As soon as everyone was fed, Sarah and Johnson grabbed some cooling waffles and tried to find a seat with their friends. They looked around, trying to find... and there it was. Sam's hand, high in the air.
"Sup, Sam," Sarah asked, smiling as she dropped her tray to the table.
"Oh, not much." Sam was always happy. Even though people would be mean to her, she still kept up this happy aura that seemed to radiate from her. No matter what anyone said, Sam was a great girl.
"How's it going Johnson, Sam?" Patrick smiled, setting his tray next to Sam.
"What," Sarah joked, "don't I get a hello?" It was a well known fact that Patrick had a crush on Sarah, big time. Johnson felt sorry for Patrick, because the fact of Patrick's crush had seemed to eluded the most important person. Sarah. For being very clever about escaping and such, she was sometimes socially lost. She was often jovial and kind, but she seemed to have trouble knowing when to stop being one of the boys and start taking thing seriously.
Just then Aria bustled over. She was a large, meaty woman, who had a soft spot for Johnson, and a hard spot for Sarah.
"SARAH," Aria bellowed from halfway across the lunch room. Few heads turned, it was routine for Aria, the schools head chef, (although she rarely did anything) to come yelling that Sarah had messed something or other up. "Sarah! You have really messed up this time! I have warned you again and again, put the syrup AWAY when your done! Rats will get in and then who will have to deal with it? ME! Now go in there and clean your mess up!"
"But, um ma'am? It was me who left the syrup out. I'll go get it." Johnson dropped his fork and jogged to the kitchen, leaving Aria and Sarah glaring at each other, and Sam and Patrick poking at their waffles.
Chapter 9
"There he goes again, cleaning up YOUR messes. You should be right grateful that he does all he does for the likes of you. He deserves someone better to be his friend. Like Sam. Why doesn't he hang out with you Sam? You're pretty enough, why don't you hang out? Tell you what, I'll talk to the Matron, see if I can get you both let off your duties for the day. Sure she'll agree if it'll get him away from trash like you, Sarah." Aria had been standing there, ranting at Sarah since Johnny had left. Sarah was usually able to be deaf to the criticism, but today the words stung. She was about to say something snide that would get her in trouble, when an unexpected voice spoke up.
"She's not trash." Patrick wasn't looking at his waffle anymore. He was glaring at Aria. Sarah was amazed. She didn't know Patrick was that brave. "She's not trash and you should stop treating her like one. You're a grown up. You're supposed to be above things like this, petty trying to break her down. You may not think so, but I know that she is talented. That she is able to do things that no one else can do. You're supposed to help her grow, to help her learn. You may not be a councilor, but we are in you care, and when we are, you shall treat us like the human beings that we are!" By that time, Patrick was standing and yelling, out of breath. But he went on.
"You don't seem to understand what you're supposed to do. You're the cook, aren't you? Yet you do nothing! You pass the job on. I know for a fact that you aren't in their 'supervising'. But if you catch Sarah has much as pointing one toe out of line, you yell at her and interrupt everyones breakfast. You know where you should take up your private matters? IN PRIVATE! Because everyone knows that the reason why Sarah is 'trash', and 'no good', is because you don't want her being around your 'precious Johnson'. Well his is not your life to chose. His friendships are not your's to break. And you have NO right to tell Sarah who she is allowed to associate with!"
The whole cafeteria was silent. No one had ever spoken that way to Aria. 'She looks like she's gonna have an aneurysm', Sarah though cheerfully.
Then someone started clapping. Aria flushed and stammered at Patrick, who was still glaring at her malevolently. As more people started clapping. Aria turned in a mixture of ashamedness and humiliation and strode off, bumping into Johnny on his way back.
"What's all this," Johnny asked as he slid back next to Sarah. Sarah felt her breath catch in the back of her throat. 'Johnny is right next to you'. So? Why should she care? But at that, she felt the spark catch and start to glow a bit brighter. Stop that, the scorned.
"Patrick just told Aria off for hating on Sarah! It was brilliant! It was epic! It will live in infamy and go down in Bable Ivy history!" Sam was shouting to be heard above the roar of other kids who had always wished to tell Aria to shut up, cheering for Patrick. Patrick! The library nerd who spent all of his time reading, had just read her the riot act. And everyone loved him for it.
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