Spy School Year 4

Erica

    I slap my hands onto both cheeks and mentally prepare myself for lunch. I swiftly pick up my stuff right as the lunch tone is sounded. I walk into the jam-packed hallway, books slung in one arm. I walk to a chink in the stone between two classroom doors. I tap on it lightly, and it pushes out to be a locker set in stone. I quickly put my books away and press it back into place. I check the time on my phone. 

     Five minutes since lunch started, which means I only have five minutes to get the good salads and frozen yogurts. I'm not desperate enough to actually run to the Caf, but I keep in mind the time. When I am finally able to push through the double doors of the cafeteria, I glance toward our usual table. I'm oddly comforted by the fact that I don't have to sit alone anymore. Although it has taken some students here a while to wrap their head around the fact that I'm not as much as the "Ice Queen" I used to be. 

     "So which toppings do you like on your salad?" I turn to see Ben's grinning face leaning over my shoulder. "Mine has croutons because we're training later today and also because I need carbs in my life,"  I roll my eyes slightly and take the first box he offers. Zesty dressing and a few shreds of mozzarella cheese on top. I wave to everybody at our lunch table. Mike lets out a surprised chuckle and hands a dollar bill to Jawa. Apparently they were betting on my social activity.

"I can get some lemonade for us..." my voice trails off as I see Ben already turning to get lemonade. 

      "We can't have the Ice Queen offering to help us mere peasants," Ben jokes over his shoulder. I brush off another grin, and take a seat beside Zoe. I'm glad that she hasn't been as upset as she could've with me spending more time with her crush. Chatting with her is one of the few things that seem normal. I'm still cautious about friendship, but she makes it easy. I pop open the container of salad and open my dressing packet. Jawa looks at me with a face mixed with pity and jealousy as he eats plain spinach. Ben gets back and we talk about our last classes. 

"Can you believe it's almost summertime again? I'm not gonna lie, our last official mission was a while ago. I wonder if we are going to be called in any time soon," Mike says.

"Yeah, not to mention training to be a spy and actually being a spy are two different things," Jawa points out. "And training is definitely much more boring," I munch on my salad thoughtfully and point my fork dripping with dressing at Jawa

"Why are you complaining, you are one of the top students of our class," I say, half jesting, half praising. He stabs his spinach and shoves it into his mouth and shrugs. 

"Speaking of top of class, can we get a good luck for Ben, because he's retaking his quiz on hand to hand combat," Zoe gestures towards Ben, who is studiously reading the information packet. 

He mumbles, "did you know that your punch is measured by pounds per inch?" He flips another page and highlights a sentence in bright pink. 

"Good luck," I say half heartedly as he quickly finishes his salad and rushes off to the library. I focus on my own lunch, but before I do, I notice Zoe frowning at the direction Ben ran off to. I bump shoulders with her out of solidarity and she offers a slight smile back.