Sitting at the breakfast table I was surprised to find that I was the only Duck in the cafeteria. Although it was nice to know the other students were aware that this was our table and didn't try to sit here when we weren't there.
"Hi baby" my girlfriend Mindy Pinkerton, captain of the Varsity Cheerleading squad joined me.
I couldn't help but smile. She was so beautiful with her blond hair and bright blue eyes.
"Hey" I stood up as she sat down. I'd seen Banks doing it whenever girls sat at our table and assumed it was some sort of preppy thing so I started doing it. The first time Mindy had squealed that I was 'such a gentleman'.
Yeah right, where I come from gentlemen don't exist.
"I just heard the weirdest rumour and I was hoping if you could tell me if its true or not" Mindy played with the eggs on her plate.
"I'll see what I can do" I replied wondering if I was going to be in some sort of trouble.
I know girls around here think of me as a flirt and a 'ladies man' but the only girl I flirted with or hounded was Mindy. Needless to say I was a little nervous about what sort of gossip the Eden Hall 'grapevine' had come up with.
"I heard that Connie Moreau is dating that Averman guy" Mindy wrinkled her nose in distaste.
I almost spat my food across the table.
"They are?" I asked suddenly feeling a little ill.
That's kinda strange really, well both things are. The rumour about Connie and Averman, I knew they were just kidding but here Mindy was swearing to me that they were seriously dating and the second thing was why did I suddenly feel sick?
I did have a small crush on Connie during the Goodwill Games but surely that was done and dusted.
"Are you telling me you don't know anything about it?" Mindy cocked her head to the side.
"Nope, I thought they were just joking around" I said in a small voice.
"Hmmm well I guess I'll go ask Cindy, she always knows what's going on" Mindy kissed my cheek and skipped off in search of her vice-captain, Cindy Bates.
I turned back to my breakfast which suddenly didn't seem so appealing anymore.
"Hey Mendoza" I looked up to see Fulton sitting down at the table.
"You're up early Fult" I replied.
"Portman's in a pissy mood" Fulton explained taking a huge bite out of his bacon and egg sandwich.
"Hey do you know if there's any truth to the rumours that Connie and Averman are really together?" I asked him.
Fulton stopped mid-bite then swallowed the contents of his mouth before speaking.
Whoever said the Bash Brothers had no manners was wrong.
"Really? Cos I saw Julie coming out of Averman's room yesterday" he reported.
"Julie? Did Averman take some 'chick magnet' pills or something?" I was shocked. First Connie and now Julie.
"Must have. Connie and Julie aren't talking to Portman now and that's unlike them, especially when Portman hasn't done anything to annoy them for a change" Fulton placed his sandwich on his plate to take a drink of his juice.
"This is getting too weird for me" I replied.
What did I care? I had my girl. She was blond, blue eyed with a killer body and a great smile and she was a nice person too.
"Tell me about it" Fulton resumed eating his sandwich.
I decided to leave the topic alone for now and I dug out my math homework that had to be handed in at first period.
"Dude doing your homework now? That's something me or Portman would do" Fulton grinned.
"I have to pass this class otherwise it's the 'pine pony' for me" I explained.
"Hey you don't have to tell me twice" Fulton decided to get out his own homework.
I wasn't a bad student and I was passing my classes, by normal standards anyway. But our coach had this rule that if we wanted to play we all had to get Bs or better. Preferably better since he had this system that if you got A's you got a little more ice time than those who just scraped through with a B. B minuses didn't count either.
"Luis do you get this?" I looked up to see Fulton scratching his head in confusion.
"Whatchya got there?" I asked knowing he wasn't in my math class.
"Spanish" he told me.
"Let me see" I held my hand out for his paper. I was fluent in Spanish mainly because it was all my father would ever speak in our house. He never answered you if you spoke to him in English even though he understood what you were saying. He was funny like that.
Note I'm talking in past tense here. One day he left our little house and never came back. Some say he was taken hostage and killed by drug dealers and others say he was still on the run from the drug dealers. I never even knew he was involved with drug dealers and neither did my mother. So it was up to me and my brother Miguel to keep my mother and sisters safe from harm and since I was practically forced to come to Eden Hall to make a better life for myself, it was now up to Miguel.
"Ah you've put the words in the wrong order, see this goes here" I explained to him showing him where he went wrong.
"Oh cool, thanks dude" Fulton grinned and took his paper back quickly making the required amendments.
I had to smile, it was a little weird seeing one of the Bash Brothers taking homework so seriously.
"I don't need no school" Portman's voice rang in my head as I remembered the protest by the Ducks when Miss Mackay was introduced as our tutor.
I turned my attention back to my own homework and had just finished the last question when the rest of the Ducks made it to the cafeteria.
I looked up and greeted my friends and then I noticed something strange.
Connie and Averman were holding hands.