of their names, I call them by their most obvious characteristic.
And that was where I was today. At our customary lunch table. It was me, short-haired-chick, deep-voice-guy, Claire-or is it Clarice, and Ben. Zoe and Maya were yet to arrive. The morning was slow since it was the last day and no-one wanted to either teach or learn. But there was the usual buzz in the air.
I ate my usual lunch in silence; a slice of whichever pizza they were offering. It was basically the only thing that didn't taste like monkey brains on the menu. And yes, I know what monkey brains taste like. Long story.
I looked around the cafeteria as I ate. It was the same old. At every table you could see a couple making out or gazing deeply into each other's eyes as if they were searching for the long lost tomb of Genghis Khan.
It amazed me the number of relationships that are in this school. It is as if everyone who is old enough to brush their teeth has a 'boo' or a 'babe'. And as quick as they start they end. Mushroom relationships, I called them.
I was too deep in thought to notice Maya take a seat right beside me.
"Wow Sly. If you think any harder you'll have a brain fart."
I turn and look at her, struggling not to laugh because I never like enabling her gross humor.
"I continuously tell you not to say certain things in the cafeteria" I say sternly, trying to mask my ever growing grin.
Then she starts fanning the air with her hand.
"Boy doesn't your brain know how to bring them."
Try as I might I can't help it and finally I join in the laughter across the table. She punches me lightly as she removes her lunch pack from her bag. She's vegan and I stopped trying to keep up with what she eats.
"What are you having today?"
"Quinoa and tomato cucumber salad"
For the life of me I couldn't see any tomatoes on that 'salad'.
"Where is Zoe by the way?" I hadn't seen her all morning and I assumed she would be clearing up the editorial office in preparation for spring break.
"Oh she's on her way from the nurse."
She saw the look of horror on my face after which she quickly said,
"Relax. She's ok. Macy from second period fainted and Zoe and a few other guys took her to the sanatorium."
I let out a quick sigh of relief. I hated to think about people in pain, especially one of my friends. This one time, a couple of years ago, Maya fell while performing an aerial maneuver during cheerleading practice. She landed awkwardly on her neck and she passed out. The coach rushed her to the ER and those were perhaps one of the most nerve wrecking forty minutes of my life. Fortunately she came out unscathed. Maya looked at me with a soft smile.
