Framed

Six - Golf Carts and Tapioca Pudding

It was unbelievable how much homework I had to do. I had practically just started my work when we were called for dinner at 6:00. I had half-frozen chicken and green beans with cherry Jell-O and strawberries for dessert. After I’d gotten my food from the cafeteria lady, I went to find a seat. I immediately spotted the table with the group from before school and two other people I didn’t recognize. They were talking quietly and Alexis was poking at her turkey slices, her chin resting on the palm of her left hand. Cameron was talking to Smalls, of course, who sat across an empty seat which was in between Alexis and some guy I didn’t know.

I slid into the seat. “Hey guys,” I said, hanging my bag on the chair.

“Ugh,” Alexis said, turning to me. “That cafeteria lady is a total tard. I wanted the Jell-O, not this... weird pudding.”

“Oh, tapioca,” I said, switching our dessert plates without asking first. “They didn’t have any when I got there.” I licked my fingers.

Alexis glanced sideways at me as she faced the Jell-O. “Isn’t tapioca the root pudding or something?” I frowned at the bowl, then shrugged. Alexis dismissed it and pushed her turkey out of the way so she could eat the gelatin.

“Where were you at lunch?” Smalls asked me with her mouth full of food.

“I was talking to the principal,” I answered. Alexis listened with interest. “They were just going over the school rules and stuff.” I turned to Alexis and said, “You aren’t gonna eat the turkey?”

“No,” Alexis answered briefly. I didn’t blame her; turkey was a really dry meat.

“Oh,” I said. “Okay, want my chicken sandwich? We can trade.”

“No.”

“She’s a vegetarian,” Cameron shared.

“It’s lame,” Levi whispered loudly.

“Shut up,” Alexis snapped. It looked like she had a soft spot.

“That’s why you didn’t have the bacon,” I said so observantly. “You know, you could’ve gotten a salad instead of the turkey. They have vegetarian food.”

“Salad is for fat kids and anorexics,” Alexis said, rolling her eyes. “And they had hummus. Hummus, Doherty.”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” I said. I personally loved salad but I wasn’t crazy about hummus. “Sorry. Maybe tomorrow they’ll have better foods.” 

I tried to cut my chicken with a fork, but it wasn’t working out so well since the skin was tough and the fork was flimsy. All the other utensils I could see were a desert spoon and an extremely dull butter knife that wouldn’t even cut play-doh. I leaned back in my chair. “Where are the normal knives?” I asked wearily.

“They don’t trust us with them,” Levi said, as if that was the most obvious thing.

I reached into my backpack and rummaged inside. I pulled out a pencil box and opened it, then pulled out my pocketknife. Oh, pocketknife, you have never failed me in times of need.

“Do you know how much trouble you’d get in if they caught you with that?” the black-haired girl next to Smalls asked.

“I’m already here,” I said. “What’s gonna happen? Prison for slicing up some chicken? Or am I just gonna get expelled?”

Although my point was careless, Alexis and Cameron seemed to get it. Being expelled from St. Millicent’s was going to be like waking up from a minor nightmare for most of us.

“Look, I’m not that stupid,” I said. “I’m not gonna wave it around or anything.” I sliced the chicken, completely aware that everyone’s eyes were still planted on me. After slicing it up well enough, I rolled my eyes at them and put the knife back into the pencil box. “Stop staring or people will notice and I’ll kill all of you… with my pocket knife.”