A young boy sits alone at a table in the cafeteria, eating his sandwich. No, demolishing his sandwich. All the actions of this boy are either violent or passive. He passively stares out the window, wondering where the idiots that he called his friends are. His question would soon be answered.

"Well, will you look who managed to make it through another summer without becoming charcoal?" A lanky girl with dark cropped hair walks up to the seat across from the boy, grinning madly at him. Her strange red glasses glint in the light.

The boy looks up at her quizzically. "Who are you?"

"Nice try, KK," She snickers and sits down. "But I can spot your shade of ginger from a mile away."

Kenneth Kyle Vantas growls as the girl ruffles his vivid orange hair. He playfully snaps his teeth at her hand. "I hate you." A slight blush began to show on his face, highlighting his freckles. Yes, KK (as he prefers to be called) is truly, one hundred percent a ginger. That includes the soulless definition if you ask most of his friends.

She only continues to grin in response. "Love you too, Kenny."

"Teri, I swear to god I will murder you in your sleep if you start calling me that again."

Teresa Zariah Pyrope continues to continue to grin. "Whatever you say, KK." She takes his apple and begins shining it on her shirt. KK fumes across the table, but she ignores him, intent on her task of getting the wax coat off of the apple. After a moment of silence, KK sighs and goes back to his sandwich. Teri holds the apple up to the light above, examining it. The most she can see is a blurry dark red blob, but she can tell it is shined by the small spots of white light reflecting off of it. Satisfied, she takes a large bite of it. She had gotten over lamenting about her blindness long ago.

KK's wonderings from before came back to him in the silence. He now wonders where their tall, geeky, awkward mutual friend was. "So Blind Girl, where's your sidekick, The Lisped Wond-OW." KK is unfortunately interrupted by a slap to the back of the head from said tall, geeky, awkward friend, whom had walked up behind him.

He sits down next to KK, adjusts his thick glasses, brushes his blonde bangs out of his eyes, and then speaks. "I. Am not. A thidekick. Duh, KK." He articulates, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What the fuck, Steven!" KK rubs the back of his head, glaring at the boy.

Steven Patrick Captor grins, every alternating red and blue bracket of his seemingly eternal set of braces visible. "You detherved it, KK." He then ignores the again fuming boy, turning to the girl on the opposite side of the table from him. "Hello, Teretha. Did you have a nithe thummer?"

She smiles. "Yes. I did. Thank you very much for asking."

"I thee you got a new pair of glatheth. Interething color."

KK slams his head on the table, groaning in frustration. "You two can cut the crap already. It was old last year."

Teresa grins at him. "Why Kenny, whatever do you mean?

"Yeth, KK. We are thimply acting like thivilithed human beingth."

KK rolls his eyes. "Uh huh. Manners and courtesy bluh bluh bluh. I don't care. Teri, answer Steven's fucking question, because I wanna know what the deal is too." She raises an eyebrow at him. "Ugh. Fine. Teri, will you please tell me what the fuck is up with your glasses?"

She makes a face, and then shrugs. "Ah, well. Close enough." Her face lights up with the victory. Actually, it does not change much. She is still grinning as she had been since she arrived at the table. KK and Steven can tell that she is internally celebrating a victory simply because they have all known each other for so long they can practically read each other's minds. "Well. They're not anything special. Just non-prescriptions with full UVA-UVB spectrum protection, glare reducer, and color enhancement with what might possibly be the coolest lens shape and frames ever to exist."

Steven's eyes light up at the technical jargon. "Awethome."

KK rests his cheek on his hand. "Should I pretend to care and be excited, or move on with my life?"

Teri taps her chin thoughtfully at the options. "Pretend to be excited."

KK rolls his eyes, but glues a grin on his face. "Oh boy! I have to put up with you obsessing over my hair color for years to come!"

"Excuse me?" The three turn towards the small voice coming from an equally small girl with long dark hair. "Is it okay if I sit here?"

KK glares at the girl. "No, dumbass. You can't sit at any of these empty seats. We need them for our fucking ghost friends."

Steven slaps him on the back of the head. "Will you quit being an athhole, KK?" He turns to the girl and smiles. "Ignore thith one. He'th like that to everyone. You get uthe to it. Of courthe you can thit with uth."

Teri greets the girl a grin as well, patting the seat next to her. "Sit over here. I think between Steven and I, we can protect you from the village idiot." KK grumbles at his friend's antics, but says nothing as the girl sits next to Teri, across from Steven.

She smiles nervously. "Thank you."

Steven smiles back. "You're welcome." Their eyes lock for a few seconds.

Teri interrupts this awkward staring, slamming her hands on the table. "So. In the chaos of Kenny's existence, it seems we have forgotten introductions. I'm Teresa. These idiots like to call me Teri." She points to Steven. "That's Steven. He can't say his own name because of his braces. And I'm not going to make you witness the ugly sight that is him trying."

Steven rolls his eyes. "Thanks a lot, Teri." He is absolutely oozing with sarcasm.

She tilts her head cutely. "You're ever so welcome, Stevie." She then snaps her head to KK. "And that's Kenny." KK growls in response. Teresa rolls her eyes. "He hates when you call him that though. So call him KK if you get annoyed with his hatred." She leans on her hands, batting her eyes sweetly. "And your name?"

The girl blinks a few times, and then realizes that Teri has finished talking. She has not had the chance to get use to Teresa's quick manner of speaking, as this is (obviously) their first meeting. She honestly had not heard most of what she had said. "It's Aria."

Steven smiles at her. "Well, it'th nithe to meet you, Aria."

Aria Diane Megido gives him a meek smile back, tucking her long, curly black hair behind her ear. "Nice to meet you too. Uh. Steven, right?"

"Ye—"

Suddenly, Teresa jumps up. "TRAVIS! TRAVIS, OVER HERE!" She looks frantically around, and then quickly moves the chair that is blocking the end of the table.

KK growls again. "Teri. What the fuck are you doing? Who the fuck are you yelling at?"

Her eyes roll up to the ceiling. "My friend Travis. Duh, KK. Weren't you listening?"

"We don't have any friends named Travis."

"We don't. I do, obviously."

A wheelchair-bound boy with stringy black hair rolls up to the end of the table just then. "Uh, hey T-teri. I was just, uh, looking for you."

Teresa gestures to Travis, looking at the whole group. "Guys, this is Travis. I met him in my European history class."

Travis Manuel Nitram gives the group a nervous half smile. "Uh. Hi."

She then points to each person at the table. "And that's KK, Steven, and Aria. She's a freshmen too, and the boys are sophomores."

KK acknowledges him with a nod. "So. Now that we've made two new friends in less than five minutes, where is the rest of our idiotic group?" KK should really learn to stop asking that question. Or perhaps he should say it more often, as his friends seem the magically appear whenever he says it.

"Hey, best friend!" An awkwardly tall boy comes up behind KK, wrapping his gangly arms around KK's neck in a strange sort of hug.

KK tries to slap the boy's arms away, sputtering as his long brown hair got in his mouth. "Get off me, ass hat."

Gavin Scott Makara resists KK's efforts. "But KK. I haven't seen you all motherfucking summer."

KK finally manages to wriggle his way out of his friends death grip. "Sit the fuck down, dumbass."

Gavin sits the fuck down between KK and the end of the table where Travis is parked. He now looks to this strange boy on his other side. "KK, my man, why haven't you introduced this motherfucker to me yet?"

"Because you just sat down after practically raping me, fucktard." KK rolls his eyes. "He's Teri's friend. Troy or something."

"I-i-it's Travis." Travis stutters. He swallows nervously.

Gavin gives him a large smile. "Well, Travis. It's motherfuckin' amazing to meet you." Travis forces a small smile back.

Teresa rolls her eyes at the entire exchange, and gestures to Aria because Gavin apparently glanced over her. "And that's Aria, also new."

Gavin gives her a smile and a nod as well. "Hey, dude and dudette. My name's Gavin." He puts his hands to shake, crossing his arms over in a goofy fashion. Aria grins and shakes his hand firmly.

Travis just looks up at Gavin. His eyes are slightly glazed, but at the same time, they look kind. He meekly takes the boy's hand. "N-nice to meet you too, Gavin."

Steven awkwardly tries to continue his conversation with Aria that was interrupted by Teri's antics. He would not succeed. "Anyway. Ath I was thaying. Are you new thith year, Aria?"

Aria half nods, and then stops. "No. Well. Kind of. Yes? I'm a freshman so—"

"Did someone say freshman?" Their conversation is again interrupted, this time by a shortish girl with long, messy blonde hair.

Teresa rolls her eyes. "Oh god. The shark is descending. Or would you prefer spider-bitch, Veronica?"

Veronica Scarlett Serket sneers at Teresa. "Just because you're the oldest of your class, Pyrope, does not mean you can mouth off to me. I'm still a class ahead of you. And will you look at that, I'm a senior to boot."

"And will you look at that. That puts me AND your girlfriend as juniors. Ergo, Upperclassmen. Not that anyone cares."

A girl with coarse black hair walks up behind Veronica. "I heard my name. Should I be concerned?"

Teri looks up at her. "Actually, your name wasn't mentioned, Kay."

Kaleigh Nora Maryam rolls her eyes. "Name. Title. Same thing really. Usually when I'm referred to in a discussion between you two, it's a sign I should intervene." She sits down in the empty seat in front of her, smooths her skirt, and takes a compact out of her bag to reapply her lipstick.

Veronica puts her hands on her hips indignantly, but was grinning. "And where exactly am I supposed to sit?"

Aria speaks up, finding her voice again. "I can move, if you want me to. There's another seat."

Veronica rolls her eyes. "It's fine." She perches herself on her girlfriends lap. "We can share, right sweetie?" She kisses Kaleigh's head.

A gagging sound emanates from the other end of the table. Everyone turns to look at KK. "Blegh. Will you cut it out? Some of us are trying to eat over here, you know."

Veronica sneers. "Shut up, KK. You don't see me complaining about you and Blind Girl over there flirting like it's going out of style."

A blush begins to spread its way across KK's cheeks again. Kaleigh rolls her eyes and shoves at Veronica's waist. "Seriously though. Get your own chair. I can't eat through your body. And don't you dare make that joke." Veronica closes her mouth, and begins to pout. Kaleigh doesn't even look up from her compact, now applying foundation powder to a spot on her nose. "Put away the puppy eyes. They don't work."

Veronica grumbles, and then grabs an empty chair from the next table over. The conversation continues at the end of the table in a near civilized manner now that a rational person is present.

"Hey man, you alright?" Gavin asks Travis, observing that the boy is nervously gripping the handholds on his wheels, fidgeting, and trying not to look at that other end of the table.

"Y-yeah. Uh. Uh. I uh." His voice is barely over a whisper. "I think I might have left something in uh. Mrs. Andrews' class. I should probably—"

Suddenly, Veronica jumps up, slamming her hands down on the table. "Travis Nitram." Everyone jumps.

Travis begins to visibly twitch. "H-he-he-hello V-veronica."

A grin spreads across Veronica's face as she sits back down. Teri looks suspiciously between the two. "You two know each other?"

Veronica's grin gets wider. "Oh yes. We go way back. Isn't that right, Trav?" Travis swallows nervously, but does not respond. The tension at the table builds, Travis cowering at one end, Veronica grinning wickedly at the other, and the rest of the table too confused to speak.

After a moment, Kaleigh decides that this has gone on too long. She diffuses the situation, picking up a lock of Veronica's scraggly hair between her fingernails. "Veronica, have you washed your hair this week?"

The conversations at the table restart awkwardly and hesitantly. Veronica turns to Kaleigh, rolling her eyes. "Yeah. Yesterday. After you left."

Kaleigh looks at her skeptically. Veronica's hair looks like she slept with her head in a moisture-sucking tornado. "What with?"

"Uhhh…soap?" Veronica shrugs.

Kaleigh runs a hand over her face, sighing. "Come here, you." She digs through her bag, pulling out a bottle of leave-in conditioner and a comb. Veronica obediently turns in her chair, eating her French fries as Kaleigh attempts to pick through the mess.

"Tho, how are your clatheth tho far?"

Aria tucks her hair behind her ear. "Well, uh. Fine, I guess."

Teresa grins evilly. "KK, why don't you tell us how you manage to get through the summer every year without catching on fire?"

"Shut the fuck up, Teri."

"Oh come on. You practically burn from a light bulb. I wanna know your secret."

"Teri, I swear to fucking god."

A small girl with dark hair hidden under a kitty-eared hat bounces up to the spot next to Teresa. "Teri!" She puts her arms out for a hug.

"Nat!" Teresa embraces her childhood friend. "How was your summer?"

Natalie Patricia Leijon grins, plopping herself down in the chair, and setting the paper she had had gripped in her hand on the table. "It was awesome! I told you before we left that my mom and Elliot's dad were getting married, right?"

"Yeah. How was it?"

"Oh, it was gorgeous. And then they went to Cancun for a week, and Elliot and I had the whole house to ourselves to get to know each other."

KK rolled his eyes. "Ugh. I'm sorry."

Natalie giggled. "No, KK. You were wrong about Elliot. Once you get to know him, he's really sweet. Still a bit awkward. But sweet all the same."

"Uh huh." He said, unbelieving. He nods at the piece of paper. "What's that?"

"Huh?" She glances down, and then remembers. "Oh!" She claps her hands together. "Guys, guys, guys. Guess what?"

"You were diagnothed with ADHD over the thummer."

"Your new step brother pronounced his undying love for you."

Nat makes a face. "Ew. Veronica, that's just weird. And no, Steven. I don't have ADHD. For the umpteenth time."

Teri rolls her eyes. "What, Nat?"

"Someone's sponsoring a video game club!" She holds up the paper.

Teri snatches it first. "Who's sponsoring it?"

KK rolls his eyes, taking the paper. "Teri. You forgot you were blind again. You can't read." Teri sticks her tongue out at him. He glances over the paper. "It doesn't say, anyway."

Steven rolls his eyes. "Read it out loud, thtupid."

"It doesn't say anything interesting, dumbass."

"Read it anyway, fucktard."

"Ugh, Fine. 'Interested in video game club? Sign up here! First meeting after school Tuesday 9/6.' Well that's dumb. First meeting's tomorrow, and there's no classroom number."

Nat rolls her eyes. "Obviously, the teacher is going to email the participants the information."

Teresa snickers. "Yeah. Duh, Kenny."

KK rolls his eyes, and then bends down to search for a pen in his back pack. "Oh, of course. How could I be so stupid?" Teresa opens her mouth to make a snide remark. "Teresa Zariah Pyrope. I swear to god if say one word, I will never give you my fruit again."

She pouts crossing her arms over her chest. "I was only going to ask if you could write my name on it for me. Because, you know. I can't write it myself. God, Kenny. Why do you gotta be so cruel to the blind girl?"

"Yeah, sure." He pulls out a pencil, and then scribbles his name and email address, and then looks up at Teresa. "So, what name should I put? Teri, Teresa, or Blind Girl?" She smacks the top of his head. After crying out in pain and then grumbling, he scratches down Teresa Pyrope and her email.

Veronica snorts from the end of the table. "If you two are done flirting, will you please pass that sign up sheet around?"

Kaleigh rolls her eyes, continuing to brush the nest of hair in front of her. "I would like to sign up as well, if you don't mind."

Gavin pulls a purple pen out of the pocket of his cargo pants. "Let me at that motherfucker. It sounds like my kind of club."

Steven turns to Kaleigh. "Thince when do you even own a gaming conthole, Kaleigh?"

She rolls her eyes in response, but smiles. "Very funny, Steven. I do like to play games online, and I do believe those technically count as video games."

Veronica raises an eyebrow. She swallows the mouthful of fries she was chewing. "You mean those silly dress up games you like for some reason?" Kaleigh sends her a look. "I mean. Yeah. Those totally count as video games. Kind of."

Steven rolls his eyes. "Don't worry, Kaleigh. We'll get you caught up."

Seeing that Gavin was finished writing, Travis quietly asks him, Hey, G-Gavin? Can I use y-your pen? M-mine are in my l-locker."

Gavin smiles, handing him the pen and sliding the paper across the table. "Sure bro. It's cool."

Travis smiles slightly. "Thanks."

After Travis, the sign up sheet makes its way to Steven. While scribbling his in in his horrible handwriting, he addresses Aria. "Tho, Aria. You like video gameth?"

She grins. "I love video games. I've played them for years."

He passes her the sheet and the pen he was using. "Awethome. Thounds like we're going to be theeing a lot more of each other, then."

Veronica snatches the paper from Aria almost the second she lifts her pen. "Thank you." She mutters, and then quickly scribbles her name and email with her favorite blue pen. She offers the pen to Kaleigh. "There you go, love." Kaleigh rolls her eyes, takes the pen, and neatly writes her info.

Natalie darts down the table to retrieve the paper. "That everyone? Great! I'm going to go see if I can find Elliot. He'll be interested in this for sure."

Veronica tilts her head, indicating a group of tables on the opposite end of the cafeteria. "He's over in the senior section."

"Thanks Veronica!" Natalie calls, scurrying off in the indicated direction. She finds Elliot at a table with two other people, a boy and a girl. "Hey, Ell!" She greets her step brother with a hug.

"Hello, Natalie." Elliot Colton Zahhak smiles.

Sitting down next to him, she turns her attention to the two others at the table. She smiles at the boy. "Hey Erin! How's your first day of American school been?"

Erin Daniel Ampora shrugs apathetically. "Not bad." His gelled black-and-purple hair doesn't move an inch with the gesture. "Classes have been dull. Peers have been irritating. But all in all, not a bad day."

Natalie takes this as a good response, having gotten use to his strange way of expressing himself over the past week he's been staying with them. He was one of the two foreign exchange students from Ackworth, a boarding school in England. The other one happened to be the girl sitting right next to him. Natalie smiles at the girl. "You must be Fathia. You're staying with Veronica, right?"

Faitha Mary Peixes smiles, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder and putting her hand out to shake. "Yes, I am. And, Yes, I am." She laughs. "And you're Natalie, I presume."

Natalie giggles taking the girl's hand. "I prefer Nat. But I know you'd never get that idea from Mr. Formal over here." Elliot rolls his eyes at the jab.

Fathia laughs. "I'll call you Nat if you call me Fef."

"Fef?" Natalie confirms.

Fathia nods. "I know it's not really a conventional nickname. It's a long story."

Natalie put her hands up. "Hey, I don't judge. I actually like it quite a bit. It fits."

Elliot interrupts the chatter. "So, is there any particular reason you came over here? You seemed to be running with a purpose."

"Oh yeah!" She puts the paper clutched in her hand on the table. "Found this club. It sounds like it's perfect for our little clan. They all already signed up. You guys can sign up too, if you want!"

Elliot takes the paper and starts looking at it. Fathia looks excited at the very idea of a club. "Ooh, what kind of club?"

"Video Game Club. I guess we'll talk about the latest games, maybe have some competitions. Based on the fact that our group of friends are all signed up, it should be lots of fun no matter what we do."

Elliot rolls his eyes, taking a pen out of his pocket. "Fun is one word for it. Chaos happens to be another." Natalie laughs.

Fathia shows no signs of being any less excited. "Sounds really cool! You can count me in!" She bends down to search through her bag for a pen. Erin not so subtly averts his eyes, her unfortunately low cut shirt offering a not so modest view. She surfaces a moment later, bearing a pink sparkly pen with a fluff ball on top. She scratches her name down, and then offers the pen to Erin. "Do you want to sign up?"

He's shell shocked for a moment, and then takes the pen. "I guess. I mean, it's not like I have anything else to do on Wednesday afternoons."

"That's the spirit, Erin." Natalie rolls her eyes, taking the sign up sheet back.

She stands to run off, but Elliot puts a hand on her shoulder. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No, but –"

"Sit. Eat. Lunch is almost over. Your mom's ham sandwiches were really good."

She whines, but sits. "But I don't like ham."

"Then she probably didn't give you ham." He rolls his eyes at her antics. "You're going to be starving in your last classes, and I'm not going to listen to you complain on the way home."

She grumbles, and digs her lunch bag out of her messenger bag. She looks inside, and tries to contain her excitement when she sees what kind of sandwich she has. She fails. "Ooh, tuna!" She pulls it out, and immediately begins chomping away.

Fathia laughs at the exchange. She nudges Erin. "Are they always like this?"

He rolls his eyes. "Every waking moment."

The bell rings a few minutes later, and a cacophony of sound rises as a cafeteria of students all move to get their stuff and get to their next classes.

"Hey Teresa, you should suggest to Natalie that she invite the foreign exchange students," Kaleigh suggests.

Teresa grins. "Oh yeah. They seem cool. I had the boy in one of my earlier classes. What was his name again? Eric or something?"

Aria spoke up. "Erin. And the girl's name is Fathia. They're both in U.S. History with me."

"Guys, I think Nat's already a step ahead of you." Veronica points out the table across the cafeteria where Natalie and Fathia are giggling with each other.

Teresa shrugs. "Oh well. She usually is."

KK grumbles. "Do they speak English?"

Teresa whacks his head. "They're from England, idiot. Yes, they speak English."

"Well sorry for not knowing where they were from!"

"You should have asked!"

They walk together to their next classes, which happen to be close to each other, squabbling all the way. The other children ignore them. To them, it's just another perfectly normal end to a perfectly normal lunch period.