The wrongTable
1433 Words
The good table in the Aurelia cafeteria was the one by the broken radiator.
It was in the corner, away from most of the noise, and the radiator hissed loudly enough to cover a private conversation.
The only problem was that the radiator had been broken since Lena’s first year. In winter, the table was either freezing or on fire.
Right now, in early autumn, it was fine.
Maya had claimed it with her laptop bag, a sweater, and a pointed look at a first-year who had come too close.
By the time Lena arrived with two trays, Maya had already opened a document titled LEDGER STORY IDEAS (REAL).
“Okay,” Maya said, pulling her tray closer. “Hear me out.”
“That’s never a good start.”
“I’ve narrowed it down to three. One: a deep dive into why the library’s third floor smells like wet dog, even though no one admits to bringing a wet dog.”
“It’s a library full of wolves, Maya.”
“Which is exactly why it’s an investigation.”
She held up a second finger.
“Two: a profile of the student government. Three: the oat milk.”
“You said you were done with the oat milk.”
“I said I was tired of the oat milk. It’s not the same thing.”
Maya stabbed a piece of broccoli.
“None of them are right. I need something that makes people stop scrolling. Something with a hook.”
“Something like a wolf in the library.”
“Don’t mock my process.”
Lena smiled into her soup.
She liked Maya like this. Fast-talking and slightly ridiculous whenever she was nervous. Somehow, sitting across from her made everything feel a little less heavy.
“So,” Maya said, looking at her laptop. “Are you taking the job?”
“What job?”
“Lena.”
“I don’t know.”
Lena turned her spoon over.
“I haven’t decided.”
“He said it paid badly.”
“He said it paid badly and the hours were strange. That’s not exactly a recommendation.”
“He also said you’d like it.”
Maya finally looked up.
“And you’re going to say it’s nothing, and you’re going to say it’s probably a favor, and then you’re going to talk yourself out of it.”
“That’s not a face.”
“It’s absolutely a face.”
Lena looked at her soup.
She did want the job.
That was the problem.
“I’ll think about it,” she said.
Maya sighed and returned to her laptop.
Then she suddenly went still.
“Maya?”
“Don’t turn around.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Theo just walked in.”
Lena turned around immediately.
Across the room, by the drinks station, stood the vampire from their lecture. He was tall, dressed in a long grey coat and dark sunglasses, even though they were inside.
“That’s Theo?”
“Theodore Ashmoor,” Maya whispered. “He takes the sunglasses off exactly never, and he once said ‘good afternoon’ to me in a hallway like it was some kind of gift.”
Lena laughed.
“You should go talk to him.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Why?”
“He’d have to look at me.”
“You don’t even know what his eyes look like.”
“Exactly.”
Lena shook her head.
“You should really get out more.”
“I am getting out. I’m sitting in a cafeteria staring at a vampire.”
“That’s not helping your case.”
Before Maya could answer, someone dropped into the empty chair beside Lena.
A tray landed on the table.
“Hi,” said Ethan.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
He looked even more relaxed up close. His sandy hair stuck out in three different directions, and his smile suggested he’d been in on a joke since breakfast.
His tray held two sandwiches, fries, and what appeared to be an entire pie.
“Sorry,” Ethan said, glancing around. “Is this table taken?”
“The window table is by the window,” Maya said. “This table is by the radiator.”
“Right. That’s where I got confused.”
“They look nothing alike.”
“I’m easily lost.”
He turned to Lena with a completely innocent expression.
“I’m Ethan. You’re Lena. We had a moment earlier, with the nodding.”
“We did.”
“I felt we should follow up.”
Maya narrowed her eyes.
“You know my best friend’s name.”
“I know everybody’s name. It’s a gift and a curse.”
He dragged a fry through ketchup.
“Also, Lena is in my lecture. Third row, left side. Always writes the date at the top and underlines it twice.”
Lena stared at him.
“You noticed that?”
“I notice a lot of things.”
He shrugged.
“You also corrected Professor Hale on the date of the Ember Compact last year.”
“I was right.”
“You were very right.”
He held out his hand.
“Respectfully.”
Lena shook it, mostly because she didn’t know what else to do.
“Okay, hold on,” Maya said. “You sit with Kael Raven.”
“I’m his friend.”
“Same thing.”
“Not really. Entourages get paid.”
He took a bite of his sandwich.
“Kael and Rowan are at a pack meeting in the east wing. I got bored.”
“So you came here?”
“I saw the radiator table and thought, those people look interesting.”
Maya stared at him.
“You couldn’t have just asked?”
“And lose the plausible deniability? Never.”
Lena laughed.
It came out louder than she expected, and two girls at the next table glanced over.
Ethan looked at her.
Not with pity.
Not with that careful expression she’d become used to.
He was simply amused because she was funny.
“Okay,” Lena said, still smiling. “You can stay.”
“I was going to anyway.”
“I know. I’m being polite.”
“You’re very good at it.”
He stole one of Maya’s carrots.
“Anyway, what did I interrupt?”
“Nothing,” Maya said quickly.
“We were discussing whether Theo has eyes,” Lena said.
Maya dropped her head onto one hand.
Ethan slowly followed Lena’s gaze across the cafeteria.
“Oh, Theo.”
He grinned.
“He’s great. Plays the cello. He’s got gold eyes. Very nice ones.”
Maya made a strange little noise.
“You know him?”
“Everyone knows Theo.”
He looked between them.
“Why? Is someone interested?”
“No,” Maya said.
“Yes,” Lena said.
“I hate you both.”
⸻
The conversation wandered after that.
They talked about the oat milk, and Ethan had surprisingly strong opinions about it. They talked about the lecture, Brandt Calloway, and the goats.
At some point, Ethan did an impression of Professor Hale that was so accurate Maya nearly choked on her drink.
Lena laughed until her cheeks hurt.
It was just an ordinary lunch.
And she realized she hadn’t had one in a long time.
Later, Ethan went to get another drink while Maya took their trays to the bin.
For a moment, Lena sat alone.
She looked around the cafeteria.
The mountain-pack boys were still arguing over pretzels. Two hybrid sisters shared earbuds at another table. Theo sat by himself, reading a thick book with far too much seriousness.
Lena let herself enjoy the quiet.
Then Maya returned.
She sat down and opened her laptop, but she wasn’t typing.
“What?” Lena asked.
“Nothing.”
Maya stared at her for a moment.
“I was just thinking about my story.”
“The wet dog?”
“No.”
Maya hesitated.
“A real one. Something people actually want to know.”
Lena frowned.
“Like what?”
Maya’s eyes stayed on her.
“Like why everyone looks at you the way they do.”
Lena’s smile disappeared.
“Maya.”
“I’m just thinking.”
“Think about something else.”
Maya held her gaze for a moment.
Then she gave a small smile and looked back at her laptop.
“Okay. Sorry. Forget it.”
Lena picked up her spoon again.
But she knew Maya.
And Maya was still thinking about it.
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