Author's Note: I realize it has been three years since I updated this. Can you really apologize for that degree of story-abandonment? We will see. But here's an update. Enjoy.
"Hey Andy," a voice called out through the bustle of the hallway. "Andy-man! The Champ!" The cry was taken up by several others in the rush, and Andy groaned as the ringleader drew closer. He broke away from Allison as Chet pounded him hard on the back. "Hey man, how's it feel?" Andy grabbed for Allison's hand as he turned to face him.
"Good, great," he said, slipping quickly back into his jock-persona,"It feels uh, …" Blank faces surrounded him, the nearby student body enthralled with Andy's latest tale of victory. They stared, waiting for him to finish. "It feels uh," lowering his voice an octave, he continued,"It feels like I pounded him into the pavement! Yeah!"
"Yeah!" Chet called after him,"That's my man!" Grabbing Andy's arm, he thrust it up in the air, holding it above their heads as if Andy had just been declared Heavyweight Champion of the World. "That's my man!" Approving shouts of appreciation went up through the hallway, and Allison, still backed against the wall, watched it all with wide eyes. The victory cries were cascading up and down the hallway, and a giant crowd had gathered. And there she was, right in the middle of everything. Right in the middle of the noise, right in the middle of the fawning throng. Things continued to grow louder as she closed her eyes, and stepped backward, only to find her back flat against the hallway wall. Her pulse started to race as if she could feel set after set of eyes on her. With Andy's back to her, she escaped through the small opening between Chet and the wall, disappearing back into the nameless faces of high school. Andy turned as he felt Allison's hand slip from his, but Chet had already begun to pull him down the hallway, and there was an unstoppable momentum pushing him toward popularity.
"…so I'm not even kidding you, his real name's John!" Brian declared, half in and half out of his seat with excitement.
"John?" the lunch table repeated in unison.
"Ah! Jees! Shut up!" Brian panicked, snapping down to slump in his seat. "You guys want him to come over here or something?" He craned his neck, checking out the cafeteria. His classmates, it seemed, hadn't noticed the corner table's minor outburst, they instead continued on with their everyday lives, continuing the long-held standard of dismissing the nerds and ignoring their every move. Thank god for that, Brian sighed in relief.
"I thought he was your friend, Brian," croaked Larry Lerner over his chocolate milk carton,"Or at least you said he was." Larry Lerner? Brian thought. Larry Lerner, challenging me? He could see the rest of the table turning to him with questions, doubting everything he'd told them.
"You know what Larry, he is my friend," Brian finally answered. "And so is Andy." With that, Larry choked on his chocolate milk and Brian's credibility was restored. The nerds resumed their lunch in peace.
Allison, weaving through the cafeteria, still couldn't escape the feeling of people's eyes on her. She made a note never to wear blue again, much too noticeable. Nobody watched a girl in black negotiate the social carnage of the lunchroom. Never, never again, she shook her head. Slipping past table after table, she made her way over to a vacant chair and fell into it with an ungraceful "hmph."
Brian jumped a few inches out of his chair as she sat next to him. "Jesus," he cried,"Give me a heart attack or something. I thought you were Bender." He quickly stumbled into his next statement,"Uh, my good friend Bender, who I definitely am not afraid of." Brian glanced quickly around the lunch table, making sure his friends had bought it, but he found them starring, mouths open, at Allison.
Confused, Brian turned to look at her more closely, and a smile broke out across his face as he realized his good luck. Allison looked nothing like Allison. Claire's finishing touches had turned Allison into someone worthy of the school's reigning Jock. And she had just sat down willingly next to one Brian Johnson. He seized the opportunity.
"Oh yeah, guys," he sputtered,"Let me uh, let me introduce you to my girlfr-." But as soon as he started, she let out a frustrated squeak and scratched furiously at her well-styled locks, restoring her unruly brunette mop. The transformation was instantaneous, and the nerds of the corner table covered their eyes and held each other for comfort.
"Freak girl!" one cried
"Psycho!" another screamed.
"She bit me!"
"Kicked me!"
"I saw her eat a bug!"
"Hi Brian," she mumbled, her head hanging, a mild smile cracking at her restored reputation.
"Hi Allison," he sighed, taking a disappointed swig of his apple juice. It had almost worked. He had almost been cool.
Meanwhile, Claire was nearly choking on cool, and on her tuna sandwich.
"What's the matter, Claire?" Tiffany asked, as Claire began to cough. The table stopped their chatter to watch as Claire's eyes began to tear.
"Oh my god!" Stephanie cried, and Claire turned to her, still trying to breathe. Thank you, she thought, someone knows what's going on. "Her maid totally put celery in her tuna again!" The table erupted in an indignant and horrified chorus of "Oh my god's!" and "How could she's!" Frantic, Claire shook her head, motioning to her throat as the sandwich remained lodged.
"I will totally go find you a new sandwich!" Becky raced off from the table, while the rest recounted their own horror stories about mis-made lunches. Claire grabbed for Tiffany's arms and held tight.
"Claire," she turned,"If I get bruises and can't wear my new tank top, I am going to-" Claire's frantic motions however, finally seemed to break the barrier of ten pounds of hair spray. "Wait, girls, I think, I think she's chokin-"
Before she could utter the rest, Claire had been hoisted from her seat, seized from behind, and the offending tuna morsel had launched itself from her esophagus and halfway across the cafeteria. She was then dropped, unceremoniously back into her seat, where she collapsed in an exhausted heap, gasping for air, as John Bender stalked away without a word. The table sat in stunned silence as Claire heaved.
"Oh my god," Stephanie finally spoke,"I can't believe he just touched you."
