Lunch. Marie's favourite period.

"I can't decide what to get!" she squealed, her mouth watering at two of the dishes on offer in the cafeteria. "I've never had either before! Hm, maybe they'll let me have both..."

Jasmine slapped away Marie's hand that had started stretching towards the food. "You can't do that, you'd get fat. And then what will Thomas think?"

"I don't care if Tommy thinks I'm fat," Marie huffed.

"Not yet," Jasmine winked. "Anyway, you should have the creamy mushroom pasta today. I heard the vegetable rice is on the menu again later this week, so that let's you taste everything, like you want."

"Mm, ok," Marie said, ladling it on to her plate. "Thanks Jazz."

"What would you do without me?" her friend teased, as she too loaded her plate with pasta.

The two girls spotted Thomas and a couple of their friends in conversation at one of the little round lunch tables. At the head of the table was Biff, who would often join in on those of Thomas and Marie's projects that interested him. His physical strength (and, unusually, his mathematical ability) surpassed the rest of the school, easily. He was one of the strongest people in the school, and one of the smartest, and he knew it. The result was that people either worshipped him or begrudgingly put up with him.

Biff was talking to Anna, a timid, foreign girl in many of their classes. Marie and Jazz made their way over to the table, where Anna waved and Biff acknowledged them with a brief glance.

"Late again?" Thomas asked them as they approached, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not late," Marie huffed, sliding her lunch tray on the table and sitting down a little too forcefully. "...You guys are just early."

Thomas smiled and continued eating as Biff and Anna picked up the conversation again.

"My semester's gonna be packed, what with all my advanced classes," Biff explained with a chuckle. "Honestly, I don't even know when I'll get a free moment."

"I'm sure you'll find some time," Anna said.

"Yeah, I'll manage. I am a genius after all," Biff said casually, as he flicked a meatball into his mouth with his fork. Chewing a little noisily, he turned to Thomas. "How many advanced courses have you taken on?"

"A couple," he replied shortly, unimpressed as usual by Biff's attitude.

Biff turned away from him, unperturbed by the blunt answer, and focused his gaze on the girl to his right. "How about you, Anna?"

"Oh, I, er... I'm not taking any..."

"Really? Not even one? Wow... ah, that's right." Biff pointed at her with his fork as he remembered. "Your grades last year didn't cut it, did they?"

"No," the timid girl said sadly as she pushed rice around her plate.

Biff continued to study her, fork still pointed in her direction. Then, after a moment, he shrugged and leaned back. "Well, that's alright. Some people just aren't any good at things like this that, well, are mind-oriented."

Thomas clenched his teeth as Biff continued to speak in a similar condescending manner. Biff was known for being entirely insensitive to people who struggled with something 'as easy as' schoolwork, a category Anna was certainly in. Thomas looked up to see Anna focusing on pushing rice around, her eyes shiny. She was trying desperately not to cry.

Poor Anna, Thomas sighed. Well, Biff's nearly done eating, and after he leaves hopefully we can all cheer her up a little...

And then Biff said, "Well don't worry, there are plenty of things that, well, even someone like you can do..."

"You take that back!"

Everyone on the table turned to behold an angry Marie, who had slammed her hands down on the table as she stood upright. Her face was flush with fury as she glared at Biff.

"Anna is amazingly creative and brilliant! Who cares if she's not some magician with numbers? She creates masterpieces other people wouldn't even dream of in a million years! Plus, she's the sweetest and loveliest person I know and would never hurt anyone's feelings, something you-" she pointed forcefully at Biff- "could take a lesson from!"

Biff looked fit to explode. He glared at Marie, who glared right back unflinchingly.

"Get out of here, Biff," Jasmine said sternly.

Wordlessly, the genius stood up, lunch tray in hand, his gaze not breaking from Marie's. Then, with a humph, he turned and walked away. Satisfied that he was gone, Marie took Anna's arm, looking her in the eyes.

"You are awesome, Anna. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Anna smiled shyly. "Thanks, Marie."

Then Marie went back to her usual bubbly self. "Unless they're telling you that you're cool. Then you should listen."

Anna snorted slightly as a small, unexpected giggle escaped her. That, of course, set all three girls off, laughing as if they didn't have a care in the world.

Thomas shook his head in disapproval, but couldn't help smiling as he did. Girls.

As he took another spoonful of soup, he reflected. In that situation, anyone would've turned a blind eye to it. Even he was instinctively prepared to avoid causing a scene and do something afterwards. All that took was a little sympathy. But, to jump into the direct conflict, to stand up for what was right even when it was hard, took more. It took... strength.

And that made Marie the strongest person he knew.