The Definition of Insanity.

Chapter Five: Involuntary Functions

Danny's POV

"...and then when you die, all your muscles relax, right? And the part of your brain that controls involuntary functions is dying," Duke told his story as he leaned against the parking lot fence, a lit cigarette between his fingers, "So when you die, you shit yourself."

Everyone groaned. But Duke just stood there grinning from ear to ear, like he'd just shown us some of his best work.

"Man, fuck you," Adam, who had been sitting down on the hard concrete with his lunch in front of him, threw down the sandwich that had just been centimeters away from his mouth.

"Dude, that's fucking disgusting," Maritza commented in her slight Puerto Rican accent that somehow made the foulest of words easy on the ears.

"Why do you have to ruin everyone's lunch like that?" questioned Kaya, who was in her usual spot, leaning on the fence right next to Duke, who had his arm around her. Her curly hair was just a few shades darker than her caramel colored skin, but it looked blond underneath the sunlight, as she scolded him beneath her aviator sunglasses.

Duke looked down at her scowling face and gave her a big smirk, "Because its fun to watch you squirm."

He waggled his eyebrows at Kaya, and she blushed before she elbowed him in the ribs, making him wince.

Maritza, who was sitting down right below them, crinkled her nose in disgust. She turned away from them to look at me.

"Ay, Danny boy," She shouted up at me, "You still want a tamale?"

Because Ridgeway's cafeteria food was basically fried dog food, our school had an underground food ring. Selling food at school wasn't allowed, but people got away with it. Maritza was the best. She sold food out of her locker most of the time, but every Monday, she'd bring tamales. It gave me something to look forward to on Mondays.

I sighed, "Yeah, I guess."

Maritza gave me a half-smile and tossed me a tinfoil covered tamale.

"Oh C'mon," I heard a frustrated Adam shout. I looked up to see Duke and Kaya in a heated makeout session.

"We were literally just talking about dead people shitting themselves!" Adam scolded them as he picked up his lunch and moved closer toward Maritza and me.

No one could really understand why Kaya was with Duke. He wasn't exactly good-looking. He was tall and pale, and he really large ears-- and not to mention obnoxious. And Kaya... well, Kaya was beautiful. Every move she made was graceful, every intention behind her actions is genuine. You could say she was perfect.

I used to tell her that all the time. The more I think about it, I think that's how I fucked things up.

A lot of people thought it was to piss her parents off--- and if that was her goal, then it sure was working. Her parents hated Duke; mostly because he was a cocky white boy who couldn't keep his hands off their daughter. But it had to be something else. Kaya's not the type to do something just to get a reaction of out people.

Suddenly, Peyton sat down right next to Maritza, who had handed her a tamale like it was a routine. Peyton breathed out and smiled, "What'd I miss?"

I frowned, "You don't want to know."

She stared at Adam's uneaten lunch, and she knew something was up. Adam had an unusually large appetite.

She raised an eyebrow at him, "Do I want to know?"

Adam sat cross-legged with his head held up by his fist in defeat, "Nope."

"Alright, then." She smiled and unwrapped her tamale.

"Where were you?" I asked her.

"I was showing the new girl the way to the guidance counselors office. You remember her, right? Tall, brunette... pretty." She shot me a sly smile, "You were flirting with her in class today."

My eyebrows shot up immediately, "Was not!"

"Oh please!" Peyton stood up straight, and dramatically cleared her throat. "'Hello Again,'" She mimicked me in a low voice.

"Okay, One," I held up my index finger, "I do not talk like that. Two, I was not flirting with her."

Duke and Kaya suddenly disconnected their tonsils so that they could join in this horrid conversation.

"Wait a second," Duke gave me a big teasing smile, "You said Danny was flirting with someone?!"

"Yup," Payton said smugly, popping the 'p'.

Kaya gave me a shy smile, and I quickly broke eye contact with her.

Even Adam, who had been grumpy all day shot me a smile, "My boy's growing up!" He said, wiping nonexistent tears from his eyes.

"Guys, knock it off," I grimaced at them, "Seriously, I don't even like her. She's got the locker under me, and she's really annoying."

Peyton rolled her eyes at me, "What did she do? Breathe around you?"

"She called me a rude asshole." I took a bite out of my tamale.

"Well... were you being a rude asshole?" Maritza asked me, her eyebrow raised.

I shrugged.

"Well, maybe we can ask her ourselves." Peyton muttered.

I turned my head to see Charlie walking toward us, clutching her books to her chest, her light brown hair flowing in loose waves down her shoulders. From the way she walked, you could tell she was worried about her dress flying up with the wind.

"You invited her?" I glared at her.

"Yup", she smirked, popping the "p", "Be nice."