The Paths That Tie (Clementine x Violet)

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Lunch time.

The number one time for seating arrangements to determine your standing on the hierarchy of Ericson High. For example, the jocks, cheerleaders, and student body officers would sit on the upper level of the lunch room. While inbetweeners would satisfy the middle, and finally the boarding school attendees and rejects would occupy the bottom level.

The aroma of undercooked hamburgers and burnt pizza filled Clementine's senses as she casually conversed with her usual group at the lunch table. Looking around, Clementine was once again faced with the clear differences that lied depending on where you sat in the rather large room.

Clementine wasn't a huge fan of the clear discrimination socially, and most of the time would spend as little time in the lunch room as humanly possible. This was due to the amount of snide remarks that would come from tables other than the officer table towards the lower tables. Which, would sometimes get on Clementine's last nerves.

"Did you hear about the supposed drama that's going on at the band geek table?"

"What? So even nerds have drama?"

"Just sounds like to me that they want to be cool like us, so they're creating drama to make them look more like us."

Roars of laughter could be heard from both sides of Clementine, as multiple tables held conversations of similar topics. She suddenly had the thought to thank Lee for not forcing her to join a sport, since she wasn't sure if she could handle the pettiness of it all.

"Geez...Again with this, Gabe? It's simple! We leave at five after pictures, show up to Rossini's at around five thirty, eat for about an hour, and arrive at the dance a solid thirty minutes before hand to help with set up!" Mariana complained, as she took another spoonful of macaroni into her mouth.

"What if Rossini's is packed, though? We should leave thirty minutes earlier to make sure we're not going to be late!" Gabe retorted, as the other three officers looked back and forth between the arguing siblings.

"Psst. Clem? You want to head out early?" Duck whispered to Clementine, catching her off guard from her people watching.

Nodding her head, the two were able to sneak out without being questioned. Leaving the innocent Sarah to be the lone peacemaker between the feuding siblings over Homecoming once again.

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"Sorry to pull you out like that! I saw that you were pretty spaced out, and I won't like: I was a little jealous."

Clementine smiled, as she crossed her arms and leaned again the wall next to her in the courtyard.

"Jealous? Of what? My lack of interest in Homecoming?" Duck shook his head, as he put a hand on his hip.

"The fact that you were able to somehow tune out those two. I thought I was going to lose my hearing permanently if I stayed there a second longer!" Duck explained, as he dramatically put his hands over his ears.

Laughing in unison, Clementine sighed as she tried to regain composure.

"I don't know. I feel like everyone else is thrilled for Homecoming except for me. It's just hard being engaging on something that doesn't sound fun or interesting. Maybe I've just been working myself to death over it, so I've just lost my interest." Clementine explained, as she casted her eyes away from Duck entirely.

"Oooor...Here's a thought: The person you're going with is the reason you're not interested in going. I bet if you were going with the rather mysterious and enchanting Violet, you'd be more excited. I'm no detective or anything though, so who's to say for sure if I'm right?" Duck proposed, as a huge grin had grown on his face.