The Girl They Never Saw Coming

Chapter 8 — The Lunch Table

By Friday, I had learned that lunch at Westbrook High was not really about lunch.

It was about where you sat.

Who you sat with.

Who sat near you.

And, apparently, who was allowed to sit at certain tables.

I hadn't understood that during my first few days.

I had simply followed Ava.

But now, as we walked into the cafeteria, I noticed how carefully everyone seemed to know their place.

The athletes had their table.

The cheerleaders had theirs.

The students who seemed to know everyone had their own section.

There were tables for people who had been friends since middle school and tables for students who preferred to keep to themselves.

Then there was ours.

Ava waved at me from across the room.

"Mia!"

I walked over with my tray.

Sophie was already sitting beside her.

"Finally," Sophie said. "I thought you got lost."

"I've been here long enough to know where the cafeteria is now."

Ava smiled.

"Look at you. Becoming a Westbrook veteran."

I sat down.

"I wouldn't go that far."

We started eating.

For the first few minutes, everything felt normal.

Sophie was telling us about a teacher who had accidentally written the wrong date on the board, and Ava was arguing that it was impossible to survive a school year without embarrassing yourself at least once.

I laughed.

Then I noticed something.

The table across from us was unusually quiet.

I glanced over.

A group of girls were looking in my direction.

They quickly looked away.

I turned back to my food.

Ava noticed.

"Don't."

"I didn't say anything."

"You were about to."

"I was just looking."

"Exactly."

I smiled.

"You're becoming very protective."

"Someone has to be."

Sophie laughed.

"She's right."

I shook my head.

"I'm fine."

Ava studied me.

"Are you?"

"Yes."

She nodded, but I could tell she wasn't completely convinced.

I continued eating.

Then someone stopped beside our table.

I looked up.

Iris.

She stood there with her tray in one hand.

"Can I sit here?"

I glanced at Ava.

Ava looked surprised.

Sophie moved her bag from the empty chair.

"Sure."

Iris sat down.

For a moment, nobody said anything.

Then she smiled.

"So, how's your Friday going?"

"Pretty good."

"Good."

She looked around the table.

"You guys always sit here?"

Ava nodded.

"Most days."

Iris looked at me.

"And you're officially part of the table now?"

I smiled.

"I guess so."

She laughed.

"Good."

Something about the way she said it made me relax.

Iris wasn't acting like she was doing us a favor by sitting with us.

She was simply having lunch.

For a few minutes, the conversation stayed light.

We talked about classes.

Then the upcoming basketball game.

Then the writing club.

When I mentioned that Mrs. Bennett had invited me to join, Iris looked interested.

"You write?"

"Sometimes."

"She's good," Ava said.

I looked at her.

"You've read one thing I wrote."

"And it was good."

Sophie nodded.

"She's right."

I smiled.

"Thanks."

Iris looked at me.

"You should submit something for the school magazine."

"There is a school magazine?"

"Yes."

"I didn't know."

"You've only been here a week."

"Fair."

Iris smiled.

"I can show you where the club meets."

"Okay."

The conversation continued.

And for the first time, I understood why people liked Iris.

She was confident, but she knew how to make people feel included.

She asked questions.

She listened.

She remembered things.

But every now and then, I caught her looking across the cafeteria.

Not at me.

At the table near the windows.

I followed her gaze.

The girls from earlier were sitting there.

One of them was watching us.

Iris noticed.

Her expression changed for only a second.

Then she turned back to me.

"You okay?"

I asked.

She smiled.

"Yeah."

"You looked distracted."

"I'm fine."

I nodded.

I didn't push.

A few minutes later, Trent walked into the cafeteria with the basketball team.

Ava immediately noticed.

"Here we go."

I laughed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Trent spotted our table.

He smiled.

Then he walked over.

"Hey."

"Hi."

He looked at Iris.

"You're sitting here?"

Iris raised an eyebrow.

"Apparently."

Trent laughed.

Then he looked at me.

"You coming to the game tonight?"

I paused.

"I haven't decided."

"You should."

Ava interrupted.

"She said she'd think about it."

Trent smiled.

"Then I'm hoping she decides yes."

He looked at me for another second.

"I'll see you later."

"Okay."

He walked away.

Sophie looked at me.

"Interesting."

I groaned.

"Don't start."

"I'm not starting anything."

Ava laughed.

"She's absolutely starting something."

Iris smiled but didn't say anything.

I looked at her.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You all keep saying that."

"Maybe you're just suspicious."

"Maybe."

Everyone laughed.

For a moment, I forgot about the whispers.

Forgot about being the new girl.

Forgot about the fact that I was still trying to figure out where I belonged.

I was simply sitting at a lunch table with people who were beginning to feel like friends.

Then a voice came from behind us.

"Seriously?"

The laughter stopped.

I turned around.

One of the girls from the other table was standing there.

She looked at Iris.

Then at me.

"What's wrong?" Iris asked.

The girl shrugged.

"Nothing."

Her eyes moved toward me.

"I just didn't realize this was the new table."

Ava frowned.

"What does that mean?"

The girl smiled.

"Nothing."

There was something about the way she said it that made the word sound like an insult.

I looked at Iris.

Iris remained calm.

"If you have something to say, say it."

The girl glanced at her friends.

Then back at us.

"I don't."

She walked away.

Nobody spoke for a moment.

I looked down at my tray.

I could feel the atmosphere changing.

Ava leaned closer.

"Don't let that bother you."

"I'm not."

Iris looked at me.

"She's not worth your energy."

I nodded.

"Okay."

Sophie tried to change the subject.

"So, who's actually going to the game tonight?"

Ava raised her hand.

"Me."

I laughed.

"You?"

"Of course."

Iris smiled.

"I'm going too."

Sophie looked at me.

"Mia?"

I hesitated.

I thought about my parents.

About my new school.

About everything that had happened during the week.

Then I smiled.

"I'll go."

Ava's face lit up.

"Finally!"

I laughed.

"Don't make it a big deal."

"It is a big deal."

Iris smiled.

"Then I'll see you there."

"Okay."

The bell rang.

Everyone began gathering their things.

I stood and picked up my bag.

As we left the cafeteria, I looked back at the lunch table.

It seemed like such a small thing.

A table.

Four chairs.

A few conversations.

But somehow, it felt important.

Because when I first arrived at Westbrook, I had been searching for a place to belong.

Now I had one.

At least, I thought I did.

What I didn't understand yet was that at Westbrook, being welcomed into one group could sometimes mean being noticed by another.

And the whispers weren't going away.

They were getting louder.