"Hey Averman, over here." Greg yelled flailing his arms. I picked my through the cluster of happy clones over to their table. "Guys this is David Averman, he's new here. This is Charlie Guy Connie Jesse Karp Peter and Terry," He pointed out each as he went.
"Hi," I uneasily spoke. I'm normally a witty charming person, well at least in my head I am but get a large group of youths in front of me and I can't speak. I plopped my tray on the table and slid in next to Greg.
"Welcome to the table," The boy named Charlie said a goofy smile across his face. "Is it David or Dave?"
"Depends," I shrugged dissecting the 'food' in front of me. "Teachers call me David, at home I'm Les, I respond to anything. I've even responded to my favorite, Hey kid move." Charlie laughed shaking his head.
"Les?" Jesse asked looking at me funny.
"Yeah, it's my middle name." I explained.
The black boy nodded, "I like it better than Dave anyway."
"Hey what you talking about," Karp said completely confusing me. Before I got the chance to ask Karp started shoving Jesse who rammed into Charlie who dropped his milk carton, causing liquid to land all down my pants.
"Oh my god, I am so sorry."
"Oh no, it's cant possibly be your fault. Apparently the plants have aligned causing there to be cosmic force that attract dairy product to land on me." I said monotone sounding too much like Mr. Fillmore for my comfort.
"Maybe your calcium deficient?" Peter suggested laughing.
"All I know is you guys are a hazard to my wardrobe, is this an oh-so subtle hint?" I asked suddenly very amused with the whole situation. The table burst in to laughter followed by giggles followed by as many lame got milk jokes you could possibly think of.
The commotion finally died down enough as people slowly broke into smaller conversation groups. I grabbed my tray to leave; everyone already had some one to talk to. That right Les, they lavish you with dairy products and move on to their friends.
"Hey," I looked up into the deep brown eyes of Connie.
"Hi," I said back.
"You have Fillmore with me right?"
"Yeah," Good, more one-word answers, keep them guessing right.
"So," She said searching for something to say. I leaned back waiting. Let her be the conversationalist. "Isn't Fillmore a prehistoric snooze?" Connie asked flipping back her hair with a mild eye roll.
"Yeah, I didn't know that geeks had evolved that little in the last eight hundred years,"
She laughed. She has a great laugh. I made her laugh. "So, what are you doing after school?"
"Um, nothing really." I stuttered. "Why do you ask?" That was good Les, two near complete sentences.
"You could some to our practice," She said raising an eyebrow like my mom, "If you wanted that is?" She added.
"Practice?" I asked looking around at the group around of me trying to decide what this bunch of kids could possible do.
"Were the district five hockey team." She said with pride. "You could play if you want?" Aww, the big kids are inviting me to play hockey. That could be tragic.
"Ah, you wouldn't really want me to. I mean I can't even skate." Nice save by Les, I thought. Better to keep out of embarrassing situations.
"Neither can Karp," she laughed again. "I'll teach you."
"You will?" She nodded pressing her lips together. "Alright, teach me master. I am your vessel." She laughed again. Wait, did I just say yes?
We fell into a comfortable silence before Charlie yelled, "So is he coming or what?"
"Yeah," She said over the crowd, he gave me the thumbs up. "I warn you, Charlie's always scouting for more players. He'll want you to sign a three-year contract in no time."
The bell rang, as student shoved there way back into to the hallways I smiled. 'So ladies an gentleman your and my favorite show, Your Eleven and obsessed with dairy products The David Lester Averman show! On tonight's segment a shocking turn of event, I was invited to do something. With people, might I add? Okay so they invited me for hockey, I can deal. I mean I can be a hockey player right? I'm big tough and manly? I have coordination?' Nope, nope and nope. I groaned inwardly. Of courses there's a snag. A huge disasters snag. The kind of snag that goes down in history as the worst there's ever has been. Why is there always a snag? Oh yeah, I remember... I'm me. That about sums it up. On the upside I went an entire lunch without getting any foreign substances in my hair. That's what I'm calling an upside these days. I'm pathetic. I can see it now, "hi I'm Connie Chung and tonight they're holding a vigil for the poor boy who died last night. It seems some fellow friends and hockey team put the poor kid out of his misery after a disasters display of hockey/skating/coordination earlier that day. The group took the boy to dark man his crazed stalker. The parents only had this to say: well it's to bad but I'm not to worried. I'm pregnant again with a perfect child.: In other news Madonna buys clothes....."
I shook my head; I really need to stop watching the six a' clock news. I finally reached the holding cell some like to call a classroom, shuffled to my seat towards the back. Connie waved a sweet little wave. I smiled back weakly. Maybe if I'm lucky Dark man will strike before I have to meet up with them?
"It's on 74 street alright, you can't miss it." Connie caught up with me after the final bell. She carefully explained one last time how to get to the pond they practiced at.
I nodded, "Yeah, got it."
"Alright," She said her smiling illuminating the entire world, "I'll see ya then." She tossed her thick braid over her shoulder and caught up with a group of girls.
I started out on the familiar route home. I got half way home before I realized something was very different. There was no dark man in sight. Maybe I scared him off, I though puffing up my own chest. 'Yeah Les like that would really happen' I rolled my eyes. Maybe he got detention. Maybe he's in Juvie because they finally found enough evidence to put him behind bars for the slaying of a family in Idaho.
I shook my head. It wasn't important. I ran up the steps. "Mom, I'm home." I yelled throwing down everything and looking over at the clock. I had a half hour before I had to get out of here.
"Hey baby, I'm in here." I grabbed a pop from the fridge and started my quest to find exactly where 'here' was.
"Marco," I finally yelled.
"Polo," My mom laughed stepping out of the closet.
"Mother I had no idea," I joked. She paused for the longest moment before her eyes lit up. See that's one nice thing about Mom's they always get your weird jokes.
"Very funny," She said swatting me with the broom in her hand.
"Why are you sweeping a closet?"
"It was filthy." Better not look under my bed then, I though. My mom is a total neat freak. "Have a good day at school?" Mom asked polishing the door handle.
"Yeah actually I had a great day. I actually got invited to learn how to skate later this afternoon."
Mom dropped her rag and turned around, "Oh Les your first play date." She said in an awww tone, "that's so cute." Yes Mother it is, don't even consider that I am far too old to have play dates.
"Now I'll have to meet these kids, and there parents."
"Come on Mom. Let them get use to my weirdness before I inflict our family on them. Please? Just let me do one thing with them on my own, and then they can meet you and you can harass their parents. Please?"
She put her hands on her hips, "We are not weird. And neither are you. Who all is going to be there? Where are you meeting them?"
"At the pond. Its like two blocks from here. Let's see there's Charlie, Greg Goldburg um Peter, Dave, Connie, Jesse, Guy." I paused trying to think, "Yeah that's everybody."
"I don't know Les, I mean I would like to meet them." She stopped and looked at me. I gave her the puppy dog eyes. She sighed, yes she's caving. "What will you do if they are not there?"
"Come straight home." I responded.
"And if any one talked to you?"
"Don't talk back and get away." I replied trying to keep all sarcasm out of my voice.
"I still don't like it," She said. "But I guess you are old enough. You have to be home for dinner you understand. And be careful."
"I know Mom," I said throwing my arms around her in a hug, "Thanks."
I ran upstairs Connie told me to bring five dollars. There was a little hockey shop right there and they knew the owner would rent a pair to me. I grabbed the money out of my tin that I hid in my dresser. I literally bounded down the stair and stopped just long enough to yell bye put on my coat.
"Yes" I said closing the door. Not only was I going to hang out with people, but I convinced my Mom to not embarrass by coming. I headed in the direction of the school and started my journey for 74th street.