Cracks

011 | a lone mango

M A N G O

—

        After orientation and dinner, Avery found himself in the courtyard: a small square of greenery amidst a concrete and brick jungle. Set up next to a tree in the middle was a table covered in boxes and papers. Behind it, two people were frantically handing things out to the swarm of students who had long since given up a line formation.

       He was currently alone. Well, not alone alone; he had about two hundred students for company, but he didn't really know any of them–well, save one. Essentially, he was currently and utterly at the mercy of the student tsunami threatening to plow over the table ahead. A lot of them—including him—didn't even really know why they were there—something about doors or something. He was about to try looking for another way through when suddenly, a hand grabbed onto his arm.

       "Hey, I've been looking for you." He turned, finding himself facing the girl who'd run him over, the girl who, currently, was trying to keep her attention on him and not the various moving body parts that kept running into her. He was surprised she'd actually tried to find him—he thought she'd just been saying that to be nice. Or to seem like it, anyway.

      "I kept getting smushed between people, and—" She tapped briefly on the shoulder of a black girl, letting go of his arm as her attention shifted once-more. "I love your shirt; where'd you get it?" Avery just stood there awkwardly, annoyed and slightly bewildered, trying not to be pushed around by the crowd as Klaire and the girl started up a high-energy conversation, one that was soon interrupted by yet, another voice.

       "I'm back! Sorry, I just had to talk to somebody real fast." Klaire then turned her, confused, momentarily diverting her attention from shirt girl.

       "Weren't you just behind me, Sabrina?" The girl–Sabrina, placed her hand on her chest, changing her expression to one of mock shock, as she teased lightly.

       "You didn't even notice I was gone? I swear," she started, "You have the attention span of a nat." Klaire shrugged and smiled awkwardly. She wished Sabrina hadn't mentioned the ADHD in front of the boy or Lily. She knew she had ADHD. It was just, she wanted to be the one to say it at the very least; and didn't feel comfortable with new people knowing that one fact about her and nothing else.

        Never the less, she shoved it down for later, when they could be alone and she could tell her without anyone else hearing. Klaire then lightly smacked her shoulder, remembering Avery's existence and turning to him. She reached out and grabbed his arm again, pulling him closer to them. Sabrina's eyes fell on him, going up and down, up and down as though she was examining bacterial growth in a petri dish. When she saw that he'd noticed, she looked away, a blush starting to creep onto her cheeks, which Avery didn't understand. Her examination had been quiet obvious, surely she knew that.

       "Oh yeah, this," Klaire said, waving an arm in his direction, "is Avery."

       "Avery, Sabrina. Sabrina, Avery."

       "Hey." He said in acknowledgment, for the second time today extending his hand out. "Nice to meet you." Sabrina connected their hands. "Likewise." Then, her eyebrow cocked as she turned to Klaire for the answer. "How did you two meet again?"

        "I—uh," Klaire scratched at her neck, before glancing back up. "Sorta ran into him. Literally." Sabrina stared for a moment, really stared, before leaning an arm on her best friend's shoulder and looking towards the boy.

         "I apologize on her behalf." Klaire hit her side and Avery smiled, putting his hands up, not knowing what else to do.

         "It's all good." Then Sabrina narrowed her eyes slightly. "Have I see you around somewhere? You look sorta familiar." Avery parsed through his memory, nothing really ringing a bell.