Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn The Cheerleader

Mystery Meat

Dawn, Ricky and Nicky scanned the cafeteria searching for their brother. He was hard to miss, really, as the popular table was the loudest most attention-getting table in the entire cafeteria.

"Should we go sit there?" Nicky mumbled out of the corner of his mouth.

"Dicky seems pretty happy without us. He's with Kayley." Ricky said tentatively. Just then, Dicky turned around and waved them over.

"He seems like he wants us there." Dawn said. "Let's go, guys, stop being such chickens." They walked over.

Kayley saw them heading over and kicked Dicky in the shin. "Your siblings are coming over here." She told him. "Don't they know this is where the popular kids sit?"

"Mmhmm." Dicky said naively. "I invited them to sit here today. With us. For you."

"For me?"

"For you." Dicky confirmed. "Well, you see, they weren't sure that--"

"I don't care, Dicky! I. Don't. Care!" Kayley hissed, but then she stopped talking as Dawn, Ricky and Nicky arrived. They slid in silently and pulled their lunches out. Kayley shot each of them a petrifying look and went back to her lunch, suddenly not enjoying herself as much as she was.

Lunch  was tense. At least, for Dawn, Ricky, Dicky, Nicky and Kayley, it was. The other populars went about their regular conversations, with occasional glances at the weird newcomers. Kayley sat at the table picking at her food harshly, while Dawn, Ricky and Nicky sat on the other side of Dicky wordlessly, not even touching their lunch at all.

"So..." Dicky said, trying to ease to the tension, "Kayley, these are my siblings..." He faltered at the look Kayley was giving him.

"I know that." She muttered, stabbing a piece of cafeteria meatloaf with her plastic fork. Her eyes glittered dangerously, even as they were turned down at her lunch tray. "I thought you said you were going to spend less time with them and more time with me?" She hissed into Dicky's ear. Dicky froze. He had said that. Why didn't he remember?

Dawn poked Dicky in the upper arm with the back of her spoon. "Hey, Dicky," She said quietly, "Your girlfriend doesn't seem too nice. She's really..."

"Murderous?" Ricky glanced over at Kayley.

"Sinister?" Nicky suggested.

"I was gonna say silent, but... yeah." Dawn admitted. "She is being kinda antisociable."

"So are you!" Dicky defended Kayley. "Why don't you talk? Why does it always have to be Kayley's fault?"

"What's my fault?" Kayley's head shot up.

"Nothing, Kay--"

"Don't. Call me Kay."

"Nothing, Kayley, I was telling them that the reason this lunch is going so sourly is because they aren't talking to you." Dicky comforted his girlfriend. "It's not your fault. None of it is. Don't worry. Be happy." He cracked a grin. "Sorry, couldn't resist."

"Dicky Harper, you do not know how to treat a girlfriend." Kayley spat. The popular boys suddenly went silent and turned their eyes on the drama unfolding right before them. Several sat down immediately and started snacking on their popcorn, soda and chips--as if Dicky and Kayley's personal affairs were their own personal soap opera. "You make promises, then take them back. If you were going to do that, why make a promise at all? Why have a girlfriend at all?"

She stepped out of the bench and flipped her hair dramatically. "Perhaps I'll give you another chance. Tomorrow. Without these... these losers." She strutted away towards the girls' bathroom.

Continued in Mystery Meat 2...