Theo

Lunch

Phil's POV

Theo worked things out with Tania, I guessed since he wasn’t around as much through New Years’ and when we went back to school, she was clinging to him in the hallways which was a good sign, right?  Yeah.  Good.  As I neared my locker after third period, I noticed how Harrison watched me from across the hallway, that glint in his eyes as they flickered between me and Theo who had already pulled out of Tania’s grasp, stepping up beside me with a look of confrontation on his face.  Harrison scowled, sauntering away, and I found myself glaring up at Theo muttering, “You’re being extra.”

    He scowled.  “Can’t you make better friends?”

    “No.”  I pivoted, heading toward my locker.  I admit I was surprised when he followed along after me, draping his arm over my shoulder.  “Don’t you have a girlfriend to attend to?” I wondered, scrunching my brow at him.

     “Tania doesn’t have a stalker,” he grumbled, frowning down at me.  “Plus, I know I could trust her to handle it even if she did.”  He smirked.

    Wow, already throwing cheap shots and its still early.  “f**k off, Theo.”

    “You usually sit with him at lunch, right?”  I glared at him, knowing exactly who he was referring to.  “You’ll sit with me today, right?”  The way he posed it as a question wasn’t fooling anyone.  He didn’t intend to make this an option.

    “You’re at a different table.”

    “Then move.”

    “I like my table.”  The table didn’t matter.  The principle did.  Who was he to tell me to move?

    “Then I’ll move to you,” he said, narrowing his eyes.  God.  All the jocks would take over the nerd table.  Scare them all away.  I guess my expression gave away my anxiety because his expression was one of triumph.  “You’ll move, right?”

    Damn you, Theo.  “Fine.”

    “Great.”  He clapped me on the back, grinning as he backed toward the opposite direction.  “I’ll see you at lunch then.”

    Why did that feel like a threat?

. . .

He did it.

    I didn’t think he’d actually do it but he is Theodore Blackwell.  When he took the seat next to me, the shy group around me seemed kind of flustered.  But when Trey, Mac, and Casey came over and stared them down, they immediately grabbed their trays and got out of the way.

    Bullies, the lot of them.

    I glowered at him and Theodore just smiled, taking a bite of his French fry.  “Hey, Phil.”

    “Yo,” Trey grinned.  Casey waved and Mac just nodded his head in my direction.

    “Why?” I muttered, glaring at him.

    “Want some?” he asked, pushing his fries toward me.

    I glanced around the lunch room and found Tania seated across from Chelsea, giving us a funny look.  She was probably wondering what the hell her football star boyfriend was doing bugging a nobody on the opposite side of the lunch room.  “No.”  I took a bite of my sandwich, ignoring his chuckle.  He was so amused with himself.  Proud, probably.  The prick.  I’d challenged him and he’d met it without blinking, probably completely unaware of the weird looks we were getting.

    People don’t really know we’re friends.

    Yeah, we walk to school together but that was pretty much it.  He invited me along to all their outings but I’d never really gone or considered myself one of them.  I’m no jock.  I don’t even have a group, not really.  Just a couple of misfits who wound up at a table together because they didn’t belong to any of the other friend groups.  We just eat lunch and play online together sometimes.  That’s it.

    And this . . . was a really weird introduction.  How did he explain to them why he'd decided to switch seats?  Did he even bother with an explanation?  No, of course not.  He's Theo. I ducked my head, feeling embarrassed.  Leave it to Theo to create a scene and be the only one completely unabashed by it.

    “Did you make that?” he wondered, eying my sandwich.

    I frowned at him.  “Yes.”  He looked at his sandwich, then back at mine enviously.  I rolled my eyes.  “No, I’m not sharing.”

    “I’ll wait,” he said.

    “For?”

    “You won’t finish it,” he chuckled.  I frowned at him and he just went on like I wasn’t wishing terrible things upon him.  “You should be a chef.”

    “What?”

    “Like, as a career.  You should open your own little restaurant with Katarina,” he was saying, taking a bite of his sandwich while still eying mine. “Probably be famous in a couple years.”

    “You cook?”  It was Trey, leaning over the table.  He, too, looked interested in my sandwich.

    It was a thick meatball hoagie slathered in Spanish red sauce, wrapped in really good bread, melted mozzarella cheese covering the top.  Mom made them last night in the oven. The lady in the cafeteria was nice enough to reheat it for me so I could eat it now.  Ms. Eva was a real sweetheart.  “Sometimes,” I muttered.

    “Did you cook that?” Mac asked.

    I ducked my head, frowning.  How was I supposed to eat with everybody staring at me?

    “I bet he did,” Theo said, smirking.  “He makes this amazing red beans and rice dish with avocado salad.  Bakes for holidays sometimes, too.”

    “You make that Cochito stuff?” Casey asked around food.

    I just stared at him.  I had no idea what he was trying to say.

    “That cinnamon drink,” Trey tried to explain.  “Spanish.”

    “Coquito?” I asked, chuckling at the terrible translation.

    “Yeah, that.”

    “Mom does usually.”

    “She put rum in it?” Casey asked hopefully.

    “Katarina won’t give you alcohol,” Theo chuckled.  “She’s too strict.”

    “Damn,” Casey muttered.

    “You could sneak us some,” Mac suggested.

    I thought about my mother literally beating me with a chancla when Theo broke in, “Are you trying to get him killed?  Hell, she’d whoop all our asses.”  At least he knows.

    The guys all chuckled at that and started talking about how their parents would probably beat them too when I noticed Harrison, tray in hand, giving me a dirty look.  The guilt that tugged at me was immediate.  I widened my eyes, not really sure what to do when I noticed his eyes shifted to the guy next to me, fear rippling through his expression.  Theo.  Peeking over at him, I took in how rigid he’d gone in his seat, the way he chewed aggressively, glaring openly at the guy.  Jesus.  There was nothing subtle about that body language.

    “Bro, you good?” Trey asked.

    Mac and Casey had turned, trying to figure out who Theo had a problem with when Harrison ducked his head, hustling across the cafeteria.

    “I’m good,” Theo said, letting an easy grin replace that harsh expression, popping more food in his mouth.  The guys gave him confused looks but resumed quickly, probably used to his stormy personality, chatting up a storm.  I thought about Harrison's expression and put my sandwich down, having suddenly lost my appetite.  I'd hardly let it go when Theo picked it up, taking a bite.  Shooting him a dirty look he just shrugged, chewing happily.  “Chef,” he said, green eyes roving over me.  “Definitely.”

    I shivered, trying to be unaffected by him.  He knows this is weird right?  All of this interference he was running.  Even if he thought it was protecting me, it was weird.

    Glancing around the table at his buddies as they goofed off, I found myself thinking that Theo wouldn't do this to his other friends . . . would he?