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Spinning for Hours

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by Seaoknarnar

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Chapter 6: Lunchtime with the Loonies

As Needa and I strode down the hall, I asked her questions about the school. "So," I asked, "is it true that someone found the skeleton of a construction worker in the back halls?" MBHS had so many back corridors it was almost believable.

She just raised her eyebrows at me. "In this crackpot school, anything is possible." Which actually answered my question not at all, but what ever.

"Ok, then, is it true that there are hidden passages here? I heard some upperclasspeople talking about one where all the stoners and crackheads go during lunch."

"I can tell you that that is indeed true. But enough talking. You'll find out what you need to know soon enough."

At that time we arrived at the cafeteria, a large squarish room full of tables and masses and masses of people. Along the walls were trashcans and stacked folding chairs, and folded tables leaning against the walls in acute angles. My impression of everything was hot, smelly, and loud. Not ideal dining conditions, for sure.

"Welcome to the MBHS cafetorium," Needa announced sarcastically. "Home of the greasiest processed cow meat burgers, saltiest grease fries, wiltedest salad, and least meaty meatloaf."

I wrinkled my nose at the thought of it.

"However, we do not have to put up with that because I know all the secrets of this school forward and backward," she replied smugly. "That, and we're Corvids. You'll find we have a lot of special privileges in this school. Suivez-moi."

I followed this girl out of the cafetorium and through a network of passages, until we came out next to the gym.

"This is one of the best secrets of the school," she said. "This is what being a Corvid is all about."

We entered the gym, and I paused to get a good first look at it. It was a large rectangular room, as most gyms are. There were several basketball hoops, and in the corner a pile of wrestling mats. Against one wall was a row of shiny bleachers, split in half by a motorized moving wall (used to separate the gym in half), and against the opposite wall was a large scoreboard clock thingy (don't ask me, I don't do sports) with the MBHS Bloodhound on it, the school mascot. Several doors opposite me led off in to what I presumed to be the locker rooms.

I was jerked out of my observations with a sharp whistle from Needa, who was standing by the bleachers. "Hey freshie, c'mon over! I'm getting hungry." She said this in quite an impatient tone, so I scuttled over as fast as my little (ok, pretty big) legs could carry me. I was surprised, however, when she walked right under the bleachers.

After blinking confusedly, I followed her, and was surprised to see that we weren't the only ones down here. She was chatting amiably with several other Corvids, and upon seeing me, she waved me over. "I'm just showing the frosh how to get to the dining hall," she said to the unknown Corvid, who left, carrying a plate of delicious looking food in his hands.

"Ok," she began, "see how these bleachers run the length of the wall? Well, we're going to walk down to that end—" and walk we did, "—and now see how these bricks look different from the others? It's because they arrant' really bricks; they're just plywood instead. Take out your ID card—" and take it out I did, "—and just hold it out towards the wall." She did the same with her card.

That annoying female voice from before said, "Scanning ID. Scan complete. Free to proceed." Then the door swung open, and I stepped inside.

I instantly thought, "wow…", because the room was so grand it would not have looked out of place in Buckingham Palace. Picture ornate diamond chandeliers, plush red carpet, and gilt picture frames framing French Impressionist works. At the far end was a roaring fire inside a regal stone fireplace, above which was a painting of an old man grinning jovially. Surrounding this fireplace were comfy looking armchairs, and against the wall were bookshelves stuffed full with books. But the most interesting aspect by far was at this end of the room where I was currently standing. And that aspect was the buffet table.

Tens of silver trays were sizzling, sending their delicious smells wafting in to the air. To the left I could see a salad and fruit bar. And to the left of that…

"IS THAT A SUNDAE MACHINE?" I asked, thunderstruck. And an affirmative nod from Needa sent my taste buds salivating. Mmmm…. sundaes...

Before I started drooling on the carpet, Needa grabbed my arm and pulled me over to the buffet. "You'll find lots of excellent food here," she said, "and much of it vegetarian."

One plateload and one sundae later, we left the hidden room, carrying our lunches on plastic trays with us. As I was walking out the hidden door, I looked up, and as fate would have it, I saw Thelonious talking with a group of his friends. He spied me spying on him, and he said, "Oooo! Sundae! Can I have it?"

I felt like screaming, "YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO I AM AND YOU WANT TO TAKE AWAY MY SUNDAE? GO TO HELL!" Instead, I rationally said, "Sorry, I don't give food to jerks." With that I flounced away, Needa following me, looking shocked. "What was that all about?" she asked me incredulously. "Do you even know him?"

"I used to know him, but I don't want to anymore," I replied snootily. My earlier desolation seemed to have given way to unbridled anger towards this person I used to dream about. "Because he's an effing moron…" I told her.

Needa just gave me a wide-eyed, eyebrow-raised stare, then shrugged. "Whatever," she said. "And turn left here."

***

I could hear them before I could see them. Apparently Needa and her friends were very energetic and loud.

"Be open-minded with us, k?" she requested of me. "Otherwise you will be very, very scared."

We came to a little alcove in the wall, where all the noise was coming from. I warily peered inside. There were about 12 of them sitting on the ground, and they were yukking it up and having a grand old time from the looks of it. One girl with pinkish-purple hair was flinging her arms about wildly, while those around her were laughing hysterically. Another girl with a ponytail was pouting, while someone next to her patted her on the head mock-affectionately. One guy was attempting to flirt with some girl, and from the looks of it having an unsuccessful time. I just stared with my mouth hanging open slightly.

"Needa!" someone said, and everyone looked up at her and said hi.

"Hey everyone!" she said exuberantly. "This is an unknown freshie, we don't know her name yet but we'll learn it after lunch. She's gonna hang with us today, meet some people, etc. etc." She took her place in the mash of friends, and I somewhat hesitantly followed.

The girl with the pinkish-purple hair turned to stare at my head. "Woah, cool hair!"

I replied, "Yeah, it's actually natural. My mom—" here I hesitated, "—my mother has natural blue hair, it's been growing in recently." I gave a nervous kind of half smile. "I like your hair too. It's very…pink."

"It's PURPLE!" she said, her eyes bugging out.

And this was the way the rest of lunch went. Inane chatter all around me, and I actually took part in it. I felt slightly better, because at least these people were accepting me, and were not rich snobs or idiots like the rest of the school.

But speak of the devil…

During the middle of lunch, a group of girls walked by, but the leader made them stop as she turned to stare at us. The smirk was evident on her cotton-candy-pink bubblegum-chewing lips. The stench of overpowering flower-and-fruit-smelling perfume nearly knocked me out. The girl narrowed her electric-blue eyelids and said in a silky voice, "Well now we know where the freaks hang out, isn't that right Lisa?"

As I stared up at Janie, my former friend-turned-bitch, I narrowed my own eyes and responded, "It's better to be a freak than to look like one."

At that Janie got all huffy, and stomped over to where I was sitting. She sneered down at me, "Did you just insult my looks? Because you really don't wanna mess with me."

I sneered right back up at her. "Your looks are too ugly to insult. I take pity on you instead. Now just leave us alone. Your melodious voice will make me lose my lunch. Oops, too late," I said, standing up, picking up my half-eaten food and dumping it on her head. "What a shame. I was looking forward to eating that, but now you look much prettier, so I guess it was all good in the end."

"Lisa Simpson, you will hate ever doing that to me!" she yelled angrily. "Agggghh! There's corn in my hair. Omigawd omigawd omigawd!" She clomped off with her cronies shooting angry looks in my direction, then following concernedly.

All of Needa's friends were staring aghast in my direction. Then the pink-purple hair girl said, "You rock! I have wanted to do that since I started at this crummy school!" She started applauding, and soon the rest of them did too.

"Let me guess," said Needa wryly, "another effing moron from your past?"

"Something like that," I mumbled. I started to pick up the food on the floor, while thinking deep and hard about what just happened. I was just as shocked as Janie was. I mean, I'm not usually loud and opinionated like that, and I try to avoid violence (though I can't say that that was especially violent). Usually I just try to get the aggressor to go away. But Janie was my best friend for a long time, before Tommy came along, and to have her say such hateful words really hurt.

My words were pretty hateful too, thought.

I contemplated this until the bell rang, signaling all of us to go back to class. I felt a bit of apprehension, as well as excitement. From what Mrs. Finch was saying earlier, I would have a very interesting afternoon.

"Well, I'm not afraid of school!" I told myself. "I just stood up to an evil bitch, so what am I worried about?" I confidently stood up, and determinedly started marching off towards my classroom. Then I stopped and turned towards Needa sheepishly. "Can you tell me where to go? I don't know my way around yet." So much for super confidence.

Needa put her arm around my shoulder, and said, "Young grasshopper, there is much for me to teach you."

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Hey yeah so did you all like that chapter? Pretty impressive, the way Lisa stood up to evil Janie, wasn't it? And I especially liked that part where Lisa started drooling over the sundae… but enough from me, tell me what you liked.

This chapter is dedicated to bridg, who told me not to worry about one negative review, and also who kicked my butt because of lack of updating, which I apologise for. This chapter was for you, hope you liked it!

Next chapter: Finally, FINALLY, we get to meet Lisa's classmates.

~$E@0K|\|@R|\|@R~