User blog:Addfire/Everyday Life in an Everyday World (3)

Chapter 3 – And Now For Something Completely Different

Zachary and Crysha floated through the cafeteria, the crowd parting before them like the Red Sea before Moses. A peon knelt before the two with an offering of food. Zachary inspected it, took a single sandwich. For the peon, this was equivalent to God dropping out of Heaven, winking at her, and saying, "Kid, you're alright."

Crysha produced a packed lunch from her own bag and took a croissant from it. No one questioned how she had gotten the croissant in the first place, it was just there. In the weeks to come, anyone who aspired to be anyone would be eating croissants.

Kristian watched the two of them as they sat at his table, and his heart swelled with excitement. Not that he was surprised, he had been using basically all his political clout to get this far, but just out of pride that this was finally happening.

Next was Rebecca, swallowing, trying to keep calm. It wasn't every day that the two gods of this school sat at your table. Kristian put his hand on hers.

"Take deep breaths," he whispered to her. "You'll make it out alive."

Rebbeca was Irish, with the stereotypical red hair and green eyes that came with it. She constantly fiddled with Rubik's Cubes to keep herself calm, but not even that was working at the moment.

On his other side, Kristian was pretty sure that Abe was going to die right then and there. Abe had taken out what Kristian knew was the notebook Abe reserved specifically for Debate Club, and... oh, no. Abe, please don't try to recruit-

"So, Zachary, you're a man of many words," Abe said, in the smoothest voice possible. Abe had an impressive cowlick, brown eyes, and a shirt that advertised some rapper. Of course, it wasn't his looks that Abe cared about, but his voice.

Zachary arched a single brow. Go on.

"The debate team might just be the place for you! Here, we have-"

Zachary and Crysha had shared a look, and Crysha held up her hand. "Thank you, Abe, but as we've explained to the Rugby club and... various others, we'd rather not join a club right now. It would – what's the phrase? – tip the scales too far in your favor." Crysha smiled, a smile that was simple, with nothing ulterior behind it. No ill will. Abe just wasn't going to get the two most popular people in the grade into his club.

David patted Abe on the back. "Hey, don't fret. You tried, and that's what matters, right?" Although Abe was the one who did most of the recruiting, and the public face of the Debate Club, David was the actual president. Since David was in Senior Year, he had been preparing Abe as the president for next year. Under David's tutelage, the Debate Team had won the entire state championship once.

David was lanky and tall, with a red and blue shirt in a sort of metallic style. He had a charismatic air about him, although it was difficult for you to reconcile that with his switching between being comforting and being ready to perform cannibalism on someone who misheard him.

Zachary took a bite out of the sandwich, and Crysha turned to Kristian. "So, why did you want us here?" She asked.

Kristian gave a polite laugh. "Well, I really only wanted Zachary, but the two of you are joined at the hip, so..."

Crysha coughed. Zachary furrowed his brow.

Rebecca stiffened. She looked at Kristian with undiluted fear. Did you really just tell Crysha Xiu she was unwanted?

"... so," Kristian continued, "Zachary, my brother, Rex, wants to join the Rugby team. I don't doubt he'll get in, and I am definitely not asking you to rig the auditions so he gets in. What I am asking is for you to make sure he's safe."

"Rugby's a dangerous game," Zachary replied. His voice had the same warmth as ever, Crysha's expression hadn't changed at all, but the temperature had dropped a couple degrees.

"Of course it is," Kristian said. "But I know you wouldn't want one of your teammates harmed."

"That's awfully presumptuous of you to ask us," Crysha said.

"And you're assuming that he'll make the team," Zachary added.

"I know he'll make the team," Kristian said. "And Crysha, I was only asking Zachary."

Crysha was no longer smiling. Rebecca seemed like she would implode from pure terror. Abe and David were scooting away from the table.

"If Rex makes the team," Zachary said, "And he gets injured, I will see that he gets the same treatment as any other player. Fenris tore his ACL during the previous season and he was aided in his recovery by the R. I. Y. S. medical department."

"I believe we have somewhere to be," Crysha muttered, taking Zachary by the arm and steering him away. Once they were safely out of sight and earshot, Rebecca slapped Kristian.

"How could you say that?" Rebecca demand. "You just pissed off Crysha! And Zachary too, likely. So, I'm betting we'll be chased with pitchforks and torches soon."

"Crysha is too much of a goddess to hold a grudge," Kristian said, "And Zachary... I think he respects someone who isn't clambering over their own feet to kiss his ass."

Kristian shushed away all the other protests, getting up to look for Rex. He was... ugh. Sitting next to Ava. And there was some new kid near them, as well. He overheard Ava ranting about something, no doubt indoctrinating the new kid into her friend group.

"Oh, god, don't get me started on the Secretary," she was saying. "She's the worst. It's Jesus this, eternal salvation that, you can't get two words out of her-"

"But, she was just... uncouth to me," the new kid said. "She didn't really-"

"Believe me, she will," Ava said. Liz was looking really uncomfortable, and Felix was talking with Rex on something unrelated. Kristian cleared his throat.

Ava turned around. "Oh, it's you," she scoffed.

"Who's the new kid?" Kristian asked.

"Archie. I'm introducing him to everyone who's important," she said.

"You didn't introduce him to... oh..." Kristian flushed. He had walked right into that, didn't he?

Archie stood up and shook Kristian's hand. "Pleasure to meet you," he said.

"Likewise," Kristian said with a political smile.

"Watch out for him," Ava commented. "He'll eat you alive to get ahead."

"He's... not that bad..." Liz said, getting ignored.

"Well, Archie, what class do you have next?" Kristian said, pointedly ignoring the peanut gallery. He didn't have any real time for them.

Archie rummaged through his pockets and found a crumpled sheet of paper. "Uh... English? With Mister, uh... Holden."

Kristian grinned widely. "Ah, you've got Jim. Well, I'm sure you'll love it, and I've got it next as well, so how about you come with me?"

Archie opened his mouth, and Kristian yanked him along back to his table. "This is Rebecca, Abe, and David- Abe and David are V. P. and President of the Debate Club, respectively, and Rebecca's just awesome, if uptight."

"I am not upt-" Rebecca was indignant, but Kristian had already taken Archie away again.

Mr. Holden's English class had some of the really good wordsmiths, and Kristian was surprised that Archie had gotten into it. Liz, Abe, Val, Eddie, and David were staples of the class, and Fenris and Edwin were applying to get in. So far, Edwin had been permitted for a trial run.

"Hey Val, nice seeing ya again David, Abe, Liz, where'd you come from Eddie? Oh, Edwin, congrats on the trial run!" Kristian swept into the class throwing finger guns and perfect grins at the other students. "You've all met Archie?"

In some variation, everyone agreed, although Val just rumbled. It was hard to read Val, but Kristian guessed that it was a positive response.

Mister Holden, although everyone called him Jim, raised his eyes. "I see, this is Archibald- sorry, Archie. Call me Jim. Your assignment is to write a three-page fictional story, due tomorrow, go bananas."

Archie looked at Kristian, who gave him a thumbs-up and a smile. "The rest of us have to do two pages, he must like you," Kristian said in what was intended to be reassuring.

I think that's everyone, except for the teachers (???). I'm having a lot of fun writing this. Thanks for reading!