It was not a mundane day at least.

Everyone was amazed at how naturally Ren and Chris took to each other. They were supposed to be like oil and water. They were not supposed to be acting like best friends.

They shouldn't have been able to ignore everyone talking about them--talking worse than usual about Chris, and talking about Ren the way they talked about Chris for the first time in her life. It was strange how indifferent they were to it all.

Gordie had developed some respectful admiration for Ren. He insisted that he just liked catfights, and admired any girl who participated in one, but he secretly respected Ren for being real for once.

Elizabeth thought that this whole thing was the best thing since dill pickles (Elizabeth really liked pickles). She just thought that it was really nice to see Ren defend herself and it was really sweet of Chris to be taking care of her.

The tables had turned and now Ren was the one looking for someone to hold on to and be her friend. Chris knew that. She was stronger than he would have ever given her credit for, but even the bravest person needed someone to protect them.

When Chris had pulled her away from Caroline that morning, Ren had fallen absolutely retardedly head over heels for him. She'd never felt this way about anyone before because she'd always convinced herself that she didn't believe in love. She couldn't believe in something she had no proof of. And while she understood that she didn't know Chris well enough to be able to say that she loved him, she did know that it would be very easy to. And she also knew that she would.

They ate lunch outside that day in the parking lot so that no one would bother them.

"What is with the apples?" Gordie raged. "Every single damn day I get a damn apple in my damn lunch! What is with this atrocity?"

"You're right, you should be eating like bacon and pies and stuff," Elizabeth said, windmilling her arms to keep her balance as she tried to walk along the short brick wall. This was an especially difficult task considering she was also attempting to eat a banana. "You need to eat fattening stuff to make you nice and beefy."

"Beefy?"

"That's what I said, I said beefy."

"Well, at least you'll be healthy. Apples are good for you," Chris said, and then looked at Ren, who was meticulously picking the raisins out of her raisin braid. "It kinda defeats the purpose of having raisin bread when you take out all the raisins."

"Ryder makes the lunches. He knows I hate raisins so he gave me raisin bread."

Nodding, he ate the shriveled up raisins that she placed on a napkin beside her.

"What are you, a seagull?" she laughed.

"A seagull?"

"A scavenger."

"Oh." He smiled. "I guess so."

She looked at him suddenly and sharply. "Where's your lunch?"

He glanced away and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't have one today."

"Why not?"

Elizabeth stopped walking on the wall and crouched down, making herself smaller. When she looked over at Gordie and saw him trying to act preoccupied with looking at his hands, she could tell that he was feeling just as uncomfortable as she was.

"Well, um," Chris started, looking everywhere but at Ren. "There's not a whole lot of food to go around in my house this week. My dad's on a drinking binge right now and that's where all our money for food goes."

Chris glanced at her, and seeing her blush so deeply was endearing to him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean--" Ren stammered, noticeably flustered.

"Hey, it's fine," he told her and then grinned. "I could afford to lose a few pounds. I got my mother's thighs."

Gordie and Elizabeth cackled, and Chris joined in on the laughing, but Ren just looked unnerved.

"Lizzy, get off that damn wall, you're going to fall and die," Chris called. Elizabeth was giggling delightedly and violently, and she looked like she was going to topple to the ground.

"Do you want this?" Ren asked Chris, holding out her bread to him.

"No, that's your lunch, Ren," he said adamantly.

"Yeah, I know, but the raisins are ruining this whole experience for me."

The two of them exchanged looks and everything was quiet for them. The look drowned out Elizabeth's frantic giggles as Gordie tickled her feet and the two teachers about thirty feet away outside having a smoke and talking. Chris understood that Ren had no idea what it was like being indigent and not being able to open your cupboard and find food waiting for you. She just wanted to help him, but they both knew that she would never admit that she was given him her lunch out of pity.

He accepted the raisin bread with a small smirk and a quiet thank you. Then he looked up and saw Elizabeth kicking wildly trying to get Gordie to stop tickling her feet.

"Elizabeth, stop thrashing around," he said. "You'll fall off that wall and your head will burst open like a watermelon."

"And then, if you have any, we'll eat your brains!" Gordie exclaimed.

"Eww, no we won't!" Ren cried.

Gordie lunged at Elizabeth, tickling her sides. She screamed and fell backwards off the wall.

"And what did I say?" Chris demanded. "I said 'Elizabeth you're going to fall and die,' but does she listen? No!"

"Elizabeth, did you fall and die?" Ren called.

"Gklerble," Elizabeth groaned from the ground.

"What a dork," Gordie muttered and kneeled down beside her. "Ellie, blink once for yes and twice for no. Is the damage serious?"

"Blink," she said.

"Does your brain work?"

"Blink-blink."

He smiled down at her. "She's fine," he laughed, putting his fingers through her dirty blond hair.

"Aren't you sorry you didn't listen to me?" Chris asked her.

"Fuck you," she grumbled resentfully, turning her head into the crook of Gordie's arm.

Chris grinned. "That's what I thought. Quick, Gordie, before she dies, make your move!"

Elizabeth glared. "I just fell off a wall. And you're making jokes?"

"It wasn't a joke," he laughed.

"Ellie, I've got a cheese and pickle sandwich in my lunch that I'm willing to split with you," Gordie told her temptingly.

Elizabeth hesitated. "…What kind of cheese?"

"Cheese kind."

"What colour is the cheese?"

"Cheese colour."

"What does the cheese smell like?"

"Cheese."

"What kind of pickles?"

He leaned forward and whispered, "Dill."

"Sweet Jesus!" she yelled and jumped to her feet. "Where? Where? Where?"

"Do you promise to not fall five feet and land on cement anymore?" he asked, holding half of his sandwich above his head while she leapt for it.

"Yes! Yes! Of course! Give me the pickles, give me the pickles!"

"Good girl." He handed her the promised sandwich.

"Mwahahahahaha!" she crowed and ran around in circles trying to find a worthy enough place to sit down and eat it. Finally, she plopped down next to Gordie and gazed lovingly at her food. "Oh blessed be the dilliness of this cheese and pickle refreshment."

Chris looked over at Ren, who was staring in amazement at Elizabeth. "What?" he chuckled.

"I've never seen anyone with so much energy," she said slowly, awe in her voice.

"She loves food," he said.

"Excuse me, not just any food, I love PICKLES," Elizabeth said, annoyed, with her mouth crammed full of sandwich.

"Let's try keeping the pickles in your mouth," Gordie snickered.

"Are you really partial to that?" she asked, pointing to his half of the sandwich.

"You're already done?" he demanded.

"Yes. Now, you can hand that sandwich over to me peacefully or we can do it the hard way. Either way, I'm eating it, so it doesn't matter to me."

"You're lucky my mom packs me a spare," he grumbled, giving her the sandwich.

"You have more?"

"It's cheese whiz and jelly."

"EWWWWWW blasphemy! Blasphemy!"