WANT TO KNOW A SECRET?

(11)

The Waffle House was a cute little restaurant that stood right by Rochester main public beach. It was warm enough to sit outside.

I ordered a dark chocolate waffle with a scoop of vanilla ice on the side, Nate ordered a triple chocolate one with two scoops of coconut ice cream, and Leo and Landon each ordered an X-Men waffle, whatever that was. We all asked for sodas to go with our orders.

"Can I ask you a question, Poppy?" Leo asked me after the waitress had left our table.

"Sure..."

"Why don't you want to tell them who it was?" He asked and I could tell that his curiosity was genuine.

"What would be the point?" I said with a small voice. "They didn't hurt me that much..." I shrugged.

"Did you defend yourself?" He went on.

"No... They kind of surprised me... I... It's the first time this kind of thing happens to me and... I don't know... I wasn't in a position to fight back... And what they were saying was just..." I grimaced. "I didn't have anything constructive to answer?" I paused. "That sounded really confusing, even to my own ears."

"They did it because you've been sitting at our table, didn't they?" Landon asked.

"They did it because they are deranged..." I corrected him. "Or obsessed... I'm not sure which... Maybe both?" I paused. "But seriously guys, those girls are the least of my worries..." I realized my slip too late.

"What happened to your car?" Nathan finally noticed something was missing.

"So many people complained that the Principal had it towed away..." I told him with cocked eyebrows. I still couldn't believe it.

"You're kidding, right?" He was as much at a loss for words as I'd been. "People actually called the school to complain?!"

I nodded.

"So what are you going to do?" He asked and I realized that I had no answer to give him.

"I don't know..." I let out a heavy sigh. "But how cool would it be to find a really rusty bike and to ride it to school Monday morning, though?!" I said a few seconds later.

"They'd probably get you expelled, if you did..." Leo laughed.

"Oh! That's something else I've learnt today, even though my brain doesn't seem ready to process this interesting, albeit really strange piece of information..." I answered and my own voice sounded distant.

"What's that?" Nathan asked curiously.

"You and I would need to commit a serious offense to be expelled because, drumroll, please..." I said bitterly. "We belong to Rochester Private... Mr. Vincent's words, not mine."

"I don't understand..." His nose was crinkled and he looked cute with his mop of dark brown hair falling on his forehead and casting a shadow that made his bright green eyes pop.

"Well, it so happens, brother dearest, that our mother spent her entire school years at Rochester Private..." I explained and the three boys gasped.

The waitress chose this perfect moment to bring us our waffles and drinks and we all dug in in silence.

"You know that this changes everything, right?" Landon was the first to react.

"How so?" I asked.

"In the way people are going to treat you at school..." He answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Hmm... I don't think it will change anything... I'll still be the former Trashland Brading high student who drives a Ford Fiesta..."

"Nuh-uh..." He shook his head. "If you're legacy, it means that like the Van Houten, your mother's family is one of the ten families that founded the school..."