-"I'm Audi 5000" in the '90s meant "I'm leaving--Peace out!"

***

The cafeteria buzzed with noisy teenagers when Trechial and Maylee pushed through the double doors. Bright fluorescent lights shined down on them, and rows of long, brown tables with hard, blue chairs awaited them for after they got their pig slop. A gag-inducing scent of spoiled milk, bacon grease, and ground beef made Trechial's stomach churn as she and Maylee inched their way up to the tray line.

Her eyes searched the noisy area for Devin.

"So," Maylee said, scanning the students in the cafeteria with glowing excitement.

"Mmm?"

"Do you have any classes with Leandro or Trey or your future husband?"

Trechial's cheeks puffed out with a sigh. "He's not my future anything, and so far, I have earth science with Leandro and Trey. Trey literally got after-school detention already."

Maylee ignored Trechial's growing irritation and continued, "That's because Trey's an idiot. Anyways, I have English with your husband, and girl, let me tell you-"

"Devin is not my husband," Trechial repeated. "We let that go this morning. We're in middle school now."

Maylee swung around her silky, flat-ironed hair to the other shoulder her brows snapping together, "And?"

"And eventually, we'll start to like other people, and saying things like 'husband' in front of others will only start drama." Trechial said, her face flushed and she looked away, her next words that of a revelation, "Besides, Devin is now- well."

"Hot? " Maylee elbowed her in her ribs grinning ear to ear.

"Hot is a stretch. He's cute, and I don't want to cramp his style with a childhood title like husband or future husband. It's time for us to put Barbie and G.I Joe back into a box and let them rest in peace."

They moved up the line, and Maylee eyed her. See that was the thing about Maylee she did not let things go easily- she was literately like a Rottweiler with a bone.

An elderly brunette with a pensive glare waited behind the counter for them to speak. Trechial examined the shredded lettuce with one hamburger pickle and two diced tomatoes and red Jell-O fruit cups. She glanced at the name tag on the woman's white uniform shirt and met her gaze with a polite smile.

"I'll have a Jell-O cup, Mrs. Agnes."

Agnes returned her smile, to Trechial's surprise, placing a Jell-O cup on her plate.

"Enjoy your lunch." She slid her plate to the next woman standing in front of the hot station.

"You're such a kiss-butt," Maylee whispered.

"Shut up." Trechial poked out her tongue and Maylee returned the gesture.

After they paid for their lunches, they were lucky to find empty seats on the last row in the far left of the cafeteria by the exit doors. Trechial said a quick prayer in her head then grabbed her Jell-O cup and plastic spoon. It would be her only meal until she got home.

Maylee attempted to slice open the undercooked baked potato with her plastic fork. "Okay, so anyway, as I was saying earlier," she said, "I have English with Devin and let me tell you, those girls were all over him during introductions. That poor boy looked like a deer caught in headlights."

Trechial took a bite of Jell-O, glancing at Maylee pretending not to be interested. "What did he do?"

Maylee caught on to her, smirking, then returning to stabbing her potatoes and breaking the tip of the fork.

"Son of a gun," she muttered, grabbing Trechial's fork off her plate. "Anyways, I invited homeboy to come to sit by me. Most of those girls don't like me, and I don't like them. Problem solved."

"Did he?" The spoon lingered at the entrance of her lips.

"He did."

Trechial inwardly smiled and took another bite of Jell-O, a sinister thought creeping into her mind. "Maylee?"

She spread margarine onto her potato. "Yeah?"

"You better not betray me. "

Maylee shot her a look and raised a brow. "Girl, don't nobody want that weird-eye lil boy but you."

"That's not what I mean." Trechial's tone stayed even and firm only her lips moving. "You're my best friend, not his so try not to help him too much. I'll understand if you throw him to the she-wolves"

Their gazes met in a silent duel that warranted a moment of mutual respect, then Maylee relaxed, perching her glossy smile.

"Aw, come here my precious friend." She laid Trechial's head on her shoulder and patted it gently like a loving mother. "I would never betray you. Now, when we get older and I'm ready for you to for real marry weird-eyes, I'll betray you with a genius smile on my face."

"You didn't even like him the past two years, " Trechial said.

"So? The only reason why I didn't like him was because he hogged you for himself. That greedy, weird-eyed freak."

Trechial chuckled. "Don't call him that."

She could feel Maylee's infectious smile, which made Trechial smile, a long breath escaping her body.

"I'm glad we're all cool now," Maylee said.

"Me too."

Trey and Devin walked up behind them, carrying lunch trays.

"Girls are weird," Trey said.

Maylee and Trechial exchanged knowing peeps and giggled.

Devin grabbed the seat in front of Trechial, and Trey in front of Maylee. Sun rays splashed on them through small windows that lined each wall. He poked a hole into the plastic bag of chocolate milk and handed it to her.

"You forgot your milk," Devin said.

She waved a hand. "No, that's okay. "

He jerked his head towards the milk. "Here."

Seeing as he wasn't taking no for an answer, she took the milk and immediately sipped from the straw. "Happy?"

"You're not eating?" Devin said, picking up his fork and mixing his pig slop to take a huge bite.

"No, thank you. I prefer human food." The taco salad he munched on looked about as good as kibble and bits.

"You should eat, Mini." His words came out muffled from his jaws filled with taco salad.

"I ate some Jell-O." She picked up the empty cup, giving him a fake smile.

He chewed in slow chomps, taking in the size of the cup. His forehead creased as he swallowed his food. "Is that enough?"

"I'll eat when I get home."

"Or you could eat now." He took another bite of salad then grabbed his napkin and wiped his mouth. Yoon Mi Rae would be proud of his mannerisms, Trechial thought.

She gave a half-shrug, unyielding to his demand. "Or you can mind your business."

He snorted and leaned back in his chair angling his head to the side, his two tones lit with inner mischief, "You are my business."

An airy sensation filled Trechial's stomach.

"Well, I'll be-" Maylee said looking from Devin to Trechial.

Trey broke into a wide smile, giving his attention to Maylee, "If you say a monkey's uncle then you would be correct. But if I were to be more specific I would say you're more akin to the Tarzan clan of gorillas versus the Curious George monkeys."

Maylee whipped around to Trey, "You need to worry about that damn obtuse- lining on that builder-blockhead of yours."

"Language," Trechial hissed at Maylee. That girl cussed like a sailor and fought like a heavyweight boxer and once someone made her mad it was game over. It drove her mad because Trey seemed to get off on starting trouble with Maylee every time he came around ruining whatever peace they had before his entrance.

"He started it." Maylee pointed at Trey, who was in the process of stealing Trechial's taco salad, ignoring her accusation.

In the midst of the chaos, Marjorie Anderson shuffled her way over to their table. She ignored everyone going up to Devin, holding a folded note close to her ample chest while two of her friends cheered her on by the entrance doors.

"Hey, Devin."

Maylee lifted her chin at Marjorie, "What does this heffa want?"

Trechial choked on the last drop of her milk and tossed the carton on her plate. These girls weren't wasting any time attacking the new Devin. It was only the first day of school.

Trey swung around and gaped openly at Marjorie's body from her sandals to her bouncy chocolate curls. "Well, hello, Miss. Anderson."

Marjorie sucked on her teeth and rolled her eyes at him, pinning her gaze in the back of Devin's head.

"Do you want another one?" Devin said, butting in on her quest to judge the girl before her. Trechial's thoughts were too loud to hear him, though.

Marjorie Anderson: Olive-colored skin

Face: Round, pixie nose like Tinker Bell with light freckles.

Hairstyle: Mid-back length chocolate waves with blonde streaks. Not one split end to be judged.

Style: Shirt tied at the bottom in a butterfly twist displaying her yellow undershirt tucked in a mid-length pleated skirt. White tie-up sandals complete the outfit.

Body type: mannequin skinny.

Personality: If she were going based on last year... she's a flirt that hides behind shyness.

"Hey." Devin plucked his fingers in her face.

She fanned them away. "What?"

"Meet me after school so we can walk home together." He grabbed her empty plate and set it on top of his. Maylee took the opportunity to stack her plate on Trechial's, earning her a glower from Devin.

"Hey, she and I come as a pair," Maylee said, pointing from her to Trechial. "Besides, we're buddies now. Remember?"

A sly smirk crept up on Devin. "If that's the case, then Trey and I come as a pair, too, so you have to be cool with Trey if you're going to be cool with me."

Maylee snatched her tray back. "I don't think so."

Trey readily agreed with Maylee, shoving bites of food into his mouth as if it were going out of style.

"Nah, I don't think it's a good idea to play with wild animals," said Trey. "I'm pretty sure there are signs that warn against that type of stuff."

"You play with your momma, and I'm sure I saw her picture on the cover of National Geographic—wilder beast was it?" Maylee sneered, raising from her seat with her tray.

Trey swallowed his food and stood up with his tray. "Don't be talking about my momma, bald-headed rodent."

Trechial watched the unfolding disaster that was Maylee and Trey. On the outside, they definitely hated each other but for some reason, Trechial couldn't help but see the blooming of something beautiful in the future. She glanced at Devin who judged them both through narrowed eyes shaking his head.

"I'll talk about your big-headed daddy and your greedy-greedy grandma too." Maylee spat.

They glowered at each other then Devin let out an audible sigh, "Dude, let's go."

"This isn't over, ugly," Trey murmured, collecting his tray and leaving. Maylee snatched a napkin off her tray and balled it up launching it in Trey's direction- missing by a long shot. She grumbled something beneath her breath and stormed off towards the double doors leaving her tray behind.

Trechial pressed her lips in a straight line finding Devin staring at her with regard. "Ya know, I think there's something there between those two." She said.

His expression slid into confusion as he added Maylee's tray to the pile, "How did you come up with that analogy?"

Trechial was about to answer when she locked eyes with a red-faced Marjorie shooting cannons into her head. She mastered her annoyance with a deep breath and forced a smile, "Well, I'll see ya after school?" she said, "Thanks for taking care of the trash." Trechial glanced over at Majorie then back to Devin.

One eyebrow slanted into disapproval at her abrupt end to their conversation but instead of starting a second argument like Devin's clenched jaw insisted he instead nodded and turned and walked away- past Marjorie as if she was a pole fixture and nothing more.

Why did that one gesture make Trechial happy? She thought continuing to watch him. Marjorie shuffled behind him and her friends behind her. A real-life train of idiots minus Devin.

The last bell of the day rang dismissing Trechial and the rest of the kids for the day. Trechial went to her new locker where Marjorie and the double-dumb twins from lunch, Phoebe and Penny, cornered her.

She skewered Marjorie with a look. Marjorie did not give Devin the time of day in elementary school, even made fun of his weight yet here she was probably about to use her to relay a message to Devin. Nope, she would not do it! She was not anyone's messenger.

***

Trechial groaned, ringing the doorbell to her target's house. A few moments passed before she was staring Devin in the face.

He stepped onto the porch and closed the door behind him. He had dressed down into a Bulls Jersey and black basketball shorts. Even his style changed, she thought.

"Why didn't you wait for me?" he said, stepping forward as she stepped back.

She swallowed hard, shifting her gaze to the golden lamp hanging on the side of the door. "I had to get home before Mom did so I could explain what happened this morning before Charlie had a chance to." It was a lie. She did not want to give Devin the note.

He stared at her for a minute, then he softly plucked her on the forehead. "Whatever, liar. Wait for me tomorrow or else I won't hold back on you."

She grinned. "Is that a threat?"

"No." He tugged on her ponytail and touched his forehead to hers keeping his gaze trained on her. "It's a promise." A cool sweet orange smell escaped with his words.

She didn't like this new confidence that came with Devin's transformation. It created massive hordes of butterflies in her stomach and made her nervous, something she never was with him.

"Oh!" Trechial reached in her pocket and pulled out the note before her heart exploded into a thousand pieces from his nearness.

The folded note contained a lopsided drawn red heart and the words To: You. From: Me wrote in black. She offered it to him, and he surveyed the note in her hand like it was a pile of poop.

"What's this?"

"What does it look like Tae? Take it." She shoved it against his chest and turned around. "I'm Audi 5000. See ya!"

She hopped off the three steps, barely catching her balance, and headed down the driveway. She clutched her shirt to calm her beating heart. A seed of jealousy spread throughout her. She did not want to share Devin- with anyone and didn't know why. Before, she didn't care, she actually liked it when he socialized with girls because it proved that his weight had nothing to do with whether girls liked him or not. But now, she took a deep breath and released it as she crossed the street, now, she wanted him all to herself. Why?

"Wait," Devin called out, and she paused on the sidewalk. He ran inside his house for a second then came back holding the open note and pen in hand.

"Turn your back to me," he said.

He made his way to her, and she rolled her eyes, doing as she was told. He flattened the paper against her back and jotted down his response. Every part of her yearned to ask what he was writing, but her pride kept her lips zipped.

After, he gave her the note and a quirky smile.

"Here."

***

She paced back and forth in her room, stopping every other minute to look at the letter that taunted her from the middle of the bed. If she opened it, it would be a violation of Devin's privacy. But on the other hand, he would never know if she opened the letter.

The debate warred inside her brain. She plopped down on her bed.

To read or not to read? That was the question.

But the more important question she tried not to ask herself was:

Why do I care?

It wasn't her business if some girl liked Devin. He deserved to be liked. He deserved it in elementary school, and he deserves it now.

Trechial clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth then snatched the note, holding it up to the light with two hands. She had every right to know what this girl was telling her best friend. What if she was trying to pull the ol' okie-dokie on him and she needed to interfere? Devin was new to girls liking him, so she had to be the one to protect him from all the hussies out there.

Trechial would protect him from all the middle school skanks as a best friend was supposed to do. She gave a determined nod and released a pent-up breath and unfolded the note.

b-dm, b-dm, b-dm.

Her heart thumped.

Devin, will you go out with me? Circle Yes. No. Maybe So?

Sincerely,

Marjorie

XOXOXO

Mini, throw this crap away!

Thanks,

Devin

She ran a finger over Devin's neat cursive handwriting to her, laughter bubbling from her chest. She smiled.

P.S.

See ya in the morning.

Maybe he didn't need her protection after all.