The exchange

Who?

Lunchtime came and, as promised, so did Vilde. She waited with a huge grin right by the door.

"How was class?" she asked excitedly.

"Great," I replied, remembering how I made instant friends with my lab partner, a friendly blonde with the most perfect handwriting I had ever seen. "Everyone is so nice!"

We walked across the hall towards the cafeteria, once again pretending I did not notice any stares. I guess everyone was used to thinner, blonder, paler girls. I did kind of stand out, even back home. There, my height was a big factor. Here, however, as I had researched and purposefully catered to my mom, I was about average height among girls and relatively short in comparison to the guys.

The cafeteria looked like any other you could see in an American tv show, with meals spread out and trays at the beginning. It was like a hospital buffet sort of thing, I thought. I smiled at my own thoughts and rapidly erased it. Sometimes I have the freaky habit of reacting to my own thoughts, just like my father. Every time he drives one of his sports cars he moves his hands and his brows like he's mentally arguing. Or maybe just pretending he's in an action movie like I sometimes do.

We paid for our food and Vilde guided me outside of the cafeteria, to a field with tables. A little further from the cafeteria, was a rectangular wooden table surrounded by a group of teenage girls and a guy. I recognized Sana and Eva, who waved at me and gestured for me to sit.

A blonde girl with boxer braids scuttered to give us space to sit, "You must be Rosa. I'm Astrid."

"Oh my god, you're so pretty!" squealed the guy from the other end of the table as he leaned closer. "I'm Eskild, by the way."

"Thank you," I singsonged. I loved it when gay guys, other girls, and little children complimented me. It always felt so genuine. "It's so nice to meet you."

"I like your leather skirt," commented Astrid as she took a bite off her sandwich.

"I love your hairstyle," I smiled back. I just loved this hyping up. I could feel my love for humanity grow with my ego.

"Guys!" screeched Vilde. Her fork had dropped back in her salad plate as she suddenly remembered something. "We need to warn her about the Penetrators!"

"Oh, yeah, they'll definitely come for her next," Sana shook her head gravely.

"Chris already tried to hit on her," Vilde hushed. Eva froze for a second before looking down at her cut-up fruit cup like it was the most interesting thing in the whole world.

"Who? When?" I frowned. Vilde had not been in any of my classes to prescence how others received me, not that anyone would flat out hit on me in the middle of a lecture. "Was I there?"

"The guy from the office," Vilde stated as if it should have been obvious from the start.

I searched my mind for any conversation that should have stood out. Finally, a realization hit me. I groaned mockingly, "Vilde, he literally just asked me if I was new."

"Yeah, fresh meat," Vilde declared. I laughed dismissively.

Eva spoke seriously, "Rose, really. Those guys are trouble. Fun, but trouble anyway. Just be careful."

I leaned back, smiling as I chuckled, "Who are 'they' even? And please don't tell me you call them 'penetrators' because of what I think."

"Oh, honey..." muttered Eskild with raised eyebrows and a knowing smirk.

"They call themselves that," Astrid chuckled.

"Why?" I spit out. Who in their right mind–

"It's their Russ bus name. It's weird, we know," explained Sana, mentioning the wild tradition I had serious fun researching about.

"Talking about Russ buses," pushed Vilde as she scanned the whole group and smiled as she met my eyes. "Do you want to join ours?"

"Sure," I replied with a bright smile.

"Great!" Exclaimed Vilde. "Then you need to come to our pre-game on Friday to meet everybody. I'll send you the location later."

"Pre game for what?" I asked cluelessly.

"The Penetrators are giving a party," Astrid explained, annotating my cell phone number on hers.

"The guys you hate?" I slit my eyes and tilt my head as if that would help me understand.

"They give really good parties," Eskild emphasized. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"And we don't hate them," shrugged Eva, clearly conflicted. "They're just... fuckboys."

Vilde lowered her eyes to the table as she played with her leftover food. She muttered, "Maybe not all of them."

"Vilde..." sighed Eva as she rubbed her shoulder gently.

The usually happy girl shot back up with determination. "They're not just fuckboys," she declared passionately. "Maybe they're just hurt and they try to hide it. They can change."

The table was silent. Everyone lowered their eyes, except me, who didn't understand anything.

"He can change," she whispered in the lowest of breaking voices, her fists closed with stubbornness.

"But he won't, Vi," hugged Eskild. "Sometimes people don't want to be better. And that is their own responsibility."

Vilde cleaned her tears with the sleeves of her pastel pink sweater, "I just wish he would, you know? I would change for him."

"We know you would," soothed Eva. "But not everyone is as good a person as you are."

"But I gave him everything!" shouted Vilde, then lowered her voice. "I gave him my virginity."

I could not help but feel completely out of place, like I was invading their privacy. I just ate my meal in silence as I tried to pretend I wasn't even hearing. But I was. And I felt like crying or hugging her or killing him, whoever he was.

"Vi, honey," said Eskil sternly. "You knew what was going to happen. He didn't promise you anything, really."

"But he made me believe–"

Astrid intervened with a groan, "No, he didn't, Vi. And deep down you know it."

Vilde pressed her lips together, her eyes watering. The soft girl tried to turn into stone. But she couldn't. So she simply said she had to go to the bathroom. Alone. Still, Eva followed.

Eskild shook his head, then smiled at me awkwardly, "Sorry for that."

"Oh, no! It's okay!" I defended. I didn't want them to think I was nosy or complicated.

"She just had to learn how troublesome the Penetrators are the hard way," Sana sighed. "Just don't let yourself get played like that too, okay?"

I giggled, dumbfounded, "I don't even know who you're talking about yet."

"You'll see," Eskild chuckled.