A grand total of three hours later and Veronica still refuses to talk to me. I haven't felt this awkward sitting in a cafeteria since the first day of middle school when Gene was still away visiting relatives in India, leaving me to the vast unknown wilds of the big kid realm.
Veronica's eyes are downcast as she twists the leaves in her salad. Emily is sitting next to her, sipping a can of Arizona while idly scrolling through her phone.
I force myself to look concentrated on my own phone while I think back on the conversation I had with Emily pre-lunch:
"I think Veronica's way in over her head, but she's been like this with every guy she's 'fallen for'. Why're you so against this one?" Emily asked, as we walked out of History together.
"He's a condescending prick," I responded.
"Everyone has bad personality traits, Matt."
"I really don't like it when people look down on me, okay? My mom invited him over yesterday, and all he did was either sneer at us or pretend we didn't exist. The way he acts is exactly how I pictured Draco Malfoy in the books."
For a fraction of a second, Emily looks like she's fighting a smile. But she continues.
"Are you sure you weren't being as impertinent?"
"No, I wasn't— Well, maybe. But I was like, in-a-bad-mood rude, and he's... naturally rude."
"...Right."
Emily doesn't sound convinced. I take a moment to think about how to explain my thought process to her.
"He's the kind of person who makes assumptions about people. I know that because I pay attention to the way he acts. It's in the subtleties. It's like his reactions aren't intentional, they're a result of his subconscious. And his subconscious is making assumptions about me."
"If you say so, Freud. But aren't you making assumptions about him too?"
"Yes but I explained to you—"
"I know you're not judging him based off of nothing, but think about it. I believe —and I know you agree — that a person's outward demeanor relates to their true personality. But what does that make you?"
I frown. "I'm not saying I'm not a condescending prick. I'm saying that he is."
Emily sighs. "Being able to admit your own faults doesn't make up for the presence of those faults in the first place."
"I'm a work-in-progress. I thought that was already established."
Emily shakes her head as I open the cafeteria door for her.
A loud thunk on my left indicates Gene's arrival.
"Hey guys!" he says with a grin. "Miss me?"
The atmosphere warms considerably. I refrain from jumping up to put him in a headlock (it's how men show affection, I think).
"I notice the distinct lack of one of your appendages," Emily says. "Is that what kept you occupied?"
"Very funny, Em," he rolls his eyes. "But removing the desk from me isn't much of an issue if you've got a power saw on hand. You know Mr. Leo, the tech guy? He has a special little pocket on his fanny pack just for holding it. Dude's badass," Genie shakes his head.
"He got me out just in time for chem, which was kind of disappointing, honestly, but the way he just casually pulled the whirling machine of death out from his pocket was still cool. But anyways, that's not what took me so long. On my way here I saw our boy Evil Legolas talking to—"
"Hey, Vera!"
A tall Asian girl in a cobalt blue CHS windbreaker jogs to our table.
"Did you get our schedule over the announcements this morning?" she asks. Her voice is loud, but less of an obnoxious attention-seeker loud and more like a friendly-jock kind of loud.
"To be completely honest, I wasn't paying attention," Veronica replies, forcing out a sheepish laugh.
The girl laughs with her.
"That's fine! I got pretty distracted too, when they mentioned the English Honor Society's bake sale on Friday."
She looks over at Emily and flashes a grin. Emily looks away.
"Anywho—" Wow, she weaves through conversations like lightning. "I just printed a list of all our game dates. We have a practice match against Northur on the 24th, but the real game's on the 30th."
Veronica frowns. "The same day as homecoming?"
"Yeah. No way to change the date, but it's early in the afternoon. It overlaps with the football game but we'll be in time for the dance. We're about to go through all the details. Come sit with the team."
She turns her attention to us, and says with a sympathetic smile, "Sorry! I promise we'll borrow her for just a bit."
She helps Veronica collect her things, and rests an arm on her shoulder as they walk away. We're seated at one of the cafeteria's smaller square tables, which makes Veronica's absence painfully noticeable.
"Close your mouth Gene, you'll catch flies," Emily scolds.
Gene's mouth closes with a snap and I burst out laughing.
"Whatever," he says, massaging his jaw, "s'probably better for her to be out of the conversation anyway. As I was saying, I heard Evil Legolas and Junie B. Jones talking pretty amicably to each other before this period."
He addresses Emily, "Good vocab word?"
Emily hums, "Depends. What was the nature of their conversation?"
"I saw them walk out of the library together. Evil Legolas was thanking her for her help with something — probably those dinosaurs they call computers in the library — and asked how he could return the favor. She said that if he really felt that obliged to her, the volleyball team needs volunteers to help host their next practice match. He asked for the date and agreed when she gave it, and June said she'd meet him in the library again same time tomorrow. They said their goodbyes but then he started walking back to where I was, so I had to take a detour. And that's why I was late."
Genie takes a big gulp of air.
"You stalked them?" Emily asks at the same time I say "Junie B. Jones, like, the books?"
Genie looks at me, and then at Emily when he says, "To Matt: Yes, the Juniper Yoon who just stole Veronica away from us is the same one who's in cahoots with Evil Legolas; and to Emily: No, I don't think so, because 'stalk' is a strong word and I prefer the term 'casually listened in' instead."
Emily sighs.
"I know why Matt dislikes him, but what motivated you to go on this mission?"
"Veronica's into him. That's why anything he does directly involves me," Genie replies, crossing his arms.
Emily puts her hands under her chin and leans closer to us.
"You know that Veronica doesn't have any real feelings for him, right? It's all cosmetic."
Genie slumps. I pat his back but he shrugs me away.
"Still. I've seen her get hurt just by feeling things for people, and every time it happens, I always feel like I could be doing something to help her. And before either of you say it hurts me too, it doesn't matter. I can deal with a little hurt. Veronica can't. She's too soft."
Emily purses her lips. She turns her attention from Gene, to me, and then glances back at Gene.
Oh no. She wants me to say something.
"Gene," I start, "I think you're looking into this too much."
He looks up at me.
"Like..." I struggle to find the right words. Dammit, why can't he just listen to Emily?
"It's like you don't even know Veronica. She'll get over this soon enough. She may not see it now, but one day she'll realize that of all the guys she's encountered, you're the one who's always been there for her. There's value in being 'the friend'. And even if it doesn't turn out the way you'd want--"
"I'm not gonna be upset at a time when she's happy," he finishes. "Man, you guys are right. I'm just worked up because it's happening now."
That was weirdly easy. Probably more from Gene's eternal optimism than any bullshit advice I'd come up with.
He shakes his head. "I bet I sound like a... soiled rag, or whatever the saying is."
"Wet blanket?" Emily suggests.
"Yeah, sure. Anyways-- thanks guys. I know Emily's a generator for good advice but Matt, I wasn't expecting that from you. Thanks."
"Weren't you aware?" Emily says, eyebrows raised high above her raspberry frames, "Matt's a self-proclaimed 'work-in-progress'."
"Matthias Reed, voluntarily practicing self-improvement?" Gene puts his hand over his heart and gasps. "My heart might burst from the softness!"
This time, I put him in an actual headlock.