By the time the lunch bell rang, Calvin was coming down from his caffeine high, much to the relief of the students and teachers of his school. Earlier, he had been alternating between harassing teachers and trying to prove he was smarter than his peers, all at a frantic pace that only Calvin could keep track of. Anyone telling him to slow down, be it a teacher trying to understand his ad-libbed lectures or a hall monitor trying to overcome a force of nature, was ignored, not out of spite but simple inability to believe slowing down would be possible. It was only in the last fifteen minutes before the lunch break that Calvin began to realize that he'd be in detention for a while today. He sighed to himself as he walked out of his math class, praying desperately that gym class would be a merciful foot race or soccer match, as opposed to the more violent activities at which the school's hormone enhanced kids savored.
He meandered over towards his usual spot after swapping a dollar that Moe hadn't gotten his hands on yet for a reheated chicken patty that seemed to be the size of a quarter sandwiched between stale white bread, a handful of greasy potatoes, and a large helping of fruit cocktail in heavy syrup. Much as it had been in elementary school, he always took his seat nearby to Susie's.
"Hey Calvin," Susie said casually as he approached the table and sat down.
"Hey yourself. You'll never guess what they're serving today," Calvin said with a grin that tried a little too hard to be wicked.
"I get the feeling I don't want to know," Susie said with a vague look of disgust.
"Looks like deep fried pigeon patty with a side of fried toenails and a bottle that apparently got mixed up with someone's urine sample," Calvin said almost cheerfully, still delighting in his gross jokes even after seven years, "I'd say it's better than yesterday's horse meat burgers."
"Calvin, ew," Susie said as she lowered her sandwich and waited for the nausea to pass. Despite the sickening ideas Calvin always shared at lunch, Susie had gotten used to his brand of humor, although she was still a world away from appreciating it.
"So what'd you get in your lunch?" Calvin asked nonchalantly, as though he'd never suggested that he was dining on pigeon and toenails.
"A Swiss cheese and mustard sandwich, a cup of yogurt, and a box of juice. Are you going to continue being sickeningly weird, or will I be able to eat lunch in peace for a change?" she replied.
Calvin shrugged in response, and started reluctantly eating his lunch. Susie couldn't help but chuckle between her own stalled bites of her sandwich as she noticed the changes Calvin had made since the first grade. He had lost his contempt for girls, and had become tolerable in conversation. He was still an unabashed slacker, conceited blowhard, and childish lunatic, but around her at least, talking to him was no longer the agony it had once been.
About half way through his chicken patty, Calvin was abruptly grabbed from behind and forcibly spun around, causing the relatively small boy to yelp.
He meandered over towards his usual spot after swapping a dollar that Moe hadn't gotten his hands on yet for a reheated chicken patty that seemed to be the size of a quarter sandwiched between stale white bread, a handful of greasy potatoes, and a large helping of fruit cocktail in heavy syrup. Much as it had been in elementary school, he always took his seat nearby to Susie's.
"Hey Calvin," Susie said casually as he approached the table and sat down.
"Hey yourself. You'll never guess what they're serving today," Calvin said with a grin that tried a little too hard to be wicked.
"I get the feeling I don't want to know," Susie said with a vague look of disgust.
"Looks like deep fried pigeon patty with a side of fried toenails and a bottle that apparently got mixed up with someone's urine sample," Calvin said almost cheerfully, still delighting in his gross jokes even after seven years, "I'd say it's better than yesterday's horse meat burgers."
"Calvin, ew," Susie said as she lowered her sandwich and waited for the nausea to pass. Despite the sickening ideas Calvin always shared at lunch, Susie had gotten used to his brand of humor, although she was still a world away from appreciating it.
"So what'd you get in your lunch?" Calvin asked nonchalantly, as though he'd never suggested that he was dining on pigeon and toenails.
"A Swiss cheese and mustard sandwich, a cup of yogurt, and a box of juice. Are you going to continue being sickeningly weird, or will I be able to eat lunch in peace for a change?" she replied.
Calvin shrugged in response, and started reluctantly eating his lunch. Susie couldn't help but chuckle between her own stalled bites of her sandwich as she noticed the changes Calvin had made since the first grade. He had lost his contempt for girls, and had become tolerable in conversation. He was still an unabashed slacker, conceited blowhard, and childish lunatic, but around her at least, talking to him was no longer the agony it had once been.
About half way through his chicken patty, Calvin was abruptly grabbed from behind and forcibly spun around, causing the relatively small boy to yelp.