Innocent

Five

I sit at breakfast with my mom. She went out and got muffins from our favorite bakery in town. I hunch over a book as she furrows her brow at her laptop.

"Is everything okay at work?" I ask, breaking the silence.

"Fine, you know, being a defense attorney is not a very zen job." she doesn't look up from her screen. "Are things doing better at school?"

I nod, lying, "Yeah, a bit. Bryce took Brogan's death really hard. I feel bad for him."

"You shouldn't feel bad for a scumbag like him." She snaps, "After everything he did to you?"

"He lost someone he cares about. Yeah, he hurt me, he embarrassed me but it's nothing compared to what he's going through."

She looks at me suddenly. Her name badge glinting in the breaking sunlight. It reads in proud lettering "Kristinia Kogane". Her eyes look strained and tired. She pushes her glasses up the brim of her narrow, pale nose and shakes her head.

"He hurt my son. That's unforgivable."

I nod. Not wanting to argue about this anymore. Being a defense attorney has given her a very

black and white view of the world. Someone is either innocent or guilty. Most of the time to her, their guilty.

The school day goes by slowly. Bryce doesn't show up and as bad as I feel for him, I can't complain. My shoulder could use a break from being shoved against lockers. Luis, Connor, and Veronica glare daggers at me over lunch. They sit across the room but I can feel their gaze burning holes into the back of my head. Suddenly another tray clatters down onto the table. I jump.

"Lance?" I stutter, "What're you... Hi?"

He shovels a spoonful of pudding into his mouth and smiles, "Hi! Oh, was this seat taken?"

"It never is." I mutter to myself and try to suppress a smile.

"I meant to ask you," Lance continues, "I tried to text you this morning and my messages didn't go through?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot but Bryce smashed my phone yesterday. I'm going to get a new one after school though so..."

Lance shakes his head, "I don't know why kids have to be so awful." he frowns at his pudding.

"Are you sure you want to be sitting with me?" I finally ask, looking around at all the eyes and lips whispering to one another.

"I just got back from Germany after a year, dude, I don't have anyone to sit with either."

I can't figure Lance out. I just met him a few days ago, the real him, yet he's so smiley and kind to me. Some people have gone out of their way to make me miserable but Lance... Lance has gone out of his way to show me I'm not alone.