welton, junior year, may
"Keira, we're never going to get along, okay? The group dynamic works fine. Nobody really likes Cameron all that much, either, and—"
"Meeks, could you just shut the fuck up for a second?" Meeks stopped in her tracks as Keira kept walking, astounded. Her best friend, telling her to shut the fuck up? She didn't think so. Meeks was starting to get tired of being the one they all came running to for homework help. Yes, she was a literal genius, with an IQ above 140 and the grades to go with it. But she was tired of it.
Keira realized that her shorter friend had stopped and turned to face her, her expression a bit kinder.
"I didn't mean that, I'm sorry. It's been a rough day. Come on, let's get to lunch." Meeks felt her cheeks getting hot as she caught up to Keira and they entered the dining hall.
The rectangular table in the left corner was the table the group had occupied since the boys were in eighth grade and the girls joined in ninth. Neil Perry, as always, sat at the center of the table. He was the founder of their circle of friends, as they all regarded him, and was also one of the most outspoken and popular. His father was the epitome of the American Dream, a self-made man who had always wanted to be a doctor, and therefore wanted his son to become one. Neil, however, was constantly trying on new hats to see what he was truly interested in. So far, only writing had stuck, much to his father's dismay. He had just been voted Editor of the Yearbook Club for the upcoming year, a more prestigious position than President, but his father didn't really care.
Charles "Charlie" Dalton sat across from Neil, as the two were often in some sort of comical debate or heated argument. They were best friends, and had been since the age of ten. The two had also decided to room together that year, though it had proven to be somewhat of a damper on their friendship. Charlie came from old money and was born to be a businessman— he was as slick as they came and could convince anyone to believe anything within ten minutes. He had a tendency for pranks and slacking on homework, though, which didn't help too much in the grades department. Charlie was undyingly loyal to his friends, even serving multiple detentions for Neil because he knew his father would cut Neil's head off.
Keira Overstreet always sat to Neil's right, his other best friend. They had been raised together, and though they weren't as close as they were before Neil had met Charlie, they were like siblings. Keira was gifted in speaking her mind, arguing whatever point she was given, and, of course, the looks department. She turned every head at Welton on a daily basis but didn't give anyone except her friends the time of day. Keira had already decided that she was going to be a lawyer and studied intensely to make sure her grades wouldn't hold her back.
Richard Cameron sat to the other side of Neil, the only one of the group who still tolerated him. Richard also came from old money, and though he wasn't richer than Charlie, believed himself to be. He also believed himself to be a ladies' man, a genius, and a bad boy, of which he was none. However, he was book smart and often helped with the brunt work of Charlie's pranks, so the group kept him around, mostly to make fun of when he wasn't with them.
Stephanie Meeks sat across from Keira, next to her sworn enemy, Charlie. The two only spoke to each other during study group, when she helped him in almost every subject. Meeks tutored all of them in almost every subject. She was at Welton on a full scholarship and hadn't had many friends before arriving. The group was thankful for her, though they didn't show it very well. She was determined to become the first female valedictorian of Welton, which she was well on her way to doing.
Gerard Pitts sat on Charlie's other side. He was very quiet, wanted to go to Yale, and played basketball, and that was the extent of what most of the group knew about him. Gerard had been one of Neil's first friends when he had come to Welton, which was why he had never left him behind. Gerard was content to just sit and listen to the group's conversations and tinker on radios with Meeks when the two had free time.
"Honestly, I'm just sick and tired of eating this shit all the time. Can't we order a goddamn pizza this weekend, Perry?" Charlie was asking as Keira and Meeks sat down with their plates. Cameron laughed at the notion.
"You think Nolan will let you get away with ordering a pizza?" Neil laughed at the comment.
"I think it's worth a try. If we all pitch in a buck it should cover a medium, right?"
"If we all pitch in three, we can get two larges," Charlie said as he shoved a piece of meatloaf into his mouth. Meeks glanced at Keira, who shook her head.
"I'm not going to watch this blow up in your faces, so I won't be contributing," Cameron said, "but if it works, I'll join next time."
"Come on, Cam, live a little! What's the harm in taking a risk?" Charlie asked.
"For real. It's the last weekend of junior year, plus," Neil leaned in, "I have a bottle of whiskey. We can break into the yearbook office, pull the shades, and have ourselves a little party. Is everybody in?" Everybody except Cameron and Meeks nodded.
"Of course you two aren't nodding. Buzzkills," Charlie commented. Meeks rolled her eyes as Cameron shook his head.
"I have too much at stake to get in trouble. Especially the last weekend of junior year," Cameron got up as he spoke, picking up his tray and leaving the table.
"Well, more pizza for us," Neil resumed picking at his meatloaf as Keira began to tell a story about debate club the previous night. Meeks glanced around the table, wondering if the shaky bonds between them all would hold over the summer.