* * * * *
A few tables away, behind and to the left of the Campbells, Emily Miles licked her lips after finishing the last petit fours from her mother's French bakery. She could see that Todd, Alex, and Andrew were seated at the girls' table, a fact which she could use to their discomfort if Jessica would only hurry up and finish her bologna sandwich. She didn't want to lose this opportunity; it was more than she could have hoped for.
A minute or so later, the two of them got up and slithered quietly to the other table, unnoticed until Ana looked up and broke off her conversation in mid-sentence, her eyes widening in surprise at first, then a distrustful scowl taking over her face. The others, noticing the change, glanced up to see the cause of the disturbance. Todd looked away, Alex and Andrew flushed red, and Caera wore a wry smile. Only Claudia appeared unperturbed. Emily hurried to get the first word in before Caera or Ana.
"Well look what we have here," she purred.
"What about it, Emily," Caera spat.
"Touchy, touchy. Really, Claudia, you should teach your sister better manners," at this Caera appeared to be foaming at the mouth, "but then you'd have to have them to teach them, wouldn't you?" She laughed lightly through a feline smile. Claudia gritted her teeth but didn't say anything.
"Are you speaking from experience, Emily? You'd better ask whoever taught you for your money back," Alex threw back dryly, having returned to his normal color.
"What do you want, Emily?" Ana demanded coldly. "Besides maybe a saucer of cream?" she saw fit to add. Emily's eyes shot darts in Ana's direction, but Ana's remark forced her to get to the point.
"Oh, well, I was just wondering if you were discussing the Valentine's Dance. That is why the boys are eating with you, right?"
"What?!"
"Please, people, you're not catching flies." Emily upturned her nose and continued. "That's what everyone is saying, you know. I mean, it's only two weeks away, and for the past few weeks everyone's seen you guys together. What's a person to think?" She batted her eyelids innocently.
"Now waitaminute—"
"You've got it all wrong, Emily—"
"Just because we've been talking with the girls doesn't mean—"
"Oh, excuse me," Emily cut through the protests. "I've got to talk to Marie now. She's waiting for me." Emily smiled demurely and prissed away with Jessica, who hadn't said one word during the entire interchange. "Goodbye," she threw over her shoulder before anyone could say anything. In an instant Todd, Alex, and Andrew got up and lifted their lunch trays.
"Excuse us, you guys, but Andrew and I have got to go talk with Mr. Sudge about our math assignment." Alex mumbled, his eyes directed more at the floor than the three girls.
"Uh, yeah." Andrew seemed quicker than usual on the uptake.
"And I gotta help'um because...um because—"
"Because we need to borrow his scientific calculator." Andrew was pleased to have found a feasible excuse.
"Oh, well, you don't have to go and get it. I could loan you mine," Ana replied casually and reached for her backpack.
"Uh, NO!" Andrew blurted quickly. "That is, you see, Todd's calculator saves programs, and we've already done a few functions on it. So uh," the three of them had edged about three feet away by now and were turning around, "We'll see ya later."
"Sure," Ana hummphed.
"Don't trip!" Caera yelled through the din, her face steaming.