Sequel: The Lunacy Fringe: Part Two ›
The Lunacy Fringe
Four
When the bell rang to signal the end of class, I shut my notebook and got ready to leave. The guy sitting at the desk in front of me turned back around and slid my pencil onto the desk.
“Nice pencil,” he remarked with a smile that was cute enough to make my heart skip a beat.
“Uh—thanks.” I quickly stuffed it away in embarrassment.
“Penguins, huh?”
“Yeah, I like penguins.”
“I can see that.” He turned back around to get his stuff together. Aaron met me at the end of the row of desks.
“Hey, Detroit,” he said with a nod in my direction.
“Red,” I replied. He put his hand on his chest and laughed.
“Quinn said I have to drag you to lunch with us.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“So, are you having lunch with us then?”
“Sure seems that way.”
“Alright. C’mon then.”
I followed him back out into the busy hallway. He led me to the cafeteria with questions about Detroit. They were the same questions I’d been getting all day. But he also asked what kind of music scene I was into and if I’d ever met anyone famous.
There wasn’t anything particularly appetizing in the lunch line, and my stomach was still in knots. But I didn’t want to go without, so I grabbed an apple while I waited for Aaron to finish getting what he wanted. Then he dragged me toward the front of the school to one of the oak trees. A small group was sitting around in the dappled sunlight, already deep in conversation. Quinn and Billie were there with their friends. Once Quinn spotted us, he jumped to his feet, and Billie waved excitedly.
Quinn grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me to face the group. My stomach dropped again. I was really not feeling this formal introduction thing. Especially since it wasn’t required.
“Everyone, this is the great Ruby,” he said. “Ruby, this is everyone. Let’s give her a round of applause.” He stood back to clap as if I’d just won an award. Billie was the only one who followed along, clapping excitedly.
“Please don’t?” I begged, plopping down beside her. She was the only one who seemed genuinely interested in me. The other boy from my English class was sitting across from us, right beside a pretty brunette. Quinn sat by the tree just as the green-eyed boy looked up at me. I quickly turned back to Billie.
She walked me through introductions. The green-eyed boy’s name was Felix, and his girlfriend was Meg. They were accompanied by Aaron, Jack, and Freddy. Martin and Amy were sitting on the other side of the tree. But they were both seniors. Even though they were part of the group, they seemed disconnected at the same time, having their own conversations behind us. They all seemed easy enough to get along with. And everything seemed perfectly fine up until Billie made an offhand comment about how Quinn and I looked alike.
“What makes you say such a thing?” Quinn asked, chewing on a roll of bread he’d gotten from the cafeteria.
“Not really,” Aaron interjected. “Ruby has red hair.”
“That’s obviously not her natural color, Stupid. They have the same nose. And eyes.”
Everyone immediately stared me down, and I got uncomfortable again. Until Quinn broke the ice by reaching into Freddy’s lunchbox to raid his food.
“I don’t see it,” he said. And then I figured it out. Quinn never told them about me. They had no idea I was his sister. They probably didn’t even know he had a sister.
Amy leaned over Billie’s lap, getting her long blonde hair stuck in the tree bark. “You’re right,” she said, studying me. “When’s your birthday?”
“Mine’s right before Halloween. I always have Halloween parties. Everyone’s jealous. Cool, right?” He looked right at me. I ignored it. I didn’t know why he hadn’t said anything. Was he embarrassed by me? Was he just pranking them?
“Quinn has the best birthday,” Billie told me. “We always throw his party on Halloween. Aaron’s brother throws the best parties, so it’s always a big deal.”
“Yeah, that’s really cool,” I replied, hoping they’d change the subject. I always had Halloween parties too. Not always on Halloween, but definitely always in costume. I don’t think I’d ever had a party that didn’t have Halloween decorations.
Billie looked like she was going to keep asking questions. So I jumped up to excuse myself before she could get anything out. I claimed I needed to speak to my teacher before class and hurried out of there. Since it was my first day and no one knew me, I was sure I wouldn’t be missed.
“Nice pencil,” he remarked with a smile that was cute enough to make my heart skip a beat.
“Uh—thanks.” I quickly stuffed it away in embarrassment.
“Penguins, huh?”
“Yeah, I like penguins.”
“I can see that.” He turned back around to get his stuff together. Aaron met me at the end of the row of desks.
“Hey, Detroit,” he said with a nod in my direction.
“Red,” I replied. He put his hand on his chest and laughed.
“Quinn said I have to drag you to lunch with us.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“So, are you having lunch with us then?”
“Sure seems that way.”
“Alright. C’mon then.”
I followed him back out into the busy hallway. He led me to the cafeteria with questions about Detroit. They were the same questions I’d been getting all day. But he also asked what kind of music scene I was into and if I’d ever met anyone famous.
There wasn’t anything particularly appetizing in the lunch line, and my stomach was still in knots. But I didn’t want to go without, so I grabbed an apple while I waited for Aaron to finish getting what he wanted. Then he dragged me toward the front of the school to one of the oak trees. A small group was sitting around in the dappled sunlight, already deep in conversation. Quinn and Billie were there with their friends. Once Quinn spotted us, he jumped to his feet, and Billie waved excitedly.
Quinn grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me to face the group. My stomach dropped again. I was really not feeling this formal introduction thing. Especially since it wasn’t required.
“Everyone, this is the great Ruby,” he said. “Ruby, this is everyone. Let’s give her a round of applause.” He stood back to clap as if I’d just won an award. Billie was the only one who followed along, clapping excitedly.
“Please don’t?” I begged, plopping down beside her. She was the only one who seemed genuinely interested in me. The other boy from my English class was sitting across from us, right beside a pretty brunette. Quinn sat by the tree just as the green-eyed boy looked up at me. I quickly turned back to Billie.
She walked me through introductions. The green-eyed boy’s name was Felix, and his girlfriend was Meg. They were accompanied by Aaron, Jack, and Freddy. Martin and Amy were sitting on the other side of the tree. But they were both seniors. Even though they were part of the group, they seemed disconnected at the same time, having their own conversations behind us. They all seemed easy enough to get along with. And everything seemed perfectly fine up until Billie made an offhand comment about how Quinn and I looked alike.
“What makes you say such a thing?” Quinn asked, chewing on a roll of bread he’d gotten from the cafeteria.
“Not really,” Aaron interjected. “Ruby has red hair.”
“That’s obviously not her natural color, Stupid. They have the same nose. And eyes.”
Everyone immediately stared me down, and I got uncomfortable again. Until Quinn broke the ice by reaching into Freddy’s lunchbox to raid his food.
“I don’t see it,” he said. And then I figured it out. Quinn never told them about me. They had no idea I was his sister. They probably didn’t even know he had a sister.
Amy leaned over Billie’s lap, getting her long blonde hair stuck in the tree bark. “You’re right,” she said, studying me. “When’s your birthday?”
“Mine’s right before Halloween. I always have Halloween parties. Everyone’s jealous. Cool, right?” He looked right at me. I ignored it. I didn’t know why he hadn’t said anything. Was he embarrassed by me? Was he just pranking them?
“Quinn has the best birthday,” Billie told me. “We always throw his party on Halloween. Aaron’s brother throws the best parties, so it’s always a big deal.”
“Yeah, that’s really cool,” I replied, hoping they’d change the subject. I always had Halloween parties too. Not always on Halloween, but definitely always in costume. I don’t think I’d ever had a party that didn’t have Halloween decorations.
Billie looked like she was going to keep asking questions. So I jumped up to excuse myself before she could get anything out. I claimed I needed to speak to my teacher before class and hurried out of there. Since it was my first day and no one knew me, I was sure I wouldn’t be missed.