My Life is Not a Manga, or maybe...

Harem Scarem: 016

My quest for an alternate eating spot proved futile; although Seamus did indeed share Lunch 1, his table was packed full of band geeks both days I scoped it out. Evidently band was second period and the band room was right next to the cafeteria. Curses.

Aside from Seamus and his band chums there wasn't a single other table I felt comfortable trying to sit. Sure, there were scattered people who I knew by name, thanks to classes last year or track and field, but none of them were grouped up sufficiently to give me a reasonable in. Simultaneously, none of them were eating alone; they all appeared to be sitting with established social groups. Maybe if I weren't a total coward when it came to introducing myself to strangers I would have tried to insinuate myself into one of the groups, but as it was I just fell back on eating at the same table I'd sat the first day of school both following days. It was frustrating.

Of course, the harem congregated there with me both days, as well. It appeared this was my new routine.

Thankfully there was one bright spot in my future: the improv club was meeting Thursday evening.

# # #

I call it a club, but the improv meetings aren't actually recognized by the school in any official capacity, so far as I know. Ms. Cariño simply hosts them because she wants to, and because improvisation is a good exercise for actors. Most of the participants are the hard-core drama geeks who can't get enough time in the limelight; that about sums up Hayden, for instance.

Then there's me; I've never taken a drama class (and have no intention of ever doing so), don't try out for the school plays, and just generally have no interest in acting.

But midway through ninth grade Hayden invited me to come to an improv meeting, and on a whim I took him up on it.

I discovered that I love it. There's something magical about improv. Maybe it's that I get an excuse to play make-believe with my peers in a way that's otherwise been heavily stigmatized since the end of elementary school. Maybe it's because it gives me an outlet to be ridiculous and goofy, which I just don't get elsewhere. Maybe it's because it forces me to go out there and interact with people, but without any of the stress I'd suffer in a normal social setting. Maybe it's the fact that every improv session involves building something collaboratively rather than competing the way I do in track and field, or Seamus has to do in band. Maybe it's something else; I don't really know.

Whatever the reason, after I got a taste for improv I started attending every meeting I could, and within a couple weeks Hayden and I were solidly best friends. Ms. Cariño's improv meetings have been a bright spot in my life for almost a year now.

So after a week of dealing with unwanted harem members in and out of class I was really looking forward to blowing off some steam with a bit of improv.

# # #

"Hey Mom, are you ready to go?" I was looking forward to being able to take my driving test in a little over a month so I could start driving myself places. I'll bet Mom was counting down the days, too.

"In a minute, Xavier," Mom called back from somewhere deeper in the house. I sat down at the kitchen table to wait for her.

While I was waiting, Rachel wandered in. "Are you going to that improv thing now?"

"Yep."

She stood there in thought for a moment. "Would it be alright if I came, too? I'm kind of curious."

Oh, I had a really bad feeling about this. I also had no good reason to refuse. "Sure." I saw Mom approaching down the hall. "Let's go."

I drove us to the parking lot by the PAC and Mom took the car home. She or Dad would be by to pick us up around 8:30 when the improv meeting was done.