Chapter 3

The next two periods passed smoothly with Roger and Antonia having Algebra 2 together third period, and Mark and Maureen having history together fourth period. Then they all met in the entrance hall and made their way to the cafeteria. Maureen went off to the salad bar and Mark and Roger directed Toni to the hot lunch line. Once they had their food and drinks they headed to a table in the back of the room.

"Why do you guys sit all the way back here?" Antonia asked them.

Mark, Roger, and Maureen exchanged a look. "Let's just say it's quieter back here." Mark answered and dug into his pizza. "This tastes like my math book." he said with a grimace.

"I'm not sure what's more disturbing." Roger said with a grin. "That you still order school pizza after four years here, or that you know what your math book tastes like."

Maureen giggled. "Roger you are avoiding the real issue here. You aren't being an agent for change."

"What do you mean?" he wanted to know. "You want me to cook the school lunch? Because I so would if it meant no more Algebra."

Mark rolled his eyes. "If they let you cook, then the food would taste worse than it already does. I think Maureen means that since your parents are like the head of every board in Scarsdale, you should ask them to do something about the food." he explained.

"Um yeah. Not going to happen." Roger told them. "You guys have made it this far, I'm sure you can stick it out for six more months."

Antonia didn't know what they were talking about but she laughed along with them. She caught Roger's eye and smiled at him.

"Oh great. Our privacy is being compromised." Mark said after a while.

"What?" Roger asked. Mark rolled his eyes again and nodded in the direction of yet another blond girl headed towards their table. Roger leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow at her.

Maureen leaned over to Mark and whispered. "That look is only making him look hotter to her." Mark shrugged and turned to listen to what the girl had to say.

"Hi Roger." she was saying with a flirty smile. "I'm Rosalind Pearson." Roger just kept looking at her and she blushed. "Um, I'm like having this party on Friday, and I would like be so like thrilled if you could like come." She cast a look over at Mark, Maureen, and Antonia. "And since you're like so cute, you can like bring the new girl and like your loser friends too." she added.

Roger gave her a cold smile. "Thanks Rosanne, you said it was? But I like, have like, other like, things to like do. So if you like don't like mind, you're like contaminating my like air with like essence of like snob." he mocked.

Rosalind was not to be deterred. "Well if you like change your mind here's my like address." she said and handed him a card. Then she flipped her blond hair and walked back to her friends.

Roger shook his head as the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. He and Mark had study hall next so they gathered their books and said goodbye to the girls. "That is why I hate coming from a rich family." Roger complained to Mark as they made their way to the library. "All the kids are air heads, and if you're not one then there has to be something wrong with you." He caught Mark's skeptical look and glared back at his best friend. "Hey I might not be Einstein or you, but I'm not an empty headed idiot."

"Of course not Rog." Mark said soothingly. "There are plenty of things in your head."

The rest of the day went by quickly and soon the bell ending the school day was ringing. Mark and Roger always waited for Maureen outside the theater where she had drama last period. When they got there, they found Antonia already waiting.

"So how was the first day?" Roger asked her.

She smiled at him. "It was good. I'm not really behind in any of my classes and I think I'll have it even easier next semester."

Maureen came out of the theater then and walked over to them. "Come my friends. My parents are not at home. Let us journey there to partake of the snack food and complete the instrument of oppression that is our homework."

Antonia looked confused, but Mark and Roger were used to Maureen's antics, especially after drama class, so they just laughed and followed after her.