A Starling's Awakening

Challenge Accepted

"Hello there."

"Howdy."

"You're Bret Whitaker, right?"

"Yes."

It was the beginning of our lunch break. I usually would have gone off-campus with my friends for lunch, but I was feeling adventurous.

Bret Whitaker stood five-feet, eleven and one-half inches tall. He had dark-brown hair and brown eyes. He was buff, and handsome. I cut in line behind him, and introduced myself.

"I'm Elise Torgason."

"I know."

"So what do you recommend?"

"That you go out with your friends. None of this average food will be up to your starling standards."

"Bret, I'm curious. I want to try this food."

"Have a falling out with your friends?"

"No, I want to try something new."

The expression on his face was impossible to read. It shifted from a smirk to a frown, and back to a smirk. He finally answered me.

"The chicken tacos are reasonably good. Avoid the mac n' cheese – unless you actually want to gag and vomit." I took his advice. I bought his lunch for him.

"Bret, may I sit with you?"

"It's a free country."

I followed him to a table. He sat with a few other guys. I was the only girl at the table. I had never felt so out of place.

A guy asked, "Bret, have you heard back from that recruiter yet?"

"Not yet. Are you thinking about signing up?"

"No. I'm still hoping to earn a scholarship."

I asked, "Recruiter?"

"I will be joining the National Guard when I graduate. I want to be trained as a heavy equipment mechanic, or operator."

"Why don't you want to go to a university?"

"And risk becoming like you?"

It was all I could do to keep my composure. I wanted to crawl into a corner and bawl. His utter contempt for me cut me to my core. I had extended an olive branch. Why did he have to pull it out of my hand and break it into little pieces? I didn't even finish eating. I slunk away like a beaten dog.

The following morning, in our third period class, we had open study. That meant we could pair up and work together on the assignment. I sat next to Bret.

"Which one are you planning to write about?"

"Ocean currents. I'm not sure how to make it applicable to life."

"How about its effect on shipping? Currents dictate shipping routes. Ships use currents to maximize efficiency." I opened my laptop, logged into my family's business mainframe, and showed him the northern Pacific Ocean current and shipping maps. We spent the whole class working together, and finished with an assignment we could both be proud of.

I joined him for lunch again.

"Elise, why are you feigning interest in me?"

"What would you have me tell you?"

"How about the truth. I know you and your friends have been slumming, and I know you've taken turns trying to lure me into becoming one of your victims."

"Yes, they were pushing me to go slumming. And yes, I want you to be the guy I go with. But I have no intention of playing you. I just want to have a good time with you, and I want us to separate on good terms."

"Can you dance?"

"Reasonably well."

"DJ Real Biz will be at the Radish on Friday evening. Let's dance."

"Will you pick me up?"

"Want to pretend we're dating?"

"For appearances. I don't want my friends to know that you know I'm only slumming."

"I'll be expecting a kiss or two."