Definition Diner

31. date steak

Monday November 10th

I had survived this weekend. Luckily when I walked back outside on Friday night no one said anything. It was obvious that everyone kept looking at me and Cade, but when we didn't sit by each other and kept on with our usual conversations everyone seemed to put it in the past.

And speaking of Cade, we had to present in first hour today. The Ted Bundy presentation had gone smooth, and with Ryan jumping in to add humor to the topic, there was no way that we wouldn't be getting anything less than an B+.

So what I'm saying is, everything would have been perfect. If the football boys weren't in that class.

Word had gotten around about Cade and I being friends pretty quickly. And when we spoke to each other this morning in the commons, people got to see it first hand. So the whispers and glances that they passed as we spoke about a homicidal maniac, didn't go unnoticed. Seriously we're juniors and seniors, can't they act mature for just a day.

Mr. Dixon picked up on it too. After we were done he walked up to our table and asked if there were any problems that he should know about. He didn't do that to anyone else.

But lunch time had come.

And the stereotypical high school movie was just getting started.

Since our table only had five people at it, it was now joining with another table to equal a table of ten.

"All of this is because of Shan and Nate?" Colin and I hadn't reached the table yet, luckily they moved to us, but most of them had beat us to it.

Colin drapes his arm across my shoulders, pulling me into his side. "Mainly. But we're all friends now for the most part, so it's not totally weird."

"For us," I nod towards the table of sophomores that seat themselves by us everyday, most of which are trying to subtly watch, "but I don't think they got the memo."

"Think about it this way Jesse. Everyone is obsessed with the senior class, no matter who's in it. For freshman and sophomores, the seniors are like untouchable, which makes them all the more interesting. When you put four senior football players at a new table, it's a recipe for a new conversation." We were only a couple feet away from the table now so Colin's next words were practically whispered. "Plus, two of the most popular boys now have girlfriends."

Colin pulls two chairs out, one for me, and sits down like it's no big deal. "Don't get too far ahead of yourself. Only one."

I'm met with a shrug of shoulders before he's moved on to the next thing of interest.

Colin and I sit in our usual spots, back to the rest of the lunchroom, and next to each other. Shan, Brax, and Harper find their usual spots too and the rest fill in. Nate slips in between Brax and Shan which at first almost causes me to choke on my goldfish. The irony of it all. Ryan and Levi fill the spots between Brax and Harper. And then Cade finds himself between Harper and Colin. Ben stays for a total of five minutes before leaving, but he heads towards the office so I don't really question it.

And it's awkward.

Nate and Shan are having a conversation, luckily not too explicit. Everyone knew that they were dating, because like Colin had said, when the hottest senior suddenly gets a girlfriend everyone finds out. Colin and Cade are having a conversation, while the three remaining boys start having their own conversation. Leaving me and Harper to quietly eat and share looks of confusion.