The Cracks In Her Mirror

Chapter Ten

            Ginger hadn’t been back to the cafeteria during her lunch period since she sat with her old friends and they bullied Griffin. She had been avoiding them and they hadn’t been making much of an attempt to get in contact with her. She spent her lunch periods in the film room doing homework or reading. It had become her new school sanctuary. A few other students spent that period in the film room but none of them bothered her. That day, someone sat across from her. She looked up and made a big show of rolling her eyes.

“What do you want Niko?” she asked.

“I’ll be your friend,” he said, “The same as we were. I wont make any passes at you or anything. I’ll let you live your happily ever after with Carter.”

“Really?” she looked at him suspiciously.

“Yes…where is Carter anyway?” he asked.

“Don’t ask about Carter,” she replied. He put both of his hands up in surrender.

“Fine, fine.”

“I can’t talk right now,” she told him, “I’m doing work. I have so much to catch up on its insane.” Niko nodded.

“Okay,” he said as he pulled a notepad out of his backpack, “We don’t have to talk. I’ll do my thing you do yours. I don’t much like talking anyway.”

“For someone who doesn’t much like talking, you’re doing an awful lot of it,” Ginger countered. He smiled and pulled out a dull pencil from behind his ear. It was extremely short. Ginger couldn’t remember a time in which she had actually used a pencil to that length. He began sketching on the notepad and she looked at him for a moment before getting back to her work.

            After sitting in silence and working diligently for a while, Ginger set her pen down and tried to peek at Niko’s paper. He slammed his hand on top of it before she could see anything.

“What’s the secret?” she asked.

“No secret,” he assured her, “Just private.”

“What’re you drawing?” she asked. His face was composed.

“Who says I’m drawing anything?”

“Well are you?” she asked.

“No,” he said, “I don’t draw.”

“Why are you such a liar?” Ginger asked.

“Can we go back to not talking?” Niko asked. Ginger frowned.

“Let me see it,” she said.

“No.”

“Why not?” she reached across the table and he crumpled the paper into a tiny ball.

“Was that really called for?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“You’re not drawing something pornographic are you?” she inquired. He laughed.

“No,” he replied.

“So when do I get to cook dinner with your mom?” Ginger asked him, changing the subject. He raised his eyebrows.

“What?”

“Well you did so with mine. I would guess that would mean I’m allowed to as well, no?” He grinned.

“Right,” he said, “I hope you weren’t mad about that. I just came over to see you and she seemed really peeved about having to cook dinner so I thought I’d help.” Ginger shook her head.

“No, it’s fine,” she said, “Thanks for helping her.”

“It was nothing.”

“She really hates cooking.”