Out of the Blue

Two

All I can think about as I hear the lunch bell ring is the cafeteria's raspberry pudding with vanilla sauce. Otherwise known as... the magic pudding. As Layla and I walk out of Biology, Sam appears from the hallway intersection.

"Guys!" He jogs with a camera in hand. There's someone at his side. "Where's Lindsay? She wasn't in Physics."

"Detention. Didn't turn in History homework," Layla says flatly.

"The one about child labor?" Sam says.

"Yep."

"I just passed the detention room. There are, like, two kids in there and neither of them look like Clary Fray."

"Clary who?" Layla says to me.

"It's this character from a novel," I tell her quickly.

She shakes her head gravely.

As if on cue, the three of us turn to Sam's friend. With olive skin that contrasts his striking pacific blue eyes, he has that foreign but attractive look. Probably a mix-and-match of nationalities down his ancestry line. I've noticed him around school since last week, but never before that. He always smiles at me whenever we make eye contact.

I have no clue who he is.

"Who's this?" Layla says.

The boy extends his hand and she shakes it curtly. Around his neck hangs an umber vintage-looking camera.

Sam face-palms. "This is Atlas. Atlas, Layla and Ever."

Then Atlas lifts his camera and snaps a picture of me.

Heat blooms in my cheeks because of surprise.

"We have History together. And Arts too I think," he says with a friendly smile.

"Oh."

Sam and Layla look at us in turn, just as curious as I am.

"I'm an exchange student. Just arrived last week," Atlas explains, his accent seeping through his words. Not British... but close. Brash around the edges. Full of staccatos. "I'm only here for two or three months. Four tops."

Sam and Layla start their own conversation ahead.

"That's cool," I say. "Where are you from?"

"My mom's Australian and the other mom- Greek. They met in Hawaii so I'm never sure what that makes me."

"Confused?" I say lamely.

Thank God, he laughs.

I feel his eyes on me as we reach my locker. I exchange my book for a gym bag filled with swimming stuff for practice. Before I can sling the purple battered duffle bag across my shoulder, Atlas places it on his. I stare at him without meaning to.

"What?" Atlas grins. "Not all chivalry is lost in the world."

"No, right, of course. Thank you," I stutter.

"Your brother is Trevor Sonnet?" Atlas asks as the cafeteria comes into view.

I hold my breath, an uneasy feeling crawling up my throat.

He knows, then.

It doesn't matter, I remind myself.

"The school took me on a tour to see what kind of extracurricular activities I might be interested in. Trevor was generous enough to let me join a quarter of the game. I even scored once. Great captain, The, umm, picture? In your locker," he explains quickly.