The Four: Senior Year

Chapter Four - Double Date

     I walk into the school cafeteria and scan the room for a place to sit and try to eat this dreadful school lunch. Dry chicken patty on a day old wheat bun, overcooked potato wedges, a Granny Smith apple and a lukewarm bottled water rest on my yellow lunch tray. The cafeteria is congested with rambunctious teenagers. Teenagers weaving through grey lunch tables with navy blue chairs, teenagers talking loudly amongst their friends and teenagers checking their social media accounts on their cell phones. I walk through these disorderly teenagers and around a brick column with each brick painted individually. Blue, yellow or white. I glance at an empty table nearby and notice a familiar face at the adjacent table to the left.

     He is relaxing in one of the blue chairs, rubbing the back of a slender, brown skin chick sitting on his lap. She favors the R&B singer, Mya. Deep-set rich brown eyes, a small pointed nose, thin lips and high cheekbones with dimples in each cheek. Her hair styled in the latest trend going around. Brown Faux locs. Half of it pulled up in a high bun and the rest hanging loose. Four other strangers accompany the table. A lighter skin girl with long, wavy black hair, two black guys wearing Carver High basketball t-shirts and a white boy with a short crew cut hairstyle with a sick design on the side, also wearing the same t-shirt.

     I continue to walk towards the vacant table, ignoring that I had seen Day'quan. Maybe he is too busy with his friends to notice me. I typically eat lunch alone anyway. I still haven't made any friends here yet besides Day'quan and the other guys in Biology class. They are the closest thing I have to friends here but we normally don't share lunch period or talk outside of class. But today is different. Day'quan is here. He must've skipped class because I've never seen him in my lunch period before. He spots me walking towards the empty table and waves me over. I change my course and slowly walk to the table accommodating the six teenagers.

     "What's up, bro?" Day'quan ask while extending his hands. The remaining teens stop conversation and glare at me.

     I release the lunch tray with my right hand, holding it with my left and slap hands with him, trying not to notice all the eyes on me. "Nothin', what 'bout you?"

     "Chillin', havin' lunch wit my girl." He states. "Oh, you ain't met my girl yet, have ya?"

     "Nah."

     "This Bri. Bri, this Nolan. The one from Coach B's class." He introduces us while she eyes me and chews on a piece of gum. Before I had walked over, the table was conversing and laughing, but the moment I walk up, everything ceases. "This is Toya. Bri's best friend. The single best friend who is always in everybody else's relationship."

     "Shut up Quan!" Toya says before putting her hand in Day'quan's face. "Don't listen to him."

     "Get a man." He claps back.

     "Fuck you!"

     "Bae, stop it." Bri request, pulling his face into hers then placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

     "Ok, sorry." He tells her. He returns to me and says, "And these are the guys. Xavier, Andre, and Wyatt, but we call him, Panda. The blackest white boy I know." Day'quan continues, ignoring Toya.

     Everyone laughs except for Toya.

     "We all played on the b-ball team last year and that all-state championship is ours this year."

     "Damn right!" one of the black guys shout, slamming his fist on the table, making his water jump, then falling over and splash onto Toya.

     She shouts, "Watch out Xavier!"

     "My bad." He apologizes. "Did I get you wet?"

     "Nah, but it was close. Just calm your hyper ass down."