"Cool backpack," the boy next to him said. Courfeyrac looked down at it.
"Thanks," he said. "It's new, just like me."
"Cool," the boy said. He left his mouth open for too long after he spoke, Courfeyrac thought. It made him seem positively bovine (a word he'd come across on a TV show last night. He thought it might be his new favorite). "What's your name?"
"Courfeyrac," he said, sighing inwardly.
"What kind of a name is that?"
"My kind," he said, slightly peevishly, then took a deep breath and smiled. "I just go by Fey, though, if that's easier."
The other boy shrugged. "So do you know where the cafeteria is yet?" he asked. Fey shook his head. "I'll show you," he said.
They walked in dumb silence, save for the requisite "how old are you" (both nine) and "whose class are you in," and the sound of the other boy's mouth breathing and reached the lunch room quickly, where they were greeted by a large number of other small boys who all looked rather bovine too, in Fey's opinion.
He scanned the lunch room. It didn't look much different from his old school. A lot of little kids laughing and talking and throwing things. His eye was caught by a pair sitting in the back of the lunchroom, a little boy and girl, both with books out. They looked interesting. The boy was wearing a worn tee-shirt and cool sneakers. The girl looked rather uncomfortable in her pretty spring dress. She kept on tugging at her collar absently, her eyes never leaving the page from behind thick glasses.
The boy said something to her and rose, and she nodded absently and continued reading. The boys around him shoved each other in anticipation and Fey remembered their existence with a slight start as he realized they were all heading towards the table where the girl sat. "Hey," he called, jogging up after them. He saw what they were about to do a moment too late and all he could do was jump in front of the bottle of milk heading towards the girl. It was colder than he had expected.
"What did you do that for?" one of the boys snapped. The girl was looking up at him in shock.
"Why would you throw milk at her?" Fey asked, equally shocked.
"She's a nerdy loser. No one cares."
"I do," Fey said. "That's a really nice dress she has on."
The boy in the worn tee-shirt was suddenly beside him. "What's going on?" he said, his voice lower and more dangerous than any little boy's should be. All the others looked at each other nervously.
"It's fine, Enjolras," the girl said. "They were just leaving."
He glared at them till they left, then sat down in a huff. Fey turned awkwardly. He was still wet, but it really wasn't that bad. He had gym clothes in his cubby. "Can I join you?" he said shyly.
The girl nodded. "Of course."
He sat down. "I'm Fey," he said. "Courfeyrac."
"I'm Combeferre," she said, smiling up at him. He liked her smile. She wasn't the least bit bovine, he decided. "And this is Enjolras."
"Hi," Enjolras said. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," he said. "So. Have you guys ever seen the movie Star Wars? I just watched it last night and I thought it was awesome."