lighten up the mood. “Come on, Priscilla, our non-friends there were much better than our non-friends here.”
“It’s not about friends,” Boulder says, pointing his sandwich at me. “It’s about respect.”
Priscilla sighs. “Again, I went from having no respect—”
“Not true!” Boulder is adamant. “We had respect, Pri. People might not talk to you, but everybody envied your body.”
Sean snickers. “Smooth, big guy.”
“It’s the truth. And they envied my physique too—”
I interrupt him. “Your ‘physique’?”
Sean loses it.
Boulder ignores both of us. “…as well as my personality—”
It’s Priscilla’s turn to interrupt him. “Your ‘personality’?”
This time he stops and stares at her. “Don’t diss my personality, sweetheart. Not too long ago, you were smitten with it.”
“Or maybe I was smitten with your physique ?”
Sean’s uproarious laugh attracts a lot of attention to our table. But Fremont High is not used to his antics yet. A couple of guys glare at us ; a girl rolls her eyes. Somehow, we drop further on the popularity scale.
Boulder punches Sean on the shoulder, splashing Muscle Milk on me. “You are not helping, Sean,” Boulder hisses. “We need a plan. Some way of getting them on our side.”
Greta and Yara, the witches, enter the cafeteria. Greta waves at us.
Skye, who has been silent during Boulder’s rant, waves back and motions them to join us.
Greta says something to Yara, who shrugs. The two of them approach our table.
“They don’t mind us,” I say. “That’s a start.”
“Oh, please,” Sean snickers. “The Weird Sisters? How are they helping our cause?”
“I didn’t realize we were a cause,” I reply, offended for me and for the witches.
Sean just shakes his head.
Greta arrives and says, “Hey, guys. Got into any fights since the bell?”
Yara just gives a nod aimed at all of us and buries her nose in her cell again.
“Not yet,” Skye replies. “Come on, sit down. I mean, if it’s okay?” Skye looks around the cafeteria.
Greta says, “Well, it is the losers table, but the usual losers are avoiding it today.”
“Great,” Boulder mumbles. “We’ve reached rock bottom. Lower than dorks.”
“I can’t imagine why,” Greta replies. “But I don’t care about status.” She sits down.
When did sitting down at a cafeteria table turn into a stand, a gesture of bravery? When Greta does it, there’s a certain dignity to it, even. I become a Greta fan instantly.
Greta pulls down on Yara’s arm, who sits down without taking her eyes off of the screen. Greta turns to Boulder. “I’ve inquired about you. Kids here know you. From football and parties.”
Boulder suddenly becomes interested in what the Weird Sister has to say. “Really?”
“I’ve heard a lot of stories about you,” she says, suppressing a smile.
He grins.
The rest of us are only spectators now. Greta and Boulder are center stage.
“So you have the fame. What you need,” she continues, “is to earn their respect.”
His eyes bulge. He faces each of us in turn. “What did I tell you guys? She gets it!”
She goes on. “So this talk of parties had me thinking. Why don’t you throw a party for Fremont High?”
Boulder opens his mouth slightly. “That’s…awesome! That’s perfect, actually.”
Greta tilts her head to the side and smiles softly as if to say, “I know.”
He drops his sandwich, leans over the table, and clasps her hand with his massive paw. “What did you say your name was, again?”
“I didn’t. It’s Greta.”
“Greta. Would you like to come to a party at my house?”
“Just tell me when, big guy.”
***
It’s almost dusk. Skye is leaving my house. “Are you sure?” I ask. “I can drive you home.”
She shakes her head. “No, I have to stop by the park now.” She lowers her eyes. “Perform a quick ritual, you know.”
“Oh, now I’m more comfortable. Sneaking into the park alone after
“It’s not about friends,” Boulder says, pointing his sandwich at me. “It’s about respect.”
Priscilla sighs. “Again, I went from having no respect—”
“Not true!” Boulder is adamant. “We had respect, Pri. People might not talk to you, but everybody envied your body.”
Sean snickers. “Smooth, big guy.”
“It’s the truth. And they envied my physique too—”
I interrupt him. “Your ‘physique’?”
Sean loses it.
Boulder ignores both of us. “…as well as my personality—”
It’s Priscilla’s turn to interrupt him. “Your ‘personality’?”
This time he stops and stares at her. “Don’t diss my personality, sweetheart. Not too long ago, you were smitten with it.”
“Or maybe I was smitten with your physique ?”
Sean’s uproarious laugh attracts a lot of attention to our table. But Fremont High is not used to his antics yet. A couple of guys glare at us ; a girl rolls her eyes. Somehow, we drop further on the popularity scale.
Boulder punches Sean on the shoulder, splashing Muscle Milk on me. “You are not helping, Sean,” Boulder hisses. “We need a plan. Some way of getting them on our side.”
Greta and Yara, the witches, enter the cafeteria. Greta waves at us.
Skye, who has been silent during Boulder’s rant, waves back and motions them to join us.
Greta says something to Yara, who shrugs. The two of them approach our table.
“They don’t mind us,” I say. “That’s a start.”
“Oh, please,” Sean snickers. “The Weird Sisters? How are they helping our cause?”
“I didn’t realize we were a cause,” I reply, offended for me and for the witches.
Sean just shakes his head.
Greta arrives and says, “Hey, guys. Got into any fights since the bell?”
Yara just gives a nod aimed at all of us and buries her nose in her cell again.
“Not yet,” Skye replies. “Come on, sit down. I mean, if it’s okay?” Skye looks around the cafeteria.
Greta says, “Well, it is the losers table, but the usual losers are avoiding it today.”
“Great,” Boulder mumbles. “We’ve reached rock bottom. Lower than dorks.”
“I can’t imagine why,” Greta replies. “But I don’t care about status.” She sits down.
When did sitting down at a cafeteria table turn into a stand, a gesture of bravery? When Greta does it, there’s a certain dignity to it, even. I become a Greta fan instantly.
Greta pulls down on Yara’s arm, who sits down without taking her eyes off of the screen. Greta turns to Boulder. “I’ve inquired about you. Kids here know you. From football and parties.”
Boulder suddenly becomes interested in what the Weird Sister has to say. “Really?”
“I’ve heard a lot of stories about you,” she says, suppressing a smile.
He grins.
The rest of us are only spectators now. Greta and Boulder are center stage.
“So you have the fame. What you need,” she continues, “is to earn their respect.”
His eyes bulge. He faces each of us in turn. “What did I tell you guys? She gets it!”
She goes on. “So this talk of parties had me thinking. Why don’t you throw a party for Fremont High?”
Boulder opens his mouth slightly. “That’s…awesome! That’s perfect, actually.”
Greta tilts her head to the side and smiles softly as if to say, “I know.”
He drops his sandwich, leans over the table, and clasps her hand with his massive paw. “What did you say your name was, again?”
“I didn’t. It’s Greta.”
“Greta. Would you like to come to a party at my house?”
“Just tell me when, big guy.”
***
It’s almost dusk. Skye is leaving my house. “Are you sure?” I ask. “I can drive you home.”
She shakes her head. “No, I have to stop by the park now.” She lowers her eyes. “Perform a quick ritual, you know.”
“Oh, now I’m more comfortable. Sneaking into the park alone after
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