Not willing to try the band area again, Danny resigned himself to the cafe. Packed lunch in his hand, he was free of the lunch line shuffling around him, jockeying to stick close to suggest a spot or follow him to one.
He'd picked the edge of the stage yesterday. The area that seemed to have an unspoken claim by several seniors. Apparently, that wasn't a deterrent. Or a thing the seniors felt the need to make a fuss about. A few greeted him. Warmly.
Spotting Matt and his buddies on the other side for their lunchtime, specifically the single remaining chair in that stretch of the long table, Danny steeled himself and hurried over to them.
Sure enough, their faces brightened.
Seeing the group that'd been just behind him, looking a bit dismayed, now heading to a free section on the invisible high school side...Danny grinned as he opened up his brown bag.
They'd even packed their lunches to skip the line like he'd been doing. Too bad for them today. Didn't work. It's not like he'd snapped at them yet, but wasn't it clear by this point that he wasn't looking to make friends?
"You've made that cool. My brother is all over Mom the next time we get groceries to get stuff to pack a lunch."
The boy, Dustin if Danny remembered correctly, flipped up an excitable hand. "He's always complaining there's never enough to eat. Was that the thing at your old school? Bringing lunch?"
"I asked my mom last night." Brought up another of Matt's buddies. "There's only a couple school lunches I like and second choice is always gross hamburger."
"Didn't you used to bring lunch a couple years ago?"
"You guys and everyone gave me shit about it! Look who's laughing now. Ha."
Startled, sitting up from his food and leaning back, Danny took a fresh look around the cafe. It wasn't a lot. But. Enough to notice scattered throughout. Other kids brown bagging their lunch. On both high school and middle school side of it.
"I was able to pack stuff to munch on between classes easier. The teachers in middle school hate anyone eating in class. Even though I know my mom told them about my diabetes. Sarah says most of the high school teachers don't care. Is that true Danny?"
He blinked. "Uh, yeah. Wait a minute. This wasn't done before? Other kids are bringing lunches? Because of me?"
Matt shrugged. "Pretty much. You're the cool new guy."
Staggered, Danny stared as Matt's buddies shared looks and fought laughs at him.
"Man. Did you forget where you decided to eat lunch last week?" Dustin pointed upwards. "Lunch to go anywhere. Awesome."
Matt shifted closer, voice low as his buddies loudly continued about Danny's stunt, his shoulder shrugging up again.
"You're new, mysterious, exciting. So, I've been wanting to ask you the last couple days." Hazel eyes sparking with a rare excitement and Matt gazed right at Danny. "You planning on joining the cross country team?"
Danny pulled back. "Uh, no. Why?"
"Because you've been going out running after school and I'm the only one doing it for the seventh and eighth graders."
His buddies turned from former conversation of attempting to figure out how Danny had got up by the theater lights, sounding as though Dustin was fully planning to attempt himself, their focus zeroing back onto Danny.
"You run?"
At the intensity, Danny froze with wide eyes, suddenly fearing there were going to be a few kids asking about joining.