The cafeteria was crowded and loud with the sound of conversations, arguments, and flirting. After Joe paid for his food he stepped out of line and looked around. Before him was a sea of unfamiliar faces. Fred and Sam were nowhere to be seen so Joe had honestly no idea where to sit. And he saw enough high school movies to know that the cafeteria was basically a social mine field. But then he spotted a familiar tangle of blonde hair sitting at a table by herself. Joe smiled and headed over.

"Hey," He said setting his tray down. "Is this seat taken?"

Fina jumped at the sound of his voice, her eyes wide with panic. "I-I'm sorry. I can move if you want me to."

Joe resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "No… I was just wondering if I could sit with you."

"Oh." Fina nodded. "Okay."

She became silent after that and went back to staring out the window, almost like she forgot he was there. Joe started eating, trying to think of some way to start a conversation. He felt awkward just sitting there with nothing but silence when his eyes drifted down and saw that she had a sketch book with her.

"You draw?" He asked eagerly. "Can I see?"

Fina looked startled and shook her head, her blond hair shifting around her terrified face.

"Aww come on please?" Joe begged giving her his best puppy dog face. "Please, please, please?"

Fina lowered her head, her hair covering her face completely and her shoulders began to tremble. For a second Joe was terrified that she was crying. But when she lifted her head he was relieved to see that she was struggling not to laugh.

"Okay," She giggled. "You can look at it but only for a little while."

Joe nodded and started paging through the well-worn sketchbook. The sketchbook was filled with really amazing drawings. Some were life like renditions of people and animals drawn with charcoal and pencils. Others were more illustrative drawings colored with markers and colored pencils.

"Whoa. This is really cool, Fina." Joe smiled. "You're a really talented artist. How long have you been drawing?"

"W-well I-"

"Hey Joe. Sorry I'm late." Sam came to the table and sat down with his lunch bag.

"It's cool." Joe nodded at Fina who became silent again and withdrawn again. "Sam, this Fina. We have English Lit I together. Check out her cool sketch book."

Fina flushed in embarrassment but Sam looked at the sketch book with polite interest.

"This is really good." He said thumbing through the pages.

"Thanks." Fina whispered softly.

Sam handed it back to her and she quickly put it in her bag. Her eyes flickered to Joe for half a second and she quickly looked away again. Sam gave him a weird look and Joe shrugged.

"So how's your day been?" Joe asked him. "English was alright but I thought I was going to die in U.S History. We already have a quiz next week."

"Ha! Try AP Government." Sam scoffed. "I have a six page paper due next week comparing two different legislative systems."

Joe cringed. "Okay, you win. That does sound worse than mine."

They both glanced towards Fina, but she just sat there quietly watching them from under her heavy bangs. She met Joe's glance with a small smile and blushed.

"I like my Earth Science class." She said quietly.

"Ugh, science is my worst subject." Joe groaned. "I'm definitely not looking forward to it tomorrow."

"By the way, where's Fred?" Sam asked. "I thought we had the same lunch period together."

"Why is it so important that we get back to the school?" Joleena asked. "We have another twenty minutes."

Joleena had followed after Fred when he left the rest of the team at the pizza place. It wasn't Ray's but it was close to the school. Usually only juniors and seniors were allowed to leave school grounds during lunch, but the security guard didn't seem to care that they were doing it.

"I told my friends I was going to have lunch with them." Fred explained as they walked back to the school. He looked over his shoulder at her. "You didn't have to come with me you know. I'm sure Jackie would have given you a ride if you didn't want to walk."

"And listen to more of their insipid gossiping? No thanks." Joleena mumbled.

Fred chuckled. "What's wrong? Getting bored with being popular already?"

"Of course not!" Joleena huffed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I just have… an errand I want to take care of."

They entered the school and Joleena headed towards the library while Fred went inside the cafeteria. He looked around the cafeteria for Joe and Sam. Several girls tried to get his attention and he shot them a smile but otherwise ignored them. He finally spotted Joe and Sam sitting at a table near the window and headed over.

"Hey guys," He said sitting down. "Sorry I'm late. The team wanted to go to that pizza place nearby for lunch."

Sam frowned and adjusted his glasses. "But I thought school policy only allowed the juniors and seniors to leave school grounds during lunch."

"I know, it's one of the special "privileges" I get for being a jock." He said smugly.

Joe rolled his eyes. "Please excuse him, Fina. Fred's ego isn't usually this inflated."

"Fina?" Fred blinked and for the first time noticed a girl sitting across from them. "Hey, didn't I run into you in the hallway?"

"U-um yeah," She whispered in a voice he could barely hear. "You, um, asked me…"

Fred's smile slowly disappeared as she spoke in a voice barely above a whisper, with her head hanging down. The noise of the cafeteria easily drowned out her voice and Fred's ears were beginning to hurt from straining to hear her.

"I'm sorry but can you speak up a little?" He interrupted. "I can barely hear you when you whisper like that."

Fina flinched like he had hit her and lowered her head even further. Joe frowned and elbowed him.

"Ow! Sorry, I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't understand how you can hear her either. It's like talking to a mouse or something."

"Fred! Maybe you should shut up now?" Joe said in a low voice and gestured towards Fina.

"What? I'm just saying-oh." Fred glanced at Fina and immediately shut his mouth.

Large tears were standing out on Fina's eye lashes and her mouth trembled. Fred felt his stomach twist with guilt.

"Ah man. Look, I didn't mean to-"

The bell cut him off and Fina fled from the table before he could finish his apology. Fred started to follow her, but Joe put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Why don't you let me talk to her?" He said. "Geez Fred, I swear you were raised in a cave or something."

He gave an exasperated shake of his head and followed after Fina. Fred sighed and walked with Sam to their locker.

"I really didn't mean to insult her." Fred muttered shoving his hands in his pockets. "How was I supposed to know that Fiona was so sensitive?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Ugh, first of all her name is Fina… I think. And second of all, you were pretty mean to her."

"I was just asking her to speak up a little geez! Seriously, could either of you hear her over everyone else in the cafeteria!?"

"Um… no, not really." Sam admitted with a shrug. "But still, you called her a mouse. That's pretty harsh."

"Whatever." Fred mumbled.

They reached their lockers and began exchanging books and notebooks. Fred's guilt had was now laced with mild annoyance. Why did he have to be the bad guy just because Fina or Fiona or whatever didn't know how to speak up in a loud cafeteria? But still… he did feel like a jerk for making her cry like that.

Joe made it to his locker and gave a tired sigh. "Well I talked to her and she said she was used to people saying things like that to her. Geez, as if being around her wasn't awkward enough."

"Okay, okay I'll apologize to her." Fred grumbled. "What time is she coming over to do homework with us?"

Joe blinked in surprise. "Who said she was coming over to hang out with us?"

"Well duh, I thought she was your new friend or something? You guys were sitting with her at lunch."

"I was just sitting there because Joe was sitting there." Sam shrugged.

"And I was just sitting there because I couldn't find either of you two. I barely know the girl." Joe said.

Fred frowned. "Well if neither of you guys are friends with her, then why are you all getting on my back?"

Sam smirked at his confusion. "Because we weren't the ones dumb enough to make her cry."

"So, neither of you are friends with her but I still have to apologize?"

"Yep."

"Sounds about right."

The warning bell rang causing Fred to wince and check the time. He didn't know if she would get mad at him for it, but he completely forgot that he was supposed to walk Joleena to class.

"If I happen to see Fiona I'll apologize alright?" Fred said walking away. "Now if you excuse me, I have something important to do."

"Her name's Fina!" Joe called after him, but Fred was already heading to Joleena's locker. If he was lucky and her class wasn't too far away, he could walk her there and still make it to his own class on time.

He found Joleena in the hallway with two girls trailing behind her. Joleena was always surrounded by girls asking for advice or just wanting to hear her opinion on something. Fred smiled. Sure their conversations were usually pointless, but unlike the rest of the cheerleaders Joleena was rarely mean to even the unpopular wanna be girls.

Joleena looked up at him and smiled. "Hey babe. I was just wondering where you were."

"Yeah, I kinda got caught up with something." He fell into step beside her and took her books from her. He then shot a smile at the girls walking beside her. "Hey ladies."

"Hey Fred." One girls giggled and nudged her friend. "Um, we'll just give you two love birds some space. I can't wait to see your first game Fred!" Both girls erupted into giggles and scurried down the hall.

"So how was lunch with your friends?" Joleena asked nicely. "I hope you didn't hurry away from them to see me."

Fred looked down at her in surprise. "But I thought I was supposed to walk you to class and stuff?"

"You can hang out with your friends too. I don't mind." Joleena giggled. "I'm not your ex sweetheart. I won't get mad at you."

"Well that's a relief." Fred grumbled. "My friends are already on my back for making some girl cry. All I asked her to do was speak up. She was talking so quietly I couldn't hear her."

"That girl wouldn't happen to have ratty blond braids and baggy clothes would she?"

"Actually yeah, how'd you know?"

"Ugh," Joleena blushed and rolled her eyes. "I know exactly who you're talking about. I made the innocent observation that her hairstyle made me think of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, and now the other cheerleaders won't stop calling her that. And everyone thinks I started it on purpose!"

Fred burst out laughing. "You guys actually called her Dorothy!? That's so mean, Joleena!"

"It wasn't my fault! I didn't braid her hair or force her to wear plaid!" Joleena sighed. "It wasn't even an insult when you think about it!"

Fred chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Whatever you say, babe."

Joleena narrowed her eyes playfully and pursed her lips. "At least I didn't make her cry."

Fred rolled his eyes with a smile. They reach her class with just enough time for Fred make it to his class two doors down.

"See you at practice?" He asked handing her books back.

Joleena nodded and tilted her head so he'd kiss her cheek. Fred did so and there were light cheers from the students in the hallway. Instead of feeling embarrassed though, Fred laughed it off and headed into his class. Being popular really did have its perks.