Page 20 of Pride High

“Something happened. I can’t talk about it here.”

That’s all Omar would say. The entirety of journalism was taken up by everyone reading their articles to the class. Anthony studied Omar during his presentation. He mostly gnawed on hisfingernails while Ricky read aloud. They’d put together a good article. Omar didn’t have a reason to look so nervous, which only made Anthony that much more curious.

Lunch break was his best chance of getting to the bottom of it. He waited at the table while Omar went through the cafeteria line. Anthony always brought a sack lunch. By the time his friend appeared, he seemed lost in thought. He was passing by the no-man’s-land table when he did a double take. Anthony watched in horror as Omar walked over to Ricky and—worst of all—sat down with him. They said a few things back and forth before Omar looked in his direction. Anthony put on an exaggerated expression to show his confusion. Omar held up a finger in response, asking him to wait, before he resumed talking to Ricky. Then he stood, picked up his tray, and approached their usual table.

“Hey,” Omar said. He must have seen the open question on Anthony’s face because he intentionally avoided making eye contact. “I know this is going to sound lame, but I’ve been hanging out with this freshman lately—”

“Is she hot?” David asked.

“No,” Omar said. “It’s a dude, and he’s really cool, so don’t be a dick. I invited him to come sit with us.”

“To sit withyou, maybe,” Dave said. “Some of us have reputations to protect.”

“Oh yeah?” Anthony snapped. “What’s your big reputation all about? Tell us.”

Dave withered under his glare and shrugged. “I’m cooler than you. But whatever.”

“Just give him a chance,” Omar said. “Okay? He just moved here and doesn’t know anyone.” Without waiting for a response, he turned and gestured for Ricky to join them.

The freshman looked smaller than ever when walking across the cafeteria. A group of guys blindly cut him off, forcing Ricky to jerk to a stop and nearly drop his tray. Anthony was sure he’d trip at least once on his way over, but he managed to make it unscathed.

“Hi guys,” Ricky said while standing there awkwardly.

This greeting was met with complete silence until Omar said, “Hey! Have a seat.”

Ricky took the empty spot to Omar’s left. That meant he wasfacing Anthony. Hooray. He nodded when Omar introduced them, which was polite but pointless, since they shared the same first period. Dave and David were equally muted in their response.

“So uh…” Omar said, seeming a little lost. “Let’s just eat and have fun like we always do. Okay?”

Anthony took a bite of his sandwich so he wouldn’t be free to talk. The others seemed to employ a similar strategy, all except for the new arrival who was visibly squirming.

“Did you guys see the new Batman show?” Ricky tried.

“You mean the cartoon?” Dave said with a snort.

“Yup,” David replied. “A brand new cartoon for little babies.”

“I’m sure it was good,” Omar said, looking panicked.

Anthony resisted a sigh. Being best friends meant always having each other’s backs. Even in this. “I saw it,” he said. “And it was cool. Nice and dark, like the movies.”

“Did they get Tim Burton to work on it?” Omar asked. “Or any of the same actors to do the voices?”

Dave scoffed. “A big-shot director isn’t going to work on a dumb cartoon.”

“Says the guy who couldn’t shut up aboutLiquid Televisionlast year,” Anthony retorted. “Just because it’s animated, doesn’t mean it’s for kids.” He addressed Omar next. “And no, I don’t think the actors are the same, but Catwoman was in it, so maybe it’s supposed to follow the movies.”

“Either way,” Ricky said. “I’m excited to see part two.”

“So am I,” Anthony admitted.

“You’re both lame,” Dave murmured.

Anthony didn’t care what he thought. He focused instead on his food. Conversation went on without him anyway.

“Where are you from?” David asked.

“Colorado,” Ricky replied.

---