Chapter 6: Vindication

Haley was certain she was the last to wake up.

The sun was rising and the bus was still parked. She stretched and climbed down the short steps. She smelled breakfast and stuck the palms of her hands into her eye sockets in an attempt to wake herself up. "Toooooast…" she moaned as she walked into someone.

"Watch it girl. You gunna' kill someone." Gary said. Haley backed up a few steps and said, "Emilyyyyyy. Where are you?" Haley said slowly creeping into the kitchen area. Her hands were still over her eyes and she was trying not to laugh.

"I'm over here."

She removed her hands from her eyes and realized she was facing the stove.

"Oh." she leaned over Gary, who was cooking bacon in a pan, and stole a piece off a plate.

"Hey, I was gunna eat that, girl." he said pointing a fork at her. She turned her head around with the bacon between her teeth.

"All three packs?" she asked in a muffled tone.

Holly, Vince, and Tina were all sitting at the booth around the table.

Emily was watching something on the TV, but she didn't see Ben.

Haley scooted into the booth in the seat next to Vince. "So where's Ben?" she asked.

The three people didn't answer at first. Holly sipped her coffee mug, Vince smiled at the window, and as soon as Gary walked by with a plate of bacon, Tina grabbed a fistful and shoved it in her mouth as an excuse not to speak and to potentially prevent anything from slipping out.

"Damn! Every time!" Gary said throwing his hands up in the air.

Haley looked at the people avoiding the question. "What'd I say?"

Holly put down the mug and was the first to answer, a smile plain on her face. "Uh, well, Ben is still sleeping." Vince choked on a laugh.

"What's your problem? All you had to say was that." Haley looked over at shrugging Tina still chewing a mouthful of bacon.

They were still quiet and it took Haley a minute to realize what they were previously talking about before she had woken up.

"VINCE! YOU JERK!" Haley whirled around and grabbed a piece of bacon off Gary's plate before he could see, and whipped it at Vince. It stuck to his cheek and he scowled as Emily started laughing hysterically.

Tina almost choked on her bacon and Holly just smiled. "This.", Vince pointed to the bacon, "This was uncalled for."

"Well you shouldn't have been telling everyone that Ben and I were talking last night!"

Vince took the bacon off and shrugged. "What're you so worried about? It's not like you guys did anything." He made sure to stretch out the last sentence.

"Ah! Oh my God!" she whacked his arm.

"It's not a bad thing. I think Ben could use a girlfriend." Tina shrugged.

"Yeah", Holly agreed, "I've felt guilty after we broke. I mean, he seemed so hurt."

"Yes. You've now fixed something Holly has only managed to screw up." Vince said in a flat monotone clacking mugs with Tina's.

Emily walked over and kneeled at the end of the table and shot each of them a wondering look.

"What?" Vince asked putting down the mug.

"Well… we all need to take a shower and get ready and stuff for the day…"

"So?"

"Well, it's a line of seven people. Who gets to go first?"

Everyone looked at somebody else. Holly looked at Haley, Haley looked at Tina, Tina looked at Vince, Vince looked at Emily, Emily looked at Gary, and Gary was the first to make a mad bound for the bathroom.

I'm unsure as to why, but I kind of adore this chapter. Ahahaha, it makes me laugh.

Does it make you laugh? I'm not going to know unless you tell me by reviewin'!