Monday's. They don't necessarily suck, it's just sometimes they drag on. Why wouldn't they? You're coming off of the weekend when your brain isn't in school mode. But you know what makes up for sucky Mondays? Halfway through them is lunch. And today was pizza stix day. Heck. Yes.
Finley took a bite of one of them before placing it back on her tray. She flipped the page of book she was reading. It wasn't like she was ignoring anyone- she sat by herself, on the end of one of the rectangular tables on the far side of the cafeteria. It was nice to be able to escape into a book world for 30 minutes every day.
She didn't really care if people thought she was weird sitting by herself - that was their problem. Plus she highly doubted that that many kids even noticed. They were all busy with their own friends and socializing, before having to head back to class.
A figure slid into the seat across the table from her and folded his hands on the table in front of him. Finley's eyes darted up from her book and rested on the boy in front of her. A dopey grin revealed the braces on his teeth.
"Hi?" Finley questioned, unsure as to why he was here.
"Why are sitting by yourself?"
Her eyebrows rose at his forwardness. "Because I want to? Is that okay with you Newbie?"
Miguel chuckled lightly. "Newbie? Really? That's the best you got?"
"Alright, fine. I'll work on a new one for you if you really don't like it."
"Thank you. I expect something awesome."
"Mhmm." Finley hummed before going back to her book.
Miguel looked back at his table where Demetri and Eli were staring over at him. Well at least Demetri was staring, Eli just kept shooting glances over. His gaze drifted back to the brunette in front of him who was now ignoring him again.
"Alright come on."
She looked up, confusion swimming in her eyes. "What?"
"Come sit with us." He gestured with his head back towards his table.
Her eyes darted over and her breath caught in her throat as she made eye contact with Eli. For once she was the one to break their gaze first.
"No. No that's okay, I'm good here."
Miguel frowned slightly. "Why not?"
"I don't want to impose. And honestly I'm good over here. I like reading."
Miguel narrowed his eyes slightly and then mumbled to himself "strike first" before grabbing Finley's tray.
Her head shot up. "What the- what are you doing?"
Panic was evident in her voice as she watched the boy stand up with her food and walk away. This could not be happening. He had her pizza stix. She grabbed her book and quickly walked after him. The jerk wouldn't need a nickname if he was dead.
Miguel slid the tray on the circle table at the spot next to him.
"What the heck Diaz?" Finley whispered as she passed behind his seat and went to grab her tray.
"Un-uh." Miguel said grabbing her tray, anchoring it to the table. "I did not get you all the way over here so you could leave again."
Finley glared at him. She didn't want to sit there. But she really wanted her pizza stix. So she sat down in the seat.
"Steal from me again and I will freaking make your nickname Aladdin or... Pierre Despereaux."
"You watch Psych?"
All heads at the table turned to the quiet voice that came from the blue eyed boy who had spoken up. For once he didn't look away, his wide eyes were filled with curiosity.
"Come on son." Finley smiled at him.
And he smiled back.
It was only for a moment. But the corners of his lips turned up as he looked at her.
"Cool." His cheeks were tinged a light pink as he looked down at his food.
"Despereaux was an art thief, he never stole food."
Finley raised her eyebrows at Demetri. Could the boy not let her have one moment with Eli?
"Well if you want to get technical," Finley said staring hard at Demetri. "What he did was really more insurance fraud than anything else."
She took a bite of her pizza stix as Demetri mumbled "whatever" under his breath.
"So..." Miguel began, looking at the girl next to him. "What do you know about Samantha LaRusso?"
Finley arched an eyebrow and then glanced over towards the popular girls' table. "Look Miguel, you're new here so I'll let it slide. But if you brought me over here with the expectation that I could give you all the latest girl gossip... well you picked the wrong girl. I barely talk to anybody at this school let alone that table."
"Oh no no no." Miguel said quickly shaking his head. "I just- you were nice in gym class and I figured... well why not sit with us?"
"Cause this is the loser table." Demetri muttered.
At this comment Eli's head shrunk closer to himself, like a turtle retreating into its shell. Finley rolled her eyes at his comment, before addressing Miguel again.
"Look. She's smart, probably like a 3.7-3.8 gpa. Only started hanging out with the popular group this past summer from what I've seen, which is surprising considering her family is rich cause her dad owns a couple car dealerships. I didn't think she was the type of person to get pushed around, but she's very 'go with the crowd' recently."
Miguel looked at her like she was crazy. "I thought you said you didn't know her?"
She shrugged. "I don't. All that is surface level information, I just pay attention."
"So is she- ya know, dating anyone?"
He received an exasperated look for that comment.
"Her and Kyler seem to have a thing going on, but I'm honestly surprised she would date such a jerk so who knows." She finished by taking another bite of her food.
Finley ate the rest of her lunch in silence, the boys filling the gap with small talk. At the end of lunch she threw her trash out and headed to her locker to get her books for 5th period.
"Hey wait up!" Miguel's voice called after her.
She slowed her walk slightly to allow him to catch up to her. He walked with her to her locker and finally spoke as she was putting in her combination.
"So you gonna sit with us tomorrow?"
"Um... I mean I wasn't planning on it."
"Come on, pleasseeeee." Miguel pleaded.
Finley frowned slightly as she pulled out a binder from her locker. "Why do you care?"
"Oh. Oh I don't." Miguel said leaning his back against the locker next to her, pretending to act cool. "You on the other hand are clearly desperate to sit with us again. I was just being polite and offering so you wouldn't have to grovel."
She looked over at him with a 'really?' face and a grin spread across his face. "You're so thoughtful Diaz."
She shut her locker and began walking off, Miguel quickly walked after her. "Plus it wouldn't hurt to be able to tell my mom that I made another friend."
"There it is." She rolled her eyes a small smile tugging on her lips. "I'll think about it alright?"
The boy smiled at her. "Awesome."
"See ya later Newbie!"
"You said you'd change it!" He called after her, but she kept walking, a smile on her face.
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YOU ARE READING
Drowning
Fanfiction"I know he went off the deep end okay? I'm not blind to that, believe me. But I also see that he is drowning, not because he can't swim, but because he has lost sight of the shore and has no idea which way he is supposed to swim." ~~~~~~~~ Finley Co...
