Awkward

/SENPAI/

-EPISODE 7.

/LUNCH/

"Have you— wait wait wait... have you been working out?" asks Alastair, looking me over.

I look myself over.
"Uhh, a little here and there, I guess. Why?"

Putting his arm around the empty seat he's next to, he waves it off.
"Nothing."

I run a look over what I can see of myself. I don't see anything.

This half, I distanced myself from Alastair but I guess he's pretty thick-brained with that sort of stuff so he's just waltzed right back into my life and here we are, having lunch together like 'the old days'. At first he tricked me into sitting on the same table as a whole bunch of other classmates but they left already.

It's quiet until he says, "Ugh, mannn. I need to get over Julianna for REAL."

"You still haven't?" I ask.

"Julianna is very attractive."

I feel my face scrunching.
"So?"

"Julianna is very attractive, so it's hard."

He's not done with his food but I'm done with mine. I'm scratching a fork over my clean-scraped plate when I say, "She's not going to just.. stop being attractive, you know?"

He sighs, "Yeah yeah... but not like this, man. Maybe I just need to turn over a new leaf in de innit."

• "in de innit" — a newly created and now socially approved phrase at Redwood Secondary. I cannot believe it.

"New leaf?"

"Like— maybe I just need to find someone else," he says. "You know, and wash out Julianna."

"Uh... I don't know man. I don't think it works like that," I reply. But he's already staring off.

"I think I'll go after Poppy."

"Are you even listen—"

"It's decided!" He presses his palms on the table, preparing to leave. "It has been decided that I shall pursue a fresh love in Penepoly Fellor!"

"Isn't it Penelope—"

—"Farewell, Julius!" he interrupts, standing to leave me at the table. "F—," he whispers. "Julius sounds a hell of a lot like Julianna... Henceforth, I shall call you CAESAR instead! BUT GOOD LUCK with your workout grind, yeah? See you around, Caesar!"

.

And just like that, he's gone.

Well, not really. I actually watch him walk away at an ordinary speed and this goes on for a painfully boring amount of time so clearly, it's better said dramatically.

.

And just like that, he's gone.

~~~|~~~

/AFTER SCHOOL/

The trees race past Alastair's window. I didn't get a window seat this time.

"Caesar, you know what I realised?"

"What?"

"I need to get over Julianna, but you need to get over Mikaela."

I put my bag on my lap; it has my kit in it. We're on our way to the complex for after-school trials and the train is packed full of loud people. Loud people who want to be in the squad for the March 11s.