Dreamboy

Pick Your Poison

Here we were, the lunchroom. the tables were clean until kids set their trays down on the top, chatter from everyone everywhere & people being sorted in groups. The goths, nerds, popular girls, cheerleaders, jocks & the new kid sat with none of them, not even the ones I listed.

"Brianna! Bri! Over here! I saved you a spot!"

"Coming Molly!"

Of course, I sat with Molly. She was sitting with the yearbook club & they allowed her to invite me over because they thought I was cool. How neat is that? Anyway at the corner of my eye, I took a glimpse of someone sitting alone. It was the new kid.

"Hey Molly? Did you notice the new kid being, y'know, lonely?"

"Oh yeah! He looks fine though. Should we invite him over?"

I was about to speak, but one of the yearbook club members, Luana, shouted & shutted me up real quick.

"No! Don't do that! If we invite that alien over, we'll be a laughing stock. All of us."

Molly, the yearbook club & I were shocked. I've known Luana since 3rd grade & she was only in the yearbook club to stay distant. I guess that club changed her, but I don't know.

"So Molly, pick your poison: The new kid or the yearbook club. you choose"

Come on Molly. Say "new kid." Show her who's boss,I thought. Unfortunately, she did the opposite & remain seated. Luana looked at Molly with a stern look while everyone else at the table looked away, embarrassed by Luana. I did the same thing, but I just took some glimpses of the new kid.

Before I knew it, the new kid stood up & had...a pool noodle, or half of one at least. He then got up from his seat, walked up to another student & gave it to a kid. That kid was Lian Kleets, one of the runners on the cross-country team. He was kinda distant sometimes, but once you get to know him, he's a nice dude.

In the pool noodle was a slip of paper that was written on it.

"Don't say it out loud. In fact, don't show it to anyone"

"...Alright...but why? Is this some top secret stuff?"

"If it was, I'd be in unfashionable black clothes with black shades on. Not my style, by the way. Ta-Ta!!!"

And he did back flips, somersaults & cartwheels back to his table. Molly finally spoke again, followed by a scoff from Luana.

"Well, for a strange kid, he does have fashion sense."

"Ugh, what a freak. He can't even walk normally & he's sitting alone. Ha, serves him right!"

At that point, I had enough of Luana's karen-like attitude that I had to do something. Til this day, I don't regret it one bit.

"Alright, quit dragging this guy down. Sure, his style is gaudy & excessive, but it does not mean you have to be such a fricking Karen about. What are you gonna do next? Drag Molly down for wearing glasses? Tell off Liam for his unfashionable cross-country outfit? Whatever you have to say, speak it now or forever hold your freaking peace!"

The yearbook club, including Molly & Luana, were sitting there, shocked & impressed by what I said. Luana was famed with anger, but held it in to keep her reputation from lowering even more, as Molly held in a laugh. As I looked around the room as I got up from my seat to put away my food, I saw that some other kids around the table overheard me & there were mixed expressions everywhere, even the new kid looked at me with a cheeky & proud smile. It's like he was expecting me to say that.

After lunch, Molly & I went to put some of our stuff away for our next classes. Soon, the newbie came up to me & this time, he was walking like a normal person.

"Hi there! Brianna, right? Before you ask how I know your name, I overheard some kids say your name while discussing your...event"

"Oh! Yeah...that. It was loud, wasn't it?"

"No, no, it's fine. it's good to get things off your chest when needed. I just came to say, I'm impressed that you stood up to that very rude person. Well, I gotta go! See ya & nice meeting you!"

He waved & smiled at me & did the same with Molly, but winked at her. After he left, I felt a smile creep onto my face & saw Molly blushing like crazy.

"Wow, what a dream boy"

"Dream boy?"

"Yeah, like, he's so...out of this world"

That's when the name came up. Dream boy...Dreamboy...it had a nice ring to it. So, that was that & it stayed like that until high school. It finally occurred.

The new kid got himself a nickname & it wasn't an insult.