Alone.

I walk into the cafeteria, ignoring the stares I receive from everybody and make my way over to the table where our group sat at.

Dani, Eric and Michelle were talking to each other, probably complaining about their math teachers and how much homework they give out. I don’t see why any of them cared so much; they never even did their homework anyways. As I got closer to the table, I could hear Dani talking.

“She’s such a bitch. I hate her so fucking-” she cuts herself off in a loud growl. “I just can’t believe she’s being so stupid. She wants me to go to night school and summer school. Like, night school I can handle but summer school? Fuck no! I mean why does she care so much that I‘m failing? Its just not even a big deal…” she goes on, ranting.

I ignore Dani’s loud rant, something about her mom wanting her to increase her grades, and I pick at the food of the day; lasagne. “This is fucking gross. It’s cold,” I mutter, shoving the tray back into the center on the lunch table.

Eric smiles, reaching out and grapping a meatball from the white container and tossing it in his mouth. “It’s school. Everything here is disgusting,” Eric says while he chews with his mouth open.

“Ew, cover up Eric!” Dani says, crossing her arms over her chest.

She sighs, “Okay, I’m done ranting. I mean, my mom’s a bitch and I hate her, but why should I ruin your lunch by sitting here and-” Eric smiles, reaching over and placing his hand over her mouth. Dani glares at him as the rest of us laugh.

The corners of her eyes and the lines on her face show that she is smiling mischievously. She licks his hand and Eric lets go immediately. We all laugh harder. Even Eric after looking disgusted.

“Oh well, jokes on you.” Eric says.

“And why is that?” Dani responds.

“Because you don’t know where that hand was last…”

We all laugh again from the look of Dani’s face. She was ghostly white and blank.

“That’s so fucking gross!” I laugh.

“Eric that’s not funny!” Dani yells at him.

“C’mon, it is a little bit.” He says back.

“Not it isn’t”

Eric gives her a look. After a pause, Dani sighs.

“Okay it was a little.” She says as Eric’s smile widens.

“So,” I say. “What are we doing tonight?”

"I don’t know. Party?” Michelle suggests.

“Don’t you guys ever get tired of partying?” I ask, and then bust out laughing.

“Nope” Dani says inspecting her nails as everyone else just shakes their head no.

“Fuck, I can’t because I have night school, remember? Dani burst out.

“And I have to work tonight.” Eric says.

“Shut up! Since when did you get a job?” Dani screams.

“Uh, two weeks ago?”

“And you decided to tell us now? You asshole, why?”

“Because of that!” he replies laughing.

“Where?” Kile asks

“A co-op thing at a college. I’m hoping that’ll help get into something after high school. God knows my grades won’t help.”

“Cool.” Kile says still continuing to text and stare at his cell phone.

“Yeah” Eric says.

“So you guys are out then?” I ask. They nod, sadly.

“Michelle?”

“Can’t. Busy.” She says flipping her hair.

I turn to face Kile. “You busy tonight?”

He doesn’t respond. He doesn’t even look up. Until Eric shoves him and he almost falls off the chair.

“What the fuck?” Kile says to him.

“Mattie is talking to you.” Eric replies.

I tried to conjure a smile but I am certain it looked nothing like one.

“Oh, sorry what?” He says.

“Are you busy tonight?” I repeat to him.

“I don’t think so.”

“Wanna hang out then?”

He goes thoughtful. “Sure.” He finally says. “But on one condition.”

“What?”

“We’re doing what I want to do. Deal?” he asks.

Without even thinking it through, thinking of all the possible places Kile could take me, all the things he could have planned, I nod, “Deal.”