Fitting in

Chapter 15

   Brett hated raisins. The squishy earth made fruit snack was similar to an old wrinkly fat beetle. She picked it up and flicked it across the lunch table towards Jason, who scowled at the dried grape. They both hated raisins; at least that was something they had in common. Brett let out a deep sigh and looked towards the art geeks lunch table, yet again longing to be talking about topics that actually mattered. At her lunch table, Chelsea was giving the details to her latest midnight stand. No one cared.

            She watched Simon’s hand maneuver a packet of ketchup expertly around his hamburger. When finished with the creation he showed his friends the planet he drew on the patty, and they all laughed and shared their creations with each other.  Using her left over raisins, Brett created a smiley face with the edible beetles, then curved the line down to make it frown.

            “Brett, what on earth are you doing?” Jesse asked staring at her friend.

            “Giving life to my raisins.”

            No one laughed.

            “Here.” She said scooping them up into her hand, then placing them into John’s (the line backer that ate basically anything) palm.

            The whole table stared at her as if she were a stranger, and Brett decided she’d better become affable and dumb in two seconds or else risk not fitting in.

            “So guess what’s coming up soon Jason?” she said leaning into his side while she still had the table’s attention.

            “What?” he questioned about to stuff fries into his mouth.

            “Our montheversiry.” There Brett decided, something as unimportant and inane as a montheveriry should convince everyone she was herself.

            “But we’re not going out Brett.”

            Their lunch table became even more silent as they waited for Brett to reply. What would their queen bee do now? Never before had Brett been denied a relationship, then again, never before had Brett been in a relationship.

            “Whose fault is that.” She snapped bitterly not in the mood to discuss their undecided relationship.

            “Uh, yours?”

            “Mine? I’ve been waiting for you to ask me out since like last year?”

            “Didn’t seem that way when you were with Dave.”

            “I told you what happened that night! Why would you bring it back up?”

            “Why would we have a montheversery?”

            “I don’t know! Isn’t that what people do?”

            “Yea, when they both know their dating! Next time you want to inform me on the progress of my relationship, make sure you tell me I’m in it first!”

            Brett felt her cheeks get hot and splotchy. All she wanted to do was convince people she was feeling like her regular preppy self, but Jason had to go and ruin it. She picked up her lunch tray angrily, and chucked it into trash glaring at Jason the whole while. Who needed him anyway, she decided walking out of the lunch room with her head held high.

            At the lunch table, John gawked at Jason.

            “Why does it matter to you if she was even with Dave? You’ve been with tons of girls who didn’t give a damn about whether they were dating you or some other guy?” He said checking Brett out as she walked away.