Jon and Karyn had lunch after Home Ec, a fact that momentarily brought Jon some relief, until the moment before he was going to sit down at his usual table with Karyn, and he felt an arm at each of his elbows.
“Hey, you’ve gotta sit with us,” Amber said from Jon’s left.
“Yeah,” came Tiffany from his right. “Who knew you loved cheerleading so much? We need to hear your whole story.”
And the two dragged Jon over to their usual table, as Jon shot a look at Karyn that was both pleading and apologetic.
Meanwhile, Sarah McMillan was gently escorted by to a set of tables that had been specifically set aside for the Montessori girls, despite her protests.
The moment Sarah sat down, huffing, she felt a girl embrace her from either side.
“I’m sorry you’re having a bad day,” Juana looked up at Sarah’s grumpy face.
“But it’ll be okay,” Andrea added. “Us big girls will look out for you.”
“But I am a big girl!” Sarah said in a manner that did not reinforce her assertion.
As the lunch period went on, both Jon and Sarah managed to find some level of awkward acceptance in their new environs. Neither fully engaged in conversation, but both found a way to suffer through them.
Until lunch ended, and each found themselves more entangled than they had realized.
“You’re coming with us to practice after school, right?”
Jon wasn’t even sure which cheerleader had offered the invitation, as his own voice, outside of his control, replied: “Of course! I’d never miss practice!” And he strode out of the cafeteria with a confidence that he did not feel.
For Sarah’s part, the surprise was somewhat more visceral.
“But what about my classes?” she demanded after being told that she was going home for the rest of the day.
“Sarah, what grade are you in?”
“I’m in the third grade, and I’m a big girl!” the high school senior stamped her foot petulantly as she answered Miss Fine.
“Well, there aren’t any classes for a third grader in the high school,” the guidance counselor soothed. “And today was almost like a field trip, so we’ve arranged for all of the Montessori girls to be picked up by their parents.”
“I drove to school today,” Sarah insisted. “In my car. Which I am allowed to drive because I have a--” she began rooting through her purse, but Miss Fine interrupted her.
“Well, you’ll have to sort that out later, because look who I see coming down the hall!”
Miss Fine pointed over Sarah’s shoulder, causing the legally voting-age adult to spin around in excitement and shout, “Mommy!”
