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For a few minutes, I did.

Lunch went on.

Nobody provided an account of the previous evening.

Clayton stole half my apple. Rook handed me a napkin before I realized I needed one. Ruckus complained that I was inspecting him every time he took a bite.

I was.

As lunch was wrapping up, two more soccer players walked in. I stared. They were more beat up than the last round.

I sent a look at each of the Bishops. They mostly avoided my eyes. “There were nine of them? Do you know how reckless that is? Almost double your number?”

There was a beat of silence. Two. Three. No one wanted to draw attention to themselves.

Chief shocked us all by answering with, “It wasn’t like that. They came in waves. And they’re very small. Easy mode.”

He cupped one hand like they were small enough to fit in his palm.

The table lost it.

Sadie shot a look at Chief like she was a proud parent. “Look at you opening up,” she said fondly. “We just had to find the right felony.”

That got everyone going again.

I noticed when Micah shoved his bandaged hands under the table when he caught me looking.

I kicked his shoe lightly with mine.

He kicked back.

Nothing between us had become dirty because somebody said it was.

I wasn’t going to let it.

Across the room, the soccer table was quieter than ours.

I found that very easy to live with.

When the bell rang, Chief picked up his tray and mine.

I followed him to the trash cans.

Megan was coming toward us from the other side of the cafeteria. Her blond hair hung straight over one shoulder, a pale blue top tucked into her jeans. She slowed when she saw us together.

I looked down at my empty hands.

Chief had my bag again.

I hadn’t noticed him take it.

“Where are you going?” he asked me.

“History.”

He glanced toward the doors, measuring something I couldn’t see.

“Rook’s going that way.”