Disclaimer: I own absolutely NOTHING.

Chapter 2

I jumped off the bus and ran inside The Dot to see Paige, Hazel, Craig, and Jimmy sitting over at a corner table.

"Hey! Where's Marco?"

"Running late, uh-gain...get used to it, hun." Paige explained while tapping her pink fingernails against the table.

"Great." I grabbed the empty chair next to Craig.

We sat there in silence for a bit. Paige drumming her manicured fingers, Hazel checking over at Paige to triple-check that she wasn't doing anything wrong, Craig nodding his head into the distance, and Jimmy, slowly letting out a big breath of air.

"...So, what's up?" I said after the silence began to drive me insane.

The others looked up at me like, Thanks for trying, but I don't think that's going to help.

"C'mon. We don't need Marco to have a conversation." I tried once again.

This time, their looks said something more along the lines of, Um, yes we do.

"I've been working on some new songs." Craig offered.

"'Kay. Great. How about you, Hazel? Been up to anything lately?"

"Um. No. It's been like, four days since school ended. What did you expect? Miracles?" Hazel, who seemed a bit grouchy, sniped.

I nodded my head and gave up the "conversation" thing for a while.

Then Marco finally decided to show up, flustered and scattering papers, but here just the same.

"Our savior hath arrived." Paige murmured underneath her breath.

"Hey, sorry I'm late, guys! Okay, so dish. What's new?"

"Physio is getting easier for me. I think I'm ready to step up to..."-Jimmy.

"Get. This. I heard Heather Sinclair's daddy is going to try to buy her way into Banting!"-Hazel.

"Does that bitch have to copy everything I do?"-Paige.

"I've been working on some new songs."-Craig.

"Shut up, Craig!"-Everyone.

And before we knew it, everyone was talking so much that we almost forgot to order and Spinner almost threatened to kick our asses out of the restaurant.

But, alas, it could not last forever, soon Jimmy had to run off to Physio, Hazel and Paige had a party to get to, and Marco had more classes. Damn Marco and his over-achievement.

So, Craig and I were left with empty chairs and six plates of leftovers.

"I call Jimmy's onion rings." Craig reached in front of me to pick up Jimmy's plate. As he was pulling the plate over towards him, I grabbed at it.

"Oh no you don't, wise guy!" I stuffed and onion ring in my mouth. I put my face right in front of his. "Hah." I flaunted.

Craig jammed one in his mouth. "Hah yourself." He said, mouth full.

I made sure to finish my onion ring before I started laughing. "What are we? Six?"

"I don't know, I'm pretty sure my sister Angie's a bit more mature."

"Eat your onion ring before you spew it all over the place." I said, clasping my hand over his mouth.

This was the start of a beautiful friendship.