Sandwiches and Kelly

Talking with Grands was a huge relief. Really ripped all my stress from my shoulders. Going to bed and waking up this morning were completely different from the day prior. I’m actually excited to talk to Beth. In hindsight, her having powers is great.

Yeah Maybe she isn’t using them the way I’d want to, BUT! I have a colleague now. We can talk about our nightly adventures. All that other stuff is for later, gotta live in the present.

Speaking of the present. My bus came right on time. When I was little I remember Mom used to drive me to school, back when she wasn’t as high up the ladder. Once she stopped she got Grands and Ma to do it until highschool. I was able to convince her to just let me take the school bus finally.

What’s the point of her making me go to a public school instead of private and then getting me a chauffeur? She wants me to live life like an average person but she's afraid of letting me wait out in front of our house. Stranger danger really did a number on her, or maybe it’s seeing the real statistics of the city's crime rates first hand. Everything i’ve seen from my Mom makes me think working in politics sucks.

I do appreciate that she stuck to her guns and had me go to public school. I’d be miserable in a private school. The few rich kids I’ve met through the rare parties my Mother has had us go to don’t leave me wanting more. So “smart” and “important”. They really get on my nerves. It’s like they’re putting on the act my Mom does but they believe in it themselves. Makes them all conceited self righteous idiots.

From what Grands has told me that's a major reason Mom sent me to public. She was sent to private and hated it. She ended up not making any real friends, just allies and people she didn’t piss off. Apparently the private kids didn’t really accept the daughter of a brewery worker. Not really the normal respectable rich kid vibe.

Funnily enough I now get to live the opposite school experience. A “spoiled” rich kid in public school. I’m not ostracized like I bet Mom was but I definitely get some rumors, sneers, and treated differently. Doesn’t help that I'm a busybody. Got into a few fights through my school years with the meaner girls.

One of the few good uses of my Mom’s position. Parents don’t like finding out their brat of a kid was picking on someone and got into a fight with the lieutenant governors kid. Plus the ones that didn’t care give up and straighten their kids out after my mom threatens legal action with her lawyer. Back before her promotion she loved a legal battle. She’s kinda petty like that.

Classes went by quick and easy, who knew being in a good mood made school so tolerable. I don’t think I learned all that much though, too busy day dreaming about becoming a hero team with Beth. I wonder if she'd be up to it once in a while. Lunch couldn’t come fast enough.

Today’s lunch was deli sandwiches. You get to order the ingredients you want as you go through the line and they make it in front of you. I ended up getting a ham and swiss sandwich on a whole wheat roll. For toppings I chose some caramelized onions and mustard.

I spotted Beth as I paid for my sandwich and waved. She smiled back and waved, interrupting her talk with one of her other friends. Beth is the type of girl who doesn’t mind completely stopping her conversation with someone and starting a new task. One time we were in the middle of talking about our school project and she got up and went over to another group to ask what they were doing without even letting me finish my sentence. Any new interest steals her attention 100% of the time.

We tend to sit in the back of the cafeteria. It’s the only spot with free tables for me to sit alone. I only have three friends including Beth. Kelly has lunch the same as Beth and I but she isn’t at school that often, and Suzy has third lunch. I have a class with each of them, we mainly hang out with Dispute online. Once in a great while we all go somewhere after school when I know Mom and Mrs.Navarro both won't be home.

I ate through half of my sub before Beth got out of line and sat with me. She has a tuna salad sandwich.

“They have tuna? Vile.” i siad.

“What? You hate tuna it’s good.”

“No tuna is fine. I don’t trust the school's tuna. I dunno, public fish sounds off.”

“You're missing out. It’s not bad. Especially since on deli day you can get the custom instead of the pre-bagged one. I added pickles, way better than normal tuna!”

“Yeah, I bet… So anyway” I quietly say and lean in.

“We gotta talk about the other night.”

“Ugh. I don’t wanna. It’s gonna be such a drag you prissy bitch.”

“Hey hey hey! I am not prissy! And plus I’m not talking about the bad part. I'm gonna ignore that, not because I want to but because I realized you’re gonna be a pain about it!”

After talking with Grands, my new approach was clear. I need to accept Beth’s stupid activities and change her mind slowly. I can’t believe I was so surprised I forgot my first rule of being Beth’s friend. Do not try and make her do anything. She will just dig her heels into the ground, fight back, run away, and then ignore it ever happened. I need to trick her, for her own good, into being better.

“Really? Thank god. Glad that happened fast. Was wondering how many days you’d be on about that.” she leaned in close this time and whispered. “So what do you wanna talk about?”

“Well, a serious question” I quitted my voice again. “Do you think making your costume a raccoon was a good idea? Isn’t that kind of problematic or something, with you being black and all?”

“SHUT UP!!” a few people looked at us. Her other friend group as well. They really didn’t like the days Beth sat with me over them. “Your so annoying and stupid jesus. Acting serious to say the dumbest shit!” she laughed and pulled back. “I’m taking the raccoon back dumbass. People are gonna mention it and think it's heroic. Not a stinkin thief.”

“You're gonna make people think it’s heroic and not a thief by stealing and being called thieves thief?”

“Actions speak louder than words.”

With such a flawless plan laid out in front of us we both clammed up. We both started eating. Then I came up with an idea. I waited for Beth to start drinking her milk then asked.

“So what's your furaffinity account? Raccoons3xy1?”

Beth almost spit out her drink and started coughing. “Shut the hell up asshole! I told you that in the heat of the moment by accident it’s supposed to be a secret.”

I laughed out loud at her while she wiped the milk from her face and coughed a few more times.

“What's so funny?” a voice said while taking a seat at our table.

It was Kelly. Actually at school today. Kelly is a 5’9’’ light blond haired girl. She has shoulder length hair with short bangs. She wears a black headband with a pink bow on top of her head and a large gray baggy sweater. She’s extremely thin, sometimes looking almost malnourished.

I’ve been worried before if she's okay or needs help but she’s told me a few times she’s fine and has been seeing a doctor. I’ve gathered from a few past experiences with her that it might be anorexia. But it’s kind of rude of me to pry anymore than I have.

“Beth here has a furaffinity and wont tell me her handle.” I said

“I said it was a secret idiot! Stop telling people!.” Beth said frantically. I started feeling bad after that. My joke might be going too far. “You gotta keep this under lock and key Kelly.”

“No sweat Beth. I don’t talk to anyone besides you two anyway. Actually, does Suzy know, or are we not telling her?”

“No, we aren't telling her! We are telling no one else.”

“My handle is Frogsareforggin if you wanna add me beth.” Kelly said.

“You have one too!?” I asked.

“Yeah I made one once to see what the hulla baloo was about but it really isn't really my thing. But if you want a follow to boost your count message me. I won’t tell Mel your handle.”

“I am not messaging you! I do not need irl people to see my drawings, alright. We’re done, we're ending this. Conversation switching. We are talking about the new hero movie coming out now. What was it called Kelly?”

“Proctor Bizarre and the multiple universes of crazy.”

“Yeah exactly! That one!”

With that we had a normal everyday lunch. We talked about the new trailer released. School problems and pointless jokes. Lunch ended quicker than usual. It always does that when the both of them are here. Actually sitting at the table the entire time and chatting instead of aimlessly walking around the library pretending to look for a book makes the time fly by.

I wish Kelly would come to school every day and Beth would ditch her other squad. Or at least Kelly would come every day. Don’t see Beth ever ditching the others permanently, she actually does like them. If only Kelly and I shared some more classes together I could probably convince her to come more often. At least some lunches are unabashedly fun. Shouldn’t get too greedy.

After school I messaged Beth on Dispute, asking if she wanted to hang out together some night. We could meet up where we left off the other night. I was trying to be as vague as possible. I forgot to ask her at lunch about talking in code or getting her a burner phone because Kelly showed up. I’m pretty sure Dispute saves all your messages, even the deleted ones, and I don’t need a paper trail tied to the irl me.

Luckily Beth isn’t a very fun messager. She answers with as few words as possible and does not carry the conversation on at all. I think she finds messaging really tedious and would rather use voice calls. Thinking about it now I don’t know why I didn’t just call her and not risk her incriminating us. I’m so stupid some times.

We ended up scheduling a meet up this Tuesday night. My first ever team up outing. This is gonna be so amazing, should I come up with a name?! Strigoon? Team NightLife? The Nocturnals?! I can’t wait!!