A Piece to a Different Puzzle

Chapter 16

By halfway through lunch period the other kids were starring at the table where Amani and Skylar sat together.  Amani was saying something, and Skylar was laughing out loud.  Since he’d joined the Bryan student body at the beginning of his freshman year, nobody had heard Skylar laugh. 

Whatever Amani was saying was interrupted by the approach of an older boy.  “Uh oh,” whispered Skylar.

“You bronies comparing collections?” the boy asked, snickering.

Skylar scowled but said nothing in reply.  Amani smiled.  “I’m sorry, I don’t understand ‘bronies’.”

Yet another boy joined the group, stepping between the first boy and Amani.  “Hello,” he began, “you must be Amani Ferguson.  I’m Danny Schwartz.”

Amani popped up out of his seat, turned his big blue eyes on to full brightness and shook the older boy’s offered hand.  “Hello, Danny.  It’s my pleasure to meet you.”

“Geez, Miss Goodie Two Shoes meets Miss Manners,” the first boy snarled.

“It’s leadership, Carl, not that you’d recognize it,” yet another boy’s voice said from behind.

The boy Carl looked over his shoulder at the new comer and noticed everyone in the cafeteria was watching, including Principal Brooks.  “See ya around, faggots,” he muttered as he turned to go.

“Bye, Felicia,” Zach called after him in a musical singsong.

Amani smiled at the last boy to arrive.  “Hello, Zach.  It’s nice to see you again.”

“Hey, Amani.  If that guy gives you any shit, you just let me or Danny know.”

Amani looked baffled.  “Why would he give…”

“I’ll explain later,” Skylar offered as the older boys laughed.  Danny slapped Amani on the back and he and Zach walked back to where they’d been sitting.

Amani smiled at Skylar.  “I didn’t understand anything that just happened.”

“Okay,” Skylar began, “The first guy is Carl Tower.  He's the senior class douchebag. Thanks to his little sister he was like waiting on me when I showed up here this year.  He’s been trying to make me miserable.”

“Why?”

Skylar looked at Amani in disbelief.  “Well, he doesn’t think I belong here.”

“Okay…?”

“So Danny and Zach are like the b.m.o.c. – that’s big men on campus. Danny is running for student body president…”

“Like my sister!”  Amani exclaimed.  “Oh.  Against her.”

“Right.  Danny Schwartz:  tall, beautiful, mature for seventeen,” Skylar said, sighing, touching his palm to his sternum and looking quickly at the ceiling.  “He could have any girl in school if he wasn’t such a decent guy.”

“‘He could have her.’  What exactly would he do with her?”  Amani asked.

Skylar laughed.  “You crack me up, Amani.  Anyway, Zach is the school alpha male.  He’s like the total All-American academic-athletic package.  He rips off As in all his classes and was easily the best on the football team last year and will be even better this year.  Ooo, and when he takes his shirt off in the weight room…wait!  Do you know him?”

“We accidentally met the first day, before school started.”

“D’arvit!  That was you, Amani?”  Skylar smacked his forehead.  “Of course it was you.”