Me, Teddy, and Vern sat in the diner, chatting happily. I somehow couldn't get Chris off my mind.

"I've heard this… that happened today…"

Why did everybody hate him so much? The students? The teachers, even? I thought to myself. I was trying to listen. I really was. But I was distracted. I don't listen well when I'm distracted. And who does?

…Mrs. Simons, especially. I didn't have her for a teacher this year, but what Teddy told me was enough. She was the meanest teacher in the school. She hated almost every student in the school. But Chris, especially. Almost like their paths had crossed before… Chris Chambers kept running through my mind, and I had made up my mind to ask Teddy and Vern about him today. They had known him, after all.

Now just to wait until they stop talking… Yes. That was my plan. Or at least it was. I was getting a little impatient. I had no idea Mighty Mouse could be a topic of conversation for a full 45 minutes.

"Ummm… Teddy, Vern?"

They didn't hear me.

"Guys," I said, a little louder.

Teddy stopped talking and looked at me. Vern was still talking. I guess he didn't hear me.

"What's the deal with Chris Chambers?" I asked him. "Everybody at this school seems to hate him or something."

Vern stopped talking. Teddy stared.

"What?" I asked, puzzled.

"Well, Chris just came from a bad family, that's all." Teddy explained. "His dad drinks, and his older brother, Richard…" He sniggered.

"What? What's so funny?" I asked quickly.

"That's his real name. Richard. Except he will kill anyone who calls him that. He goes by Eyeball. And he's one of the Cobras." Teddy said.

"… Eyeball?" I asked doubtfully. What a horrible nickname.

"Yeah. His eye's all weird and stuff. Sincerely!"

Then the second part of Teddy's sentence hit me.

"Wait a minute! He's a Cobra?"

"Yeah. And Ace's best friend."

Hmmm. So I had to have seen him. Oh well. I'm not interested in Rich… Eyeball. He sure sounded like a bore. We talked about random things for about an hour and fifteen minutes. Then we went up to the tree house for the first time since school started. We played scat (Teddy had finally taught me how to play) and talked randomly as we did in the diner. When Teddy had to leave at 4, Vern and I went our separate ways. I, of course, had no choice except to go home.

As I walked home, I suddenly became aware of something. I was walking toward the train tracks instead of my house. Well, it must've been out of habit, I consoled myself. I turned around and headed home again, only now I was standing in front of the diner.

Holy shit! What the hell was wrong with me?

I took a deep breath, turned around in the direction where my house was, and started walking, concentrating on every step I took. To my relief, I ended up at my own house. I decided to stay up in my room all day, because of my little brain gap that afternoon. Also, would it be horribly bad if I went into the bathroom and ate aspirins because I couldn't find the kitchen? Urgh… I sat down on my bed. Forgetting about my confusion momentarily, my mind drifted back to Chris. So everybody hated him because his Dad was a drunk and his brother hung with Ace? And he didn't do anything himself? And I thought my hometown was small-minded.

But even teachers hated Chris… That must be tough on him. And everybody just hates him a little more because he's in the college courses. Jealousy. Pure jealousy.

Wait.

He made it into the college courses. Chris was, after all, in my class. Good for him! He's not letting the rest of the town oppress him.

I sighed, laying down on my back, trying hard to quench the overpowering hunger that was filling me. I hadn't eaten anything that day, stupidly skipping breakfast and not eating anything at the diner. After 10 minutes of incredible hunger, I left my room, and to my relief, made it to the kitchen without too much trouble.

Last Saturday was still a puzzlement to me. I had kind of just accepted it and moved on. It wasn't a big deal, right?

Right?

And then it hit me. I had not been spending a lot of time at home. We were a pretty average family, but our relationship was below average. At least now it was. I didn't exactly hate my parents, but I seldom wanted to be around them anymore. Apparently this is also what Jenny felt, only to a much greater degree. Dad would be irritable on account of Jenny's absences. It looked like Jenny had moved onto bigger things. Grander things. She didn't need a family now. And Dad thought he didn't need her. But his real feelings were clear. I knew he was just lying to himself, and so did he. Though he'll never admit it because he's practically disowned Jenny.

I was meeting Chris in the diner tonight to help him with his math problems. Mr. Jeffries told Chris that I would help him at the end of Algebra class earlier today- and Chris didn't look very happy. He didn't look very happy at all. I could probably count on my fingers the amount of words he has ever said to me. I guess he just thought that I'll make fun of him like everybody else. Well, I won't.

Sitting in the Blue Pointe Diner with a math textbook in hand earned a few glances in my direction. I felt a little self-conscious. Funny really, because I didn't feel self conscious at all when I was around Vern and Teddy, no matter how piercing the glances were or how many we received. Chris eventually walked into the diner, and I raised my hand to show him where I was. He came over to my table and sat down without a word.

"Ummm, okay, we can start with variables…" I began, slightly unsettled by the stony silence that was emanating from Chris. I explained values of x to him, and how equations had to be equal on both sides. I soon moved on to other stuff, rambling on and on about coefficients and constants. Suddenly I caught a faint smile on his face. Maybe I was getting through to him.

A little encouraged, I continued.

"So it's like this?" he eventually asked, working out a problem on a scrap sheet of paper.

"Yes."

"So do you watch any TV shows?"

I grinned, much more at ease. "My favorite show is Gunsmoke." I wasn't lying. For some strange reason, I liked Western. Must've been Teddy's and Vern's influence.

"I like Have Gun Will Travel." Chris said.

And suddenly the tension was gone. We talked and talked until it was getting late and we went our separate ways. Now that wasn't so bad. At least he doesn't hate me anymore.