“Awesome! Let’s eat,” Jaden said.
“I don’t know, Jade. Maybe we should just stay in tonight,” I replied, trying to sound casual.
“I’m not staying locked up in here starving all night and I’m not going to wait until dinner is almost over and get all the cold leftovers.”
Jaden pulled on a sweater and I sighed.
“It’s just that Madalynn seemed to be in such a bad mood today,” I told her, already knowing that wouldn’t be enough to convince her to avoid dinner.
“Did she touch you?” Jaden growled.
“No,” I replied. “I stayed out of her way, but I saw her go after some others.”
“It’ll be fine, Shay,” she said and led the way down to dinner.
I followed Jaden into the Dining Hall. I followed Jaden’s confident steps to the food line without looking around the room. We got our food, Jaden piling food onto her tray while I grabbed a salad and some fruit. I knew it would be less fun for Madalynn or her friends to dump my food on my head if it wouldn’t make a huge mess. I practically ran after Jaden as she walked to our table. For the last three years we had sat all the way off to the side of the room. I told myself it was because we had such a nice view of the courtyard outside, but really it was because we didn’t attract as much attention sitting so far out of the way.
As soon as I sat down, I began shoveling my salad into my mouth, knowing if things went bad, I would be forced to abandon my food. Jaden also wasted no time and started eating.
“I’m starving,” she said around a mouthful of food. “Eighth period kicked my butt.”
Jaden had Tae Kwon Do as her eighth period elective. She’d been studying self-defense and martial arts her whole life. Her constant desire to exercise meant that she was great shape, unlike me.
After that we fell silent and I took the opportunity to glance around the room, hoping to see any trouble headed our way long before it arrived. I noticed right away that Madalynn’s table was a whirlwind of activity.
“What do you think is up with them?” I asked Jaden.
She turned and watched them for a minute. Madalynn had rearranged their normal seating arrangement and had pulled up an additional chair that she had carefully placed between Kenneth and herself. Everyone at their table looked tense and they were all busy whispering to each other.
“It’s probably about the new transfer,” Jaden said, turning back to her food.
“Transfer?” I asked, always the one out of the loop.
“Yeah. I heard a rumor in seventh period that some kid is transferring from a school in London. Super rich parents. They’re in politics or something.”
“That’s a lot of excitement for just another rich kid,” I noted. “Almost everyone in this school has money.”
Ardara Preparatory School was populated by the children of wealthy elitist families who wanted a top education for their children. Nearly every student was from a family that had the kind of wealth most only dream of. Every student except for me. That was a big reason they hated me. I was the orphaned charity case, only here because my guardian happened to be one of the teachers.
“Maybe he’s famous?” Jaden suggested, her words obscured through her mouth full of food.
We continued eating, neither of us saying anything to continue the conversation. When the Dining Hall suddenly became silent we both noticed immediately. I looked up from my salad and saw that Jaden’s eyes were glued to the main door. I turned to see what had her attention.
A man stood just inside the door. He looked around with a serious expression and seemed hesitant to enter the room. His light brown hair was cut short. He was tall and thin, but with a muscular build. He was attractive enough that I fully expected every girl he looked at to swoon. The longer I looked at him the more it became obvious that his serious expression caused him to look much older than he was. It seemed perfectly obvious to me now that he was my age. There was also something weirdly familiar about hm.
His gaze settled on Madalynn and Kenneth’s table where all the students were standing. He walked across the room towards their table. His shoes echoed in the large silent room as they came into contact with the ceramic floor. When he reached their table, Kenneth offered his hand and the stranger shook it. Kenneth gestured to the empty chair and the newcomer sat. The rest of their table followed suit and conversation slowly resumed throughout the hall.
I turned back to Jaden and said, “That as weird. Who is he? He looks familiar.”
Jaden’s face was red with anger and she glared at the back of the new guy’s head. She mumbled to herself, too low for me to hear.
“Jade, you okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, fine. Whoever he is he’s clearly one of them so don’t get too close. I hate this place.”
Jaden picked up her tray.
“Let’s get out of here before I puke,” she said.
I glanced at my half-eaten salad and sighed. It was rare to have a meal where we were so ignored that we could eat in peace, but I wasn’t about to sit by myself. I pushed my heavy wooden chair away from the table and stood. I followed Jaden over to the trash, placing my emptied tray on top. Jaden threw open the door and stomped out
