The first five periods had been a blur of teachers, regulations, assignments and unfamiliar faces. I figured I'd be happy to go to lunch. That is, until I realized that I had no one to sit with.
I hastily bought my lunch and found a vacant table pushed off to the side of the nearly-empty cafeteria. I put my bag on the seat next to me and slid my tray onto the table before I sat.
Lacking any appetite, I poked at the chicken nuggets with my fork, resting my head in my other hand.
"It really is chicken. I swear."
I looked up to see a girl with light blonde hair standing next to my table. Her pixie haircut seemed to frame the small features on her face. She wore lavender crystal earrings that perfectly matched the shade of her floor-length peasant skirt.
"I did a writing piece on it for the school newspaper. The cafeteria uses 100 white meat, all the way... Despite how rubbery it looks. Mind if I sit?"
I took my book bag off the chair and set it next to me on the floor. "Good to know. And no, not at all."
The girl put her tray down on the table. "We're allowed to go out for lunch, you know. Open campus."
"Yeah, I know. Figured there's no point in going all the way across the street to sit alone at some café, though," I replied.
She laughed. "So you're new here, huh?"
I nodded.
"I was in your shoes a couple years back. My family moved here from Connecticut in my freshman year. Sucks to be the new kid."
"Thanks for the support."
The girl laughed again. "I'm Julia, by the way. You can call me Julie."
"Andy Crowley."
"Wait... You're the twin?" Julie asked.
"Yep. So I guess you already met my brother."
She shrugged. "It's kind of hard to miss someone when they crash directly into your locker while trying to catch a football."
"That's Jaime, all right."
Julie and I talked for a little while longer while we ate. Halfway through the period, though, she got up to toss out her tray.
"I gotta get going. Writers' meeting at the library. You're welcome to come if you want...?"
"Nah... Writing's not really my thing. You know, more of the band geek type," I stated. "Thanks anyway, though."
"Okay, cool. No problem. Hey, toss me your cell phone," Julie said, holding her hand up for the pass. I took the phone out of my front pocket and threw it to her. Julie caught it and programmed her number into my contacts.
"There," she said, sliding my cell phone across the table. "Call me tomorrow at the start of the period. A few of my friends are meeting across the street for lunch."
"Alright. Sounds good. Thanks."
Julie nodded and picked up her black and white polka-dotted shoulder bag, leaving the cafeteria.
