At lunch I spotted her redhead and worked around and sat down beside her near the back windows. “How come you’re so smart?” I asked her with a smile. She smelled good, fresh, clean.

“Genes,” said without looking at me.

“Levis, really?” I replied blankly, opening up my bag. “Skinny ones?”

“Ha ha,” she said. “DNA, you know, those little squiggly helix things.”

“Right, squiggly things. Yours squiggle pretty good.”

“I know. Way it is; you play what you’re dealt. Good hand.”

“You’re new, right? How do you like our school?”

“OK, what’s the phrase, run of the mill? I got here late last winter, early March, last marking period I guess.”

“Really, didn’t see you? School’s top rated you know, best around.”

“Can’t always be sure of what rises to the top.” She offered me an Oreo.

“Plans, long range I mean, not this weekend? Where are you headed? Do you know? College?” I mentally put the weekend on hold.

“Get out of here next year with some summer courses; finish college in three, masters before I’m twenty.”

I nodded and chewed, puzzled and impressed. Most of the people I knew didn’t plan much past their next bathroom break. “How old are you, don’t mind my asking?”

“Not unless it’s for foul purposes. I’m jailbait, thirteen, but I’m taking junior English this semester.” She smiled.

“Thirteen. So you graduate at fourteen or fifteen, right?” I moved her into a different category.

She nodded and chewed.

“Where you from?”

“You FBI or what?”

“Curious. Besides, I like pretty girls.”

“And I’m one?”

“Yep, didn’t you know? Seeing problem maybe.”

“Heard rumors, can’t be helped. My Mom’s a beaut and so’s my grandma, my father’s mother; she modeled, still is I think.”

“Shows, run in the family I guess.”

“Genes, like I said. Can’t be helped.”

“Where are you thinking about going to college?”

“You won’t believe it, the community college or do they call it a junior college? I’ll skip the first year with AP credits I’m sure.”

I nodded, surprised. It was a good enough school, but I didn’t know anybody that wanted to go there. It wasn’t second choice; it was about eighth.

“Then transfer to State with some summer credits. Should be able to swing the whole thing for under twenty kay.” She grinned at me. “I’m already looking for rides, scholarships.”

“Hm, maybe, you got that much?”

She nodded. “My father left us some money, insurance mostly, and it’s invested, municipal bonds. Oh, and some beer.”

“Beer?”

“A Wisconsin mutual fund.”

I nodded and chewed my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “How do you like your teachers? We’ve got some good ones.”

“Maybe, guess I haven’t met any lately. Oh, that guy that teaches Russian. I had world history from him last semester, second half of the course. He’s Ok even if he is a pervert.”