Different Kind of Love

Chapter 3 Mr. Earl's Earl Grey Tea

"Locker 342," I read aloud from my class time table, "where the heck is that?"  I glanced over at Dinah, hoping she can help me again.  Dinah just shook her head and said, "Dang it!  We're not going to be together.  I have to walk all the way to the other side of the school!  Sorry, Meg, I can't help you."  I must have given a pretty good deflated look because Dinah had a look of thoughtfulness on her face.  "I know who might be able to, though!" Dinah cheered and instantly whipped out her phone, madly texting her friends.  A minute later, Susan and Elliot appear and lead me arm and arm to my locker, chattering madly about some strange thing I didn't understand.  I felt as if my first day would be lonelier without Dinah Colby.

Homeroom was with Mrs. Isselton, and it was the usual, dull and boring.  Next was history with an old fogey teacher, Mr. Johnnson, who seemed to hate us all and our "new fangled" ways.  Then, I had English with Mrs. Isselton again, and finally, it was lunch.

In the cafeteria, I scanned the densely populated area for Dinah and her gang.  I see Kaelyn surrounded by a group of prissy girls in pink, flirting with football players or whatever.  I guess she's fine, I thought.  Before school started, Mom made Kaelyn and I promise that if one sister was having a rough time, then the other one would come and help.  But, Kaelyn would rather die than help me.  Anyway, seeing that my older, Grade Eleven sister was fine, I swished by her table without batting an eye.

I saw Dinah's gang right in the centre of the cafeteria so I plopped myself down right by Dinah.  I opened my lunchbox and began to eat my cherry yogurt.  I look around the table and notice that everyone I met from the Bbq was there.  Dinah was on my right and Anna was on my left.  Peter was beside Dinah and Sam was beside Peter.  Piper was sitting across from me, with Susan on her right and Carl on her left.  Elliot was beside Carl.  Dinah finally noticed me, after having a long conversation with Peter and said, mouth full of Thai food, "Oh, good!  You're here!"

"Yep!" I said quietly, still a bit cautious of Dinah's crowd.  Slowly, I settled down as we discussed very important topics:  What clubs to join, who to like, who to avoid?  Until, we here a girl's voice from behind us, asking, "Can I sit here?"

I turn and see a girl with a million freckles and small amounts of acne.  Her eyes are a dull hazel underneath her blond eyebrows.  Her blond hair was done in a long, French braid, that went down to her waist.  She wore army green capri pants and a white high-low T-shirt.  Over that, she wore a black leather jacket.  She also wore black combat boots.  She looked like someone who I wouldn't want to mess around with, until I saw her scared, mousy, facial expression, and I knew she was no one to fear.  She gripped her lunch tray like it was a lifeline, waiting for us to answer.  I looked at Dinah, who was staring blankly at her thermos of Thai food, as well as everyone else.  "Just ignore her!" Piper hissed at me, "She'll go away eventually!"  So I did.

"Can I sit here?" the girl asked again.

Finally, Dinah made a small, fake cough, and snapped, "Go away, lesbian!"

"Okay." the girl responded flatly and stalked away out of the cafeteria.

"What was that about?" I asked Dinah, "Why was everyone ignoring her?"

"You asked about her at the Bbq," Dinah told me (I was beginning to suspect that Dinah had the memory of an elephant, she remembers everything), "Ember's her name and she is a lesbian girl.  Omigosh, lesbians are so weird!"

"You should avoid her." Elliot said, "She's a strange, little-"

Carl started laughing loudly, "What are you talking about?  You danced with her before, don't be mean to your ex, Ellie!"