Kim Pritekel: Outcome

"You’re good." I shrugged the compliment off, beaming inside. She opened her mouth, but I put my hand up to stop her.

"Don’t feel stupid. I’m sure just about everyone in the class is having the same problem." She smiled as she loaded everything back into her bag, fingering the magnets as she looked at me.

"Thanks, Andi. I think I’ll only pass physics this year because of you." I laughed.

"I doubt that, but thanks." Haley stood, lugging the backpack over her shoulder. She stopped and looked at me, narrowing her eyes as a thought occurred to her.

"So, are you done here? For today?" I nodded. "Come on. I’ll give you a ride home."

I looked out the window at the rear of the library. "It’s hardly raining or snowing outside." I looked up at her. She put a hand on her hip.

"Do you want a ride or not?" Without a word I stood, shoving everything into my bag, and following her out of the building.

We drove on in silence for a few minutes, trying not to hit any students who felt the need to wander around the parking lot and driveways of the high school. I shook my head.

"How did they ever make it to this age?" I heard Haley’s chuckle. Finally off grounds, she picked up the speed, and set out for home. On the way we passed a strip known as Grease Lane. Every type of fast food restaurant and pizza joint you could think of lined the street.

"Hey, are you hungry?" I turned to see Haley looking at Carlos’ Pizza Heaven.

"Sure."

I grabbed the oh shit handle above my door, and held on as with a small squeal of tires, we entered the parking lot. I looked at Haley, eyes wide.

"What?"

"How did you make it to this age?" She grinned, and pulled the parking break and turned off the engine.

Pizza Heaven was a place where the kids often came to hang out. I passed here every day on my walk home, and would see the same cars from the school parking lot shooting into this one. I’d almost gotten hit by them a few times.

I felt weird walking in with Haley, knowing we’d run into our peers here. I hadn’t even noticed I was walking a few paces behind Haley until I ran smack into her. I looked up at her, smiling sheepishly.

"You know, you’re not my slave. Feel free to walk with me." I said nothing, but began to walk; this time Haley had to catch up.

It was a seat yourself place, so we found a booth near a window, and sat down, both immediately grabbing a menu.

"So, in the mood for pizza? We could share one." I looked over my menu to see Haley still behind hers. I could just see the very top of her dark eyebrows and forehead.

"Sure. What do you like?" Suddenly those brilliant blue eyes were staring into mine with an intensity.

"Meat. Lots of meat." I grinned, nodded as I set my menu aside.

"Okay. Order up."

The waitress came, and Haley ordered our medium pizza loaded with hamburger, sausage and Canadian bacon. I ordered my usual, Dr. Pepper. Our drinks came, and as Haley sipped her Coke, she stared at me.

"Why don’t you go by your name?" I looked at her, taken aback.

"My name? I do go by my name."

"No, I mean Andrea. That’s what your mom called you, and well, mothers do know best." I shook my head.

"Not this time. I hate that name."

"Why?" She grabbed a napkin out of the table dispenser, and took her gum from her mouth, wrapping it up in a piece of the napkin. I shrugged as I watched her.

"It’s so girly." She smiled as she tucked the wad into the plastic ashtray near the wall.

"Well, you are a girl, Andi."

"Eh," I grabbed the pepper shaker, turning it around in my hands. "Not an Andrea-kind of girl." I really didn’t like the conversation being based on me, and certainly not on my choice to go by Andi. Hell, I understood it, so why should I have to explain myself? "So what about Haley? Where did that come from?"

"My father is an astronomer."

"Ah. The comet, huh?" She groaned and looked away as she nodded.

"Yeah. He’s a little obsessed. My parents felt the need to name my brother and I after their respective careers. I don’t get it." I sipped from my soda.

"What’s your brother’s name?"

"Holden Dante Corregan." I raised my brows in surprise.

"Wow. I guess. So the kid’s a theological cynic?" Haley chuckled.

"More like a pain in the ass, but that works, too."

"How old is he?"

"Fifteen. He just started Winston this year."

"Hey, mine, too." I grinned.

"Really, who’s your brother?"

"Chris Littman."

"Don’t know him."

"Here you go, ladies." The waitress set a steaming pan of pizza down between us, giving us each a plate and fork. "Enjoy."

We both dug in with abandon, savoring every bite of hot, spicy, sauce smothered pizza. Neither of us felt the need to say a word; our only thought was food.

I sat back, having just finished my third piece, knowing full well that Haley had matched me slice for slice, yet she grabbed a fourth.

"Wow, and people say I have a healthy appetite." The only answer I got was a grunt as Haley quickly put it away. I had to admit, I was truly impressed. I had absolutely no idea where she put it all, her thin, well-toned frame gave no secrets away. I knew she probably worked at it like I did, as soccer was on its way in a few months.

Finally she sat back, wiping her mouth, a satisfied look on her face.

"Now, that’s good pizza," she said with a smile, patting her stomach.

"Yeah, I’m getting that impression. Enjoyed it, did you?" She grinned, nodding, pushing her plate away.

"So, Andi."

"Yes, Haley?"

"What is it like to be you?"

"Excuse me?" I nearly spit the soda I’d just drank back into the cup. What an odd question.

"Well, I mean, you’re so different from most of the people we go to school with, you’re just, just, well, unique."

"Oh, so you’re wanting to know what it’s like to be the school wallflower?" She cocked her head to the side, sizing me up.

"You know, I think you could make yourself very known if you wanted to. You’re a smart girl, I think you do it on purpose. Why?"

"Well, you figured me out." I set my cup onto the table, and sat back in the booth. "To put it plain, I think most of the people we go to school with are idiots."

"Well, you are blunt, aren’t you?"

"Why lie?" I shrugged to emphasize my point. "Most, from what I’ve seen, aren’t real serious about their education, and are there because they have to be or their folks would get a nice visit from the cops. They have no interest in bettering themselves, and they’re cruel."

Haley looked at me for a moment, absorbing my words. She played with the straw in her cup, taking it out to chew on the end of it.

"What do you mean cruel?" she asked, her words sounding strange wrapped around the plastic of the straw.

"Well, haven’t you just walked down the halls and watched how they treat each other? Saying terrible things, doing stupid pranks, all the cliques. It drives me nuts. I have one more year left in this hell called high school, then I can head off to college and really start life."

"Wow." Haley put the straw back, and leaned forward. "I had no idea you felt so strongly about it." I shrugged.

"Most don’t, and you asked."

"Hey, hey, don’t get all defensive with me, Andi. I was just curious. I imagine you have very solid reasons behind your views, and are certainly entitled to those."

I looked away, feeling bad, as I know that Haley was friends with most of those that I had just had my rampage about. It wasn’t right for me to go off like that, but I didn’t know what to do about it without making myself look even more like an idiot, so I said nothing. I grabbed my cup, taking a long, slow sip of the cold Dr. Pepper as I thought of what to do or say next.