Andrew has begun walking over to where Yumi is but as he does he glances back at you and gives a quick flick of his head, telling you to come with him; you comply. "Let's go," you tell Caleb as you begin walking.
"Let's... the fuck are you doing?" he asks, but he's started following you.
"Same thing Harding is doing," you shoot back.
Caleb groans. "Yeah," he says, "that's the problem."
"Don't you want to know what's going on?" you ask him. "Then you can take it back to the others and really impress Eva and Cindy and Lin."
He mutters but he doesn't argue any further as the two of you catch up to Andrew. But now it's your turn to be hesitant.
"You're just going to talk to them?" you ask.
"Yeah?" Andrew replies like it's totally obvious but he turns at you and flashes his wide grin which, along with that lion's mane on his head, actually feels overwhelming. "You intimidated by them or something?" he asks.
"Well, uh, no. Not really," you say. Though the truth is you are, or at least you're intimidated by Jelena who has a reputation for being very hip and is thus someone of a far higher social standing than yourself.
"They're out at the Warehouse all the time, they're cool," he says. He then turns to them as you approach the table. "Fatima! Yell! How's it going?" he asks before turning his attention to Yumi. "And Yumi too, now this is interesting ain't it?"
"Hey Will," Yumi says as she looks past Andrew. "And Caleb."
"Hi," you greet her back nervously as the other two girls eye you. "So you're not going to be eating with the others today?"
Yumi eyes tensely for a few seconds before relaxing. "Like I said on Friday, I'm trying to get out of a rut," she explains.
"We ran into her out at the Warehouse," Jelena explains coolly, "and we got to talking."
"Turns out that Yumi's pretty cool herself," beams Fatima, a stylish Iranian-American girl. "And after a few drinks she had a lot that she wanted to get off of her chest."
"That why you told Chelsea to go fuck herself?" Andrew asks.
Yumi and the other girls give each other a look before Yumi shrugs. "It wasn't anything that extreme. I didn't, like, blow up or melt down or anything like that," she says calmly. "Chelsea was being a bitch and I just got fed up with it."
"So you didn't quit the squad or anything?" you ask.
"Nothing like that," responds Yumi.
"She's really stressed, you know?" Fatima states.
"Right," Jelena chimes in. "She's had some stuff going on."
"I'll tell Jenny and them about it," adds Yumi, "but I a just need some time to cool down because I know that they're only going to keep me fired up."
Everyone's curiosity is satisfied, at least for the moment, so you all decide to part ways with Andrew going back to his own buddies while you and Caleb head over to sit with Keith and James and the others. You fill them in about what's going on with Yumi and they seem mostly mollified. Jenny, however, expresses a little discomfort at who Yumi's hanging out with.
"What's wrong with them?" Caleb asks.
"Nothing," Jenny replies as she shifts uncomfortably. "But Jelena's always given me some weird vibes and she hangs out with Andrea too." She grunts and takes a bite of her yogurt. "And I bet Andrea's an even bigger bitch than Chelsea."
"Why's that?" you ask.
"Because she's aloof. Like she thinks she's better than everyone or something," she states. "So I figure you'd have to be a cunt to get along with someone like that."
* * * * *
The rest of the day passes without incident and things are back to normal at home as well. But it seems like each day brings with it something new. On Tuesday, for example, you're surprised twice at lunch. The first is when you're eating with your usual group and notice Jenny rip off a bit of James' sandwich and pop it into her mouth.
"The hell was that for?" he asks.
"Just wanted to see if your mom makes a better sandwich than mine," she says with a smirk.
But there's something teasing, almost flirty, to it and it's something you—and the others from all the glances—can't help but to notice. It's not just towards James, either, but towards Carson and even a bit towards yourself and Caleb as well. You like Jenny but she's usually, well, harder edged (if you're being charitable) than she's being today. Like the mountain lion ready to tear someone's throat out has been replaced with a playful kitten.
"You get into some of that shit that Prescott put into Walberg's desk, Ashton?" Carson asks.
Jenny makes a face. "No, I just had a really long talk with Yumi yesterday. I'm glad she actually stood up for herself so I'm in a good mood." Then Carson yelps as she kicks him under the table. "See?"
"Where is Yumi, anyway?" you ask.
"I saw her with Cindy and the others," she says with a shrug. "Guess Yumi sort of telling Chelsea to shove it has messed with the dynamic some. I was getting texts about how Chelsea barely even looked at her."
"You don't think that's bad for Yumi?"
"Dunno," she replies. "But everyone usually just takes Chelsea's shit and then they seethe. I don't think she knows how to handle anyone defying her."
The second part of the one-two blow comes at the end lunch when you're accosted by Fatima who asks for your phone. She snatches it from you as you take it out of your pocket and a few seconds later hands it back.
"I added my number," she says. "Yumi was telling us about how you were saying that you wanted to get out of your rut too."
"Uh, I guess?"
"Are you fine hanging out at Andrea's?"
"Varnsworth!?" you ask in astonishment.
"Duh!" Fatima replies. "Anyway, it's usually pretty open there or at Yell's place or... look, we're all real casual, okay? So if you ever want a break from the routine just hit me up so you can hang out with us."
"Who's us?"
"Me and Yell," she starts as she ticks off fingers, "Andrea, Sienna, Charles, Nancy, whoever. Lots of people, it's fluid. Like I said, it's all pretty casual and open."
That's enough to leave you gobsmacked for the rest of the day.
* * * * *
Wednesday doesn't really seem to bring anything special with it except for the reappearance of Lee who was absent from eighth yesterday. Not that you really know him but with him not around Andrew got to talking to you instead so you find yourself included in the conversation. But it's nothing interesting, just that he claims he got sick Monday night, was feeling like crap on Tuesday, and is feeling only slightly better but that his mom sent him to school insisting that he was faking it since he denied any attempt at going to the doctor.
"It's just a stomach bug or something. I'll be over it in a few days," is all he grumbles.
But Thursday is another matter entirely for at lunch it seems like the excitement of the week has finally died down. Yumi is back at your table and her and Jenny have seemingly settled back into their usual pattern of griping about Chelsea and Jenny trying to rein in the boys. But Yumi says she's only stopping by for a few minutes.
"There's going to be a study group this evening. We're still working out the details but we were thinking of doing it at Brianna's since she said her parents are always out late," Yumi states.
"We?" James asks. "As in, you're helping it?"
"You say that like it's weird," Yumi huffs, "but we're seniors and after this whole thing with Chelsea I feel like I should just start putting attention back on what's actually important. You know, like my grades or my sanity."
"So who's going out there?" Caleb asks.
"I dunno, like I said we're still working it out," she answers. "But me, Brianna, maybe Danielle? We're trying to get a list together by the end of eighth. I figured I'd tell you guys though."
James and Carson are negative on the idea. You, Caleb, and Jenny are noncommittal. Keith is all in until both Jenny and Yumi give him a look that says "no."
This gets followed up in sixth period when you overhear Brianna Kirschke, the girl that Yumi mentioned, talking about it with Genesis Lee. "So, Yumi said you're doing a study group out at your place later?" you ask.
She looks at you for a moment and gives you a friendly smile. "Yeah, probably. Were you interested in coming out?" she asks.
Again, you're noncommittal and simply say that you were curious.
"Well here," she says as she rips off a bit of paper and writes something—her phone number you realize—down. She hands it to you. "If you decide to come out just message me so I'll know what's up. Just tell me by the end of the day though."
* * * * *
"Look at you, dude!" Andrew says as the pair of you exit Mr. Cash's classroom.
With Lee having been sick, you've found yourself talking to Andrew more and more this week and again he's still not feeling well and waves of hanging out with Andrew. And while Andrew's gregariousness can feel a bit overwhelming, you decide that he's a pretty nice guy overall. It feels like your fortunes have changed from only a week ago and in a sense you guess you owe it all to that boneheaded decision.
"Brianna's nerdy but she's hella cute, man, and Yumi... fuck! So you goin' out there?"
"I'm still deciding," you tell him.
"Well shit, you got that invitation from Fatima too right? She's nice too." He laughs a bit. "Oh man, if you're goin' out there or to Brianna's you've gotta let me tag along. I'll owe ya big time."
"Owe me how?"
"Fuck, I dunno, I'll get you hooked up with someone out at the Warehouse or something."
The both of you laugh at that when a voice cuts in. "Hey, are you two free?" asks Ms. Willett as you pass by her. "I've got some stuff in my classroom that I have to move and I'd really appreciate some help."
Ms. Willett is a teacher who's popular with a lot of students as she's young, pretty and cool. You look at Andrew and you can practically see the gears turning because there's no doubt that you'd be in good with her if you helped her out.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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