Better Late than Never

IV. Quattuor

VALERIA

I'm in my last class before lunch, Physics, prepared to get yet another syllabus read over and cringe icebreakers.

The bell rings and everyone quiets down as the teacher starts greeting us and talking about the year's plan. He's about five minutes into the syllabus when the door flies open.

It's a girl with dark brown hair, looking disheveled.

"Sorry. I...kinda forgot we started school today," she tells the teacher sheepishly.

"Good morning Ms. Destins. How did I get so lucky to have you in my science classes? Every. Year." Mr. Rigley says, seemingly sarcastic.

The girl just smiles sarcastically before walking between the rows of desks. She sees the empty one next to me and sits.

Mr. Rigley speaks for another fifteen minutes before he finally finishes going over the year's agenda.

"Now, I don't really care for those icebreaker things, it's honestly a waste of time, as you probably don't care about 80% of the people in here. So, just talk to the person next to you, as these seats will be the ones you have for the year. Hope you chose wisely." With that, he sits at his desk in the front of the room and starts reading a book.

"Thank God," starts the girl next to me. "I was dreading having to start my day with two truths and a lie."

I chuckle in agreement.

"I'm Sam." greets the girl next to me.

"Valeria. But, everyone calls me Val." I say, smiling.

"What year are you? Senior?" She surveys me.

"Yeah! I transferred here over the summer."

"No way. That's sick. I'm a senior too, and I knew I didn't recognize you. It's not a big school anyway, so I would recognize a new face." she explains. "So, how are your first impressions of us so far? Do you feel like a mighty caterpillar already?"

I laugh at her allusion to the mascot. "Totally. Everyone here is so nice, and it's a chill environment."

"I wouldn't say everyone is nice but sure. You just gotta stick with the right people."

"Who would be the right people?" I ask, curiously.

"I...actually don't know. I don't like 90% of the people in this school. I just keep to myself, usually." she says. "When's your lunch?"

"Next period. I've been looking forward to it all day. I'm starving."

"One of the perks of this school is that we do have edible food. Everything's made fresh in the cafeteria, along with prepackaged stuff."

"That sounds like heaven."

"I have lunch next period too. You wanna walk together? I can tell you everyone's secrets and clique affiliations. Mean Girls style." She suggests, raising an eyebrow.

I chuckle at her joke. "How could I turn that down?"

A little bit later, the bell rings. Sam and I leave the classroom, as we walk through the hallway, she finishes telling me the latest scandals of these random students.

"See those girls? That's Ashley and Rebecca. The best of friends. Ashley had a boyfriend, Trevor, but Rebecca hooked up with him at a bonfire party over the summer. In the tent that Ashley and Rebecca were sharing. But, turns out Ashley had been cheating on Trevor too. With Rebecca's sister. So, they decided it was fair game on everyone's part, and they're still best friends." she says.

"Woah. The kids here are more interesting than my school in Montana." I'm baffled at the complexity of these kids' lives.

"Everything is probably more interesting than the entirety of Montana. No offense."

"None taken, trust me."

We walk a bit more, and I see her point out a guy leaning on the lockers laughing around with other students.

"That's Alex Price. If we were in a cheesy teen movie, he would be the main heartthrob. Everyone wants to be him or be with him. Except for me. I don't care that much."

Suddenly, Alex turns towards us. "You talking about me, Destins?" He waves at the group of students before walking towards us.

"Not everything's about you. Conceit doesn't suit you."

"Doesn't it?" he says with a smile. I can definitely understand the appeal. "You're Valeria, right? New girl?" He focuses his attention on me.

"Val is fine. But, yeah. Nice to meet you."

"My boy Jason told me about you." He smirks.

"He did?"

Huh.

"If you're done, Alex, I was giving Val the whole high school clique spiel," Sam says, frustrated.

"Like, Mean Girls style?"

"Exactly like Mean Girls style."

"Love that movie," he says still smiling.

That's when another person approaches us. Jason.

"Hey, guys..." he says, seemingly apprehensive. "What is this, a meeting?"

"Jason! We were just talking about you. Look who it is! Your new friend, Val." he ends with a suggestive tone.

Jason elbows Alex, who just keeps smiling.

I guess they haven't heard of subtlety.

"Hey, Val. Hey, Sam." Jason greets.

"Hey, we all have the same lunch, right? Let's eat together. A little ragtag group of misfits." Alex suggests.

"I feel like sometimes you just...say words," Sam says to Alex.

"Isn't that how speaking works?" Alex fires back. "Let's go, I'm starving."

Jason and I exchange a glance and smile at each other the four of us head to the cafeteria.