August 25th, 2006

The cafeteria buzzed like an amp on low voltage. chatter, clatter, trays dropping, someone’s phone playing tinny pop music. Rodrick sat slouched at the far table near the vending machines, drumming on the plastic with his fingertips, waiting for his soda to stop fizzing. He wasn’t supposed to be watching her. But, well..he was.

Regina George sat with her Plastics, framed by sunlight like she’d been lit for a magazine shoot. Pink notebook on the table. Glossy hair falling straight over one shoulder. Every laugh perfectly timed, like she’d rehearsed it. She didn’t have to. She was the scene.

Rodrick pretended to listen to Ben talking about their next gig, but his eyes kept drifting. She was too clean for this place, too sharp for this noise. And yet, when she looked up, just a glance across the cafeteria, nothing more.. he forgot how to breathe for a second.

“Dude,” Ben muttered, catching him. “You’re staring again.”

Rodrick straightened, shrugged. “I’m not staring. I’m just… observing.”

“Observing what? The human embodiment of your humiliation?”

He glared. “Shut up.”

Across the room, Regina leaned toward Gretchen, whispered something, and then.. God help him- she laughed. That smile wasn’t meant for him, but it might as well have been. His stomach dropped.

He picked up his soda, trying to act cool. Cool didn’t work when your hand shook.

A shadow fell across the table. “Wow,” a familiar voice said, light and laced with sugar and venom. “Didn’t know the cafeteria let future dropouts eat with the rest of us.”

Rodrick froze mid-sip. She was standing right there, holding a water bottle, perfect and terrifying. Gretchen hovered behind her like a nervous echo.

“Coming down to hang around with the more unfortunate, Regina?”

he said, trying his best to sound confident, but his voice failed him as it shook. He cleared his throat, trying to act nonchalant.