The Apprentice's Apprentice

Part 4

"Guess what?"

Cora raised her eyebrows as she dropped into the plastic chair across the scuffed table from Zoe. With the bell still ten minutes away from ringing for lunch, they were part of the small handful of people in the cafeteria already. The huge room was mostly dominated by tables and chairs with the far end from where they were sitting where the actual food and register were. Having Spare right before lunch meant they never had to rush down to get their usual table, not that anyone really wanted to fight them for it.

Cora turned her attention back to Zoe, who was watching her expectantly. She didn't know what her friend could have found out in the five minutes she'd left to grab her lunch from her locker, but she humoured her. Sort of. "Chicken butt."

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Real mature. I'm tempted not to tell you now."

"Like you could. Your head would explode from the need to say something, especially if it's got you excited."

"Damn you and knowing me too well," she cried, back of her hand against her forehead along with the most melodramatic expression she could muster. Then Zoe grinned. "But yeah, I'd make it all of two minutes. Anyway, I was talking to Sophia and she said that apparently Liz and Ethan broke up this morning."

Cora frowned as she opened her lunch bag. "Haven't they been going out for like two years?"

"Two and a half. Apparently Ethan found out about Liz sleeping with Mason. I mean, break-ups suck, but to find out your girlfriend's sleeping with one of your best friends, it's got to suck way more."

"Poor Ethan. He's a nice guy. At least, he's always been nice to me," Cora said, attention on her sandwich. While Zoe might find the endless soap opera that was their classmates' relationships fascinating, Cora had never much cared. Unless they involved someone she was actually friends with.

"He is a nice guy. Good-looking if you're into dudes, plans to go and get his Police Foundations once we graduate so he'll def be in shape, and has always been friendly to pretty much everyone."

Cora saw where this was going. She swallowed her mouthful and glared at Zoe as the bell rang overhead. "No. Absolutely not. One, he just broke up with his long-term girlfriend, two, I'm not interested, three, you have problems."

"I'm not saying now," Zoe retorted. "You have to have a proper mourning period for these things. But give it a couple of weeks and he'll be back on the market so you should at least consider it."

"No. He's not my type."

Her friend sighed dramatically, the sound almost lost in the sudden inrush of sound that came with half the student population descending on the cafeteria at the same time. "Fine. How about Zach, Warren or Sam then? They're all nice, decent looking, and seem to have their shit together more than most of the rest of us."

Cora grimaced. Zach was sweet if a little slow, Sam was focused on school and the future to the point of being uptight, and she'd never met Warren. "I'm not interested. Look, I'm happy that you're happy in a relationship but I don't need to be in one. I'm happy just being me. Is there a problem with that?"

"No, I just think you need to meet more people. We'll be going away next year and I'm the only person you really hang out with. You need to get used to meeting people on your own and everything. If you were dating someone you'd meet all of their friends, the way I did with Moira, and you'd get to know more people. You need to hang out with more people or you'll become a complete hermit."

"I choose quality over quantity." Seeing the expression on Zoe's face, Cora rubbed her nose. "Look, I get what you're saying but it's not like I'm completely antisocial. I just don't have a lot in common with everyone else. Hell, me and you don't have that much in common, we've just been friends forever. I'm sure when we go away I'll meet lots of people who are into the same sorts of things as I am."

Zoe studied her for a moment, her lips pursed. Finally she shrugged. "I guess you're right. Just please tell me you won't just hang out with people who read those weird comics you like."

She almost slumped with relief at how easily Zoe had dropped it. At least for now. "They're not weird, they're awesome. You'd like them if you just gave them a chance," she replied.

"That's a whole bag of nope. I sat through that weird dragon movie you wanted me to watch-"

"It's called Spirited Away."

"Whatever, it was weird. I did that so you can't bug me into trying any more of your crazy Japanese shit. I get that you're a giant nerd but no amount of harassment is going to get me to cross over to your side."

"But we have cookies," Cora replied innocently.

Zoe snorted, her attention going to her untouched lunch. "I'm not hungry enough for your evil cookies."

"Yet. I have time on my side."

"Sure you do."

Cora grinned. "I got you watching the Marvel movies. I'm sure I can get you reading manga given enough time."

"You're so delusional it's almost cute," Zoe said, grinning.

"Just you wait. I'll make a nerd of you yet."

"That's what frightens me. Before you know it, I'll be just like, horror of all horrors, you!"

"Bitch," Cora replied but laughed along with Zoe.