Saint Joseph School

Michael gestured to the empty table.

"Free country, right? Take a seat, Georgia."

Simon nodded, taking up a seat across from him at the table. Michael seemed very interested in either his chicken patty, french fries, or both. Without looking up, Mike opened a few mustard packets, and applied them liberally to both fries and sandwich. Mike stuffs a few fries in his mouth, then speaks around them.

"What's on your mind?"

"Well, not alot," Simon admitted. "I was just psyched we all made it! This should be great!"

Simon watched his roommate for a moment or two.

"But, somethin' tells me ya ain't so happy 'bout it. What's up, Mike?"

Mike paused mid-chew. It was one of his habits. He thought on it for a bit, then finished chewing, and said, "Hmm, no, I'm glad I made it on the team. It's just..." he paused again, taking a bite of his chicken sandwich.

It tasted vaguely like mustard, sawdust, and...more sawdust, with a texture to match. Yum, yum!

"Just what?" Simon asked. He had manners, and hadn't touched his food yet.

Mike shrugs. "Eh, let's just say, that I can't ever really seem to win." More fries. He was a fast eater, in the lunch room. Had to be; Biff could enter at any moment and make his dining experience even more...pleasant.

Simon wrinkled his nose and said, "Hey, ah heard you were taking Franky out on a date...so, maybe you did win something after all, yeah?"

Michael thought on that one for a good long while, as he finished the rest of his fries. He allowed himself a slow, shy smile.

"Yeah."

He looked up in time to see Simon's eyes grow slightly wider, and his nostrils flare. Fight or flight, and that could mean only one thing. Mike had enough time to grit his teeth before Biff slapped him in the back of the head hard enough to rattle his pearly whites. The guy was so damn quiet for someone as big as he was.

Mike scowled over his shoulder at his tormentor, who towered above him. "What the hell, Hannigan? I thought I wasn't due for another shakedown until third period."

Biff laughed, his chiseled features breaking into a smile. "Very funny, Metro. I heard your transcripts came through, and you're not a Fresh anymore." Biff always seemed to know what was what before anyone else. How the hell did he do that?

"Anyway, cupcake, don't worry, I'll protect you from those mean ol' girls. They're probably just worried about competing with you for all the guys...BWHAHAHA!" The kids around them giggled. Mike just shook his head. "Well, at least you two metrosexuals got your own table now. Later, ladies!" With that, Biff turned, followed by a few kids from his retinue.

"My fan club," Mis explained as he shrugged.

"Yeah," Simon grimaced. "Ah got a few surprises for 'em, next time they want ta pull a stunt with me. Oh. Speaking of bad experiences. You ain't seen Siren around have ya? Ah need ta talk ta her. Things've really been wild since the tryouts, and... Well..."

"Nope, but she's mad at me anyway, so she's probably avoiding me."

He ruminated for a moment, beetling his brow.

"You dating her, or what?"

"Nope," Simon shook his head. "I wanted to, but nothing happened. Then it seemed like she was avoiding me. So, I gave up. Just as Angel decided to try and play matchmaker with me and Annie."

The southerner tried not to, but the color came to his cheek in a rush as he thought of Annie. He couldn't help it, though. While Siren had her beauty and forward demeanor to make his blood boil, Annie just had her spots and somehow alien, yet all-american way about her. He really wanted to do this right.

"So you and Siren are still goin' round an' round? Why don't ya just appologize, an' get it overwith, Mike? It ain't that big a deal, is it?"

Mike snorts, taking a drink of his milk, mindless of the resulting moustache.

"Huh? I already apologised. She's just stubborn," he shrugs. "Anyway, some people are gonna be upset no matter what you do."

Mis taps his finger to his teeth, then says, "what is it with you and green girls, anyways?"

Simon grinned really big, and blushed a little.

"Well, it ain't just green girls," he chuckled. "Ah like 'em exotic, Ah guess. Although, Ah did find out tha one that Ah liked, that looked like any other girl on Earth, is already taken."

He sipped at his milk and chuckled.

"It figures, too."

Michael laughs.

"Hey, Simon, lighten up, bro. We've both probably got long lives ahead of us...well, probably. Anyway, there's lots of girls out there, and who cares where they're from, right? Just don't try so hard."

He studied his room-mate for a moment.

"Hell, you never know, she'll probably fall right into your lap when ya don't even expect it."

"Maybe," Simon shrugged. "The funny thing is this girl thing wasn't an issue til Ah had decided to wait a semester to get started. Ya know? Funny, the way life works stuff out."

He scrutinized Mis for a moment.

"Who's gonna fall inta my lap?"

Michael looked confused.

"Nobody in particular, I was just figuring it would be a girl, hence I said, She." Mike chewed at his lip a second.

"Anyway, you won't find a girl by looking so hard. Just have fun hanging out with people, and you'll find somebody, you know?"

"But, ya see? Ah didn't go looking for anybody," he said slightly defensively. "It was Angel who decided me an' Annie needed ta be tagether. An' Ah gotta admit it... There's a real captivatin' something surreal about Annie."

Simon looked at his food, and didn't feel so hot anymore. Pushing his tray away, he rested his chin on his arms.

"Ugh," Simon complained. "I don' feel so hot, anymore..."

Francis suddenly wanders past, pink hair in a wind blown mess.

"Damn that nun..." She mutters. "Of all the days to pull this stunt."

She paused and growled under her breath, tapping her teeth with her black fingernails absently. She glanced over at the table.

"Oh hey, Mis...Hi Simon. Either one of you see Sister S today?"

Mis was halted mid-smile-and-wave by her question

"Uh...I...no? Not yet. You wanna sit with us pariahs for a bit?"