Chapter 12

I stepped past several students in line and up behind Tami and Robbie as they pushed their lunch trays down the line. Neither knew I was back in school yet. I stepped up beside Tami and slipped my arm around her waist. "Hey, baby," I said in a fake voice. "How's about I buy you lunch since your lame boyfriend ain't here."

I wasn't prepared for the elbow that snapped back into my sternum, but my spider sense must have kicked in 'cause I turned my leg a millisecond before her fist slammed the space where my balls had been.

"Tony?" they said together.

I straightened up. "Robbie remind me not to sneak up on her."

"You should have known better," Robbie said without sympathy.

"What are you doing here?" Tami asked at the same time.

"Came to have lunch with the two sexiest girls in the county," I said, still rubbing my sternum. "I snuck in."

Robbie laughed. "You're so full of it. Reed let you come back?"

"School board actually," I admitted.

"Does Parker know?"

"He saw me, but didn't say anything."

Tami noticed the lunch line had stopped behind us. "Come on, let's get out of the way."

We settled at a table, and a few minutes later Darlene, Allie, and Mikee joined us. I glanced around the room. "Your brother is cute when he's being insecure," I told Mikee. Peter was standing near the front of the line, holding his tray. He glanced over at us, then at a couple of tables of freshman.

She giggled. "Want me to get him?"

"I will. TEMPLE!" I yelled. "Get your butt over here."

"Subtle," Tami commented before trying a spoonful of the bean soup and making a face.

"My middle name," I said as Peter came over by the table. I pointed at an empty spot between Darlene and Mikee.

"I could have sworn it was Marion," Robbie said. She tried the soup and pushed it away.

Peter still looked unsure. "I, uh..."

"Peter, sit down before I call the goon squad and declare open season." Peter sat. The goon squad was a group of juniors and seniors who made life interesting for freshmen. Every school has them. Ours weren't as bad as most, but I'd already declared Peter off-limits.

"Peter, if you have friends you want to sit with, fine. But just because we're juniors..."

"Except for me," Mikee jumped in.

"Except for your sister, doesn't mean you can't sit with us."

"Thanks," he smiled. "I wasn't sure, I mean..."

"I know. Sometimes freshmen get treated like a lower life form."

"Totally," Mikee agreed.

I stared at her. After a second she blushed. "Okay, not me so much. I had you guys. But some of my friends."

We all nodded.

"I want to know how you got back," Allie said between bites of cornbread. "I thought you were out for another week."

So I gave them an abridged version of yesterday and this morning.

"I can't believe you went over Parker's head to the school board," Darlene said, munching a carrot stick.