Chapter 2
The First Meeting
Part Two
Next day-lunch
Josh ate his chunky peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich on Wonderbread in
the cafeteria with the other kids at the "loser table". Schnitman actually ate one his
boogers to the delight of the youth football club who dared him to do it some more. At
least he wasn't being singled out today. Porter and Donaldson seemed to
have forgotten all about him when they were called into Principal Harris' office this
morning for hiding Samuel Madigan's wheelchair. He sucked the last bit from his
apple juice box being too afraid to go over to the cool kids table and speak to Drake
Parker and the rest of his popular friends.
It was a different world over on that site of the cafeteria. They were the normal kids who
didn't get picked on. Not that they sometimes couldn't get into fights or picked on
themselves, but it was always for a deeper reason like when David Hogan the
elementary class President got into a fight last year when some kid called his mother
'a whore' because she kissed the mailman. It was never because they wore the wrong
clothes, played geeky instruments, were handicapped, shy, or awkward.
"Can I have your chips, Josh?" Asked Freddy Woodward who had the honor of sitting
at this table because he wore old-fashioned wing-tip shoes and played the accordion
on purpose.
"Sure."
Josh put the lid back on his Grammy's Tupperware container. He didn't feel like eating
his black olives.
There were twenty-three minutes left on their lunch period and he was too afraid to
make new friends.
Especially with those that sat at the popular tables. He had nothing to offer any of those
other kids. Walter gave him a bunch of meteorological bumper stickers from KLSD but
what kids apart from Greg Woods the weather geek would appreciate those? They
were all certainly laughing and having a good time over there. He watched in envy as
some girls walked by and said "hello" to Drake giggling as they walked away.
It must be good to be that kid.
The girls never noticed him unless they were book nerds like he was but it was never in
the hand holding, notepassing way. He didn't get an invite to Sylvia Anderson's
birthday party.
Josh got up to throw away his paper lunch bag. Dad said he'd get him a reuseable
one the next time they went shopping. There was something inside of Josh that knew
he had to try. Everyone in his family thought he was special, but your relatives have to
say that. He didn't want to sit at the ''loser table'' forever. Josh wanted to have real
friends.
He didn't just want to play Bingo with his Grammy. Maybe, this was a sign. Porter and
Donaldson were not going to be a problem for awhile although Josh wished they would
have beaten the crap out of him instead of picking on Sam because he was
handicapped. He got a pass. Heck, even if Drake Parker didn't like him it's not like he
was going to have run all the way home today after school because he might want to
make an example out of Josh for having the nerve to come over to the popular table.
"Go over there, Josh." Freddy advised. He had the feeling once or twice himself.
Anyone who could be on the better side of the cafeteria overnight would be the
equivelant of winning the lottery. The grass was always greener on the other side.
"How do you know, Freddy?" Josh turned to face him so he wasn't just standing by the
trashcan looking like an idiot.
"Because I thought of doing it myself."
"Okay. I will do it! Wish me luck." Josh grabbed his container of black olives as he
needed something to hold to keep his hands steady.
"Good luck." Freddy whispered crossing his fingers.
If one kid could make a clique jump like this it would advance nerd/popular relations to
statistics unheard of before.
Drake was too busy reading a hastily written letter torn from a tablet and from a secret
admirer to notice Josh walking towards his table.
Was the note from Mary? Nah, she only used pencils except when their teachers made
her use a blue pen. Paula? Who had one green eye and one blue eye and always
winked at him, laughed, and then ran away to join her friends to gush about him in
the girl's room.
"Hey there! Do you want to see a—MAGIC TRICK?"
"What?" Drake slightly giggled that was certainly not a question you hear everyday.
What was his name? Jeremy?
"And you want to perform one for us, Josh?" asked Bobby Geller.
Oh, Josh.
"I the amazing Josh-o will put these olives up my nose!"
"Why?" asked Drake it certainly wasn't a cool thing to be doing especially in front of
everyone in the cafeteria.
"Because it's fun!"
But the fun quickly turned to a self-inflicted panic when Josh couldn't get the olives out.
"H—h-elp M-m-e! I—c-c-an't g—get t-the oli-ves o—ut of m-m-y n-nose!"
Everyone was laughing except for those at the "loser table". Josh Nichols was so close
only to be sent rubber banded back there.
The bell rang as Miss Gallagher in her scorned face escorted Josh to the nurse who
was worried about making sure his Grammy got her Tupperware container back.
"What a loser." Bobby said still sitting down, only the geeks got up first.
Drake almost felt sorry for Jer—Josh but he could never admit that to any of his
friends.
"Yeah, what a loser." Drake replied as he stood up not because he cared about
attending class but because he wanted to find out who sent him his secret admirer
note. Besides Geller was under the misconception that he ruled that table. Drake
really wanted to tell him that he was the head of their group, but his Dad warned him
about starting fights so all he could do was walk away and be glad that at least he
wasn't the goob who had olives stuck up his nose.
Josh's Diary Entry:
March 8, 1995
I talked to Drake Parker at lunch today!