"Whatcha lookin' at, Clarke?", Neil Baker asked his friend, who seemed to be hypnotized by some unknown spectacle across the cafeteria. Andrew Clarke, a forgotten spoonful of chili still held in his hand, ignored him. Neil rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Yo, Clarke!", he bellowed in the other boy's ear. Andrew jumped, spilling the chili down the front of his wrestling jacket, then scowled at his friend. "What's the deal, man?!", he yelled. "What the hell was that for?"
Neil shrugged. "You weren't listening to me. What were you lookin' at that was so damn fascinating?"
It was Andrew's turn to shrug. "Nothing. I guess I just spaced out." He looked down at his tray, rather than at Neil, as he said it, and Neil narrowed his eyes in consideration. Andrew was definitely not telling him something. Neil watched as Andrew turned his head again to stare intently across the room, and followed his gaze.
Andrew scowled as he watched John Bender speak something into Claire Standish's ear. Claire giggled. Bender said something else, and this time Claire smacked him over the head, but she was still smiling. Andrew shook his head in utter bewilderment. What could she possibly see in that worthless piece of shit? Bender didn't have a decent molecule in his body, and sooner or later, he would break Claire's heart. Andrew knew it, and he had a feeling it was going to be sooner. It would almost serve her right, for being so stupid. Almost. But Andrew cared about Claire, and didn't truly wish her any pain, even if she had brought it upon herself. He watched Claire and Bender walk out of the cafeteria, grimacing as he noted their clasped hands.
Finally he turned back to his own table, only to find Neil considering him with an amused, knowing glow in his eyes.
"You wanted to fuck her", he announced triumphantly. "You're mad that she's gone loco and gotten with that delinquent, because you wanted to fuck her yourself."
"Don't be ridiculous", Andrew scowled.
"Hey, there's plenty more out there", Neil said consolingly, ignoring Andrew's honest denial as he gestured around the cafeteria. "I don't think she's even the hottest one. I mean, look at Angela over there. Just check out those tits!…" Neil continued to ramble on obscenely about the physical merits of their female classmates, not noticing as Andrew got up and left.