Book of Life (Not Official Title)

Caesar

They met on a crowded street corner. They fell in love at first sight. They couldn’t deny it, couldn’t hide it, and no one they knew could dispute it. No one believes that you can find love on the street corner, waiting for the light to change, but they knew you could and they did. The street corner was in Earl, Georgia and Caesar was 16 years old. He had long, shaggy blond hair and he was wearing his Larger than Life band tee. He saw Winter as she was coming to the street corner and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Her brown hair and piercing blue eyes captivated him as she stood next to him. She must have felt him staring, because she turned, and as she did, her eyes widened. That was the moment they knew. Back then, he didn't know that her laugh was one that would haunt him after all this time.
Caesar knew what was happening, didn't want it to be happening, but like a train wreck, he couldn't stop it or turn away. No he begged, please, not today. But, as usual, it never listened.
The next scene was of their first date. Winter and Caesar had decided to meet at Caffeine Rage, a new coffee shop that had just opened. Caesar had gotten there early, grabbing his black tea and getting a table for them. A few minutes had passed when Winter walked in. She was wearing a black dress with white polka dots with her hair in some sort of braid. She saw him and smiled, making her way over to the table. He bought her a black coffee and they had talked for over an hour. She had told him about her love for Little Women, while he had told her about his love of Larger than Life, a local band that played almost every weekend.
Here it comes, thought Caesar. The part he hated more than anything.
The next scene was of winter in the hospital bed. She was skinny to begin with, but now she looked emaciated and defeated. The meningococcal meningitis had torn through her body, ravaging everything in its path. As he sat down in the visitor’s chair, he watched her disintegrate and disappear into nothingness before him.
Caesar shot up from his bed. No matter how many time he had the same nightmare, he never could sleep an entire night after it. Winter had died half a year ago, and he still couldn’t shake her death from his mind. He wanted to relive the happy moments they had shared throughout their one and half year relationship, but the pain of her passing was too much for him to bear. Sighing, he went to the basement, turned on the light, and grabbed the box where he had put his memories of her. He looked at his watch, three in the morning, he thought, that gives me five hours to get things done before school starts. Plenty of time to look at this box, collect himself, and then get ready for school.
The first item was a picture of Winter and Caesar that Caesar’s mother had taken with her old polaroid camera. They were sitting on a couch on the back porch while the summer sun shone down on them. Both had bottles of water covered in condensation on the table in front of them. Her brown hair was up in a ponytail, and his blonde hair was sticking up in a million directions because he had run his figures through it while he was telling her a story. Caesar had one arm around her and she had her head thrown back laughing as he gestured with his hand, telling her the story he was making up on the spot. This had been their year anniversary, August 28, and they were relaxing at Caesar’s house before going to see Larger than Life, her anniversary present to him, downtown. He had gotten her a silver bracelet with a heart pendant on it. She had put it on immediately and had sent a picture to Rue and Meg, two of her girlfriends she had met through Caesar. Caesar smiled at the photograph and set it aside as he picked up the next item, the bracelet that he had given her on that August day, and took a minute to examine it before setting that aside too. Here comes the hardest part, Caesar thought as he picked up the last note Winter had written him, when she was still attending school. He could still see old tear stains from the first time he read it after Winter died. He unfolded it and stared at the page as he looked at the writing he had memorized long ago.
Dear Caesar,
I can’t believe that it’s almost the weekend already! Where did this week go?! I can’t wait to see Larger than Life with you tomorrow night. Do you want to hang out at my place a little before the show? My parents are asking where you are since it’s been a whole 3 DAYS since they last saw you! (The nerve of you, depriving them of you that long!) We don’t have to stay long, just long enough for you to say hi and bye, but you know how they get when they don’t see you enough. I don’t understand how you tolerate Mr. Genki, he is so obnoxious today. He keeps repeating the same two lines of the poem we’re reading over and over (and over and over) because no one will answer his questions. Of course, you actually enjoy poetry, so that probably has something to do with it. Are you going to the movies with Jerome tonight? If so, I’ll call Rue and Meg and see what they’re up to, if not, movie date at your place? I’d love to see Virginia and Ken and talk to them about school (I know it’s their favorite topic). Has your mom decided on the new kitchen design yet? If not, I’d love to help! Oh, shit, Mr. Genki is coming this way, I think I’ve been discovered! Talk to you later.
I love you,
Winter
Caesar carefully folded the letter up and set it aside. After rubbing his face to keep himself awake enough to relive these memories, he grabbed the next item, a silver chain with a pendant on it. The last gift he had given her on Valentine’s Day of that year. The pendant was a small book with Little Women engraved on it. She had loved this even more than the bracelet he had bought her half a year before. Her parents had given it back to him after she had died, saying that they thought he should have it. He knew most girls liked jewelry and shiny things, but Winter had a special place for each piece of jewelry she had and knew the story behind each one. He set the necklace aside and moved a stack of notes she had written aside and pulled out the stuffed penguin she had bought him for his birthday. She had told him she knew it was a weird gift to give a guy, but told him that since he wanted to see Antarctica so bad, she had decided to bring a piece of Antarctica to him. He had laughed and ruffled her hair before kissing her on the cheek. She had blushed and shyly asked him if he liked it. He said he did and that when he finally made it to Antarctica, she and his penguin would be right beside him. She had shuddered and said “freezing cold for days? No thanks, I’ll wait for you in Argentina. I hear the shopping there is excellent.” He knew she was right, and as she opened his gift for her, he vowed that he would make it to Antarctica, even if he could only stay for two seconds. Caesar smiled at the stuffed penguin and put it aside.
The last object in the box was a picture of their whole gang; Caesar and Winter, Jerome, Meg and Cyril, and Rue. Their arms were flung around each other, and everyone was laughing. It was before Cyril left, two months before Quincy arrived, and eight months before Winter died. They were all covered in colored paint, a result of having a water balloon war, but instead of water, they had put paint in the balloons. They all wore white shirts and blue jeans, an agreement so that they would have “tie dyed” shirts that captured the memories of the day. Caesar knew that his was stashed in a drawer and he thought that Winter’s parents had hers, Rue had hung hers up on her wall, saying that a masterpiece like that could not be worn as an everyday shirt. Jerome wore his often, proud of it and retelling the story of the green splotch on his chest, where Rue had run up and shoved the balloon holding the green paint into it, laughing wildly. Jerome had grabbed Rue and hugged her tight, smearing the green onto her shirt too. He had no clue what Meg did with hers, but she wouldn’t be caught dead in anything except the darkest colors she could find, so he doubted she wore it. Cyril had probably thrown his out now that he wasn’t part of their circle anymore. He shook his thoughts clear and looked back down at the image. Rue and Winter were the palest, always joking about their alabaster skin, saying that it was easier to spot them in the Georgia crowd because you could see them half a mile away. Meg’s Mediterranean skin was dark, a result of her waitressing the outdoor section of her aunt’s restaurant, Jerome’s skin was bronze from running and biking all summer, Cyril’s mahogany skin was the same as usual, and Caesar was his usual shade of light beige. He looked at their surroundings, taking in the familiar walls of Cariño’s Café, the restaurant that Meg’s Aunt Tina owned and operated.
Caesar placed the photograph back in the box and placed the other items back in the box in the order he had taken them out in. He put the box back on its shelf and headed up from the basement, reaching his hand out to turn off the light as he passed the switch. The clock read four o’clock now. Caesar shoved his hair out of his face and debated what to do for four hours. He decided to go back to his room and shower to clean off the cold sweat that had dried on him after the nightmare. He took his time in the shower, scrubbing himself with body wash and washing it off. He let water run over his head, soaking his hair, turned off the water, and wrapped a towel around his waist. He grabbed boxers and pants off the floor to wear before going back into the bathroom to shave his face. Although he didn’t like being baby faced, he also didn’t like having five o’clock shadow, which meant that he most often looked baby faced. After cleaning up his hair and razor, he went back into his room and grabbed a shirt to wear. He decided to go to his desk and read some of the book he had bought for occasions like this. He picked his way over his floor, dodging CD cases hidden under things, wincing as he heard one definitive crack and another quieter crack. No matter how many CD cases he ruined, he still didn’t buy a CD rack; more out of laziness than out of desire for the current chaos that was his room. On his way to his desk, he snatched up the package of chocolate chip cookies stashed beside his bed and ripped it open as he sat down. He began reading his book and eating the cookies from the package. After finishing half the package, he realized he was parched and went to his nightstand to grab a bottle of water off of it. He drank it greedily and then sat down at the desk again to finish a few more pages before he went downstairs.
Five o’clock, he thought, might as well go start breakfast for mom and dad. Caesar marked his page, sealed the cookies, and grabbed his bottle of water before heading downstairs. He glanced at the photographs of family and friends that lined the walls down to the first floor. He went towards the kitchen, setting his bottle of water on the counter as he rummaged in the cupboards. He decided to make his parents cinnamon rolls, and spent the next two hours making them. At seven o’clock, his parents wandered into the kitchen, asking what that magnificent smell was and eagerly began to eat the tasty breakfast Caesar had made them. Caesar’s insomnia had helped him learn how to cook since most of what he watched in the early hours of the day were food programs, teaching the worst cooks how to be decent cooks. After devouring his own cinnamon roll, Caesar went upstairs and got ready for school. As he was packing his bag, he heard his alarm go off and reached to turn it off. Jerome called him two minutes after, asking if he wanted a ride this morning. He said yes and went out to wait for Jerome on the sidewalk in front of his house.

Jerome

Jerome rolled over in bed and checked the clock. Eyes widening, he realized he had missed his six o’clock alarm. He ran around his room frantically pulling on his biking clothes as he looked for his house and bike lock keys. He found them hidden under a pile of homework he had done last night after making dinner and shoved them in his pocket as he quietly walked out of his room and down to his bike, making sure he locked the door behind him. Even if his parents were home, it was better to be safe than sorry. Earl was a small, quiet town, but that didn’t mean it was perfect. He unlocked the silver bike lock that hung around the front wheel of his tire and the porch railing and looked the bike over. The black and orange frame was splattered with mud from his ride in the rain yesterday morning, but besides that, it looked just as it did any other day. He hopped on and rode like a madman through town, only slowing when he saw the runner that he passed every day while biking. He hadn’t told Jules or Rue or even Caesar about this part of his bike ride. Every morning on his ride for the past few weeks, he always passed a pretty girl with hair like fire that she wore in a messy ponytail as she ran around town. He wasn’t sure how long or where she ran, but he knew that they crossed paths around Juniper Street before he turned onto Harlow Avenue. He slowed as he closed the space between them, not wanting to scare her or have her see him speeding to catch up to her. He pushed his black curls, damp with sweat, away from his face and tried to look casual as he passed her. She looked over, smiling at him and waved like she usually did, he gave a head nod in return and kept pedaling, trying to make up for lost time. He had very limited time to help get Jules and Rue ready for school and still had a mile left. He biked as fast as he could down Harlow Avenue, rounding the corner onto Maple Street and then up to his house. As he dismounted and locked his bike up, he read that it was seven o’clock and hoped Rue had already gotten up. He pushed open the screen door to a smiling Rue, who was busy making lunches in the kitchen.
“Hey bro, good ride this morning?” she asked casually as she finished making her usual jelly and fluff sandwich. How she ate it, he couldn’t guess; one bite of it made him feel like he had a year’s worth of cavities waiting to happen.
“Same old, same old. Had to rush it a little since I woke up late.” He said as he hip bumped her out of the way to reach for the supplies for Jules’s sandwich. She giggled and used her forearm to push her smooth jet black hair out of her face as she made room for him at the counter. If anyone told him that his sisters were normal, he wouldn’t have believed them. While Rue ate jelly and fluff on marbled rye bread, their younger sister, Jules, ate crunchy peanut butter with potato chips rolled up in a tortilla. Where their lunch habits came from he couldn’t even guess, considering all he ate was a precooked chicken breast and vegetables for lunch each day. As he finished with Jules’s sandwich, she came stumbling down the stairs, light blue eyes still half closed and dark brown hair still tousled from sleep.
“Goooood morning sunshine!” he and Rue both laughed at the nasty look their little sister shot at Rue’s excited greeting as she fell into one of the kitchen table chairs. Rue was the most alert in the morning, laughing and telling jokes almost as soon as she woke up, whereas Jules was lethargic and inattentive until breakfast was over. Jerome was in the middle of the extremes, somewhat alert and half asleep at the same time.
“Now, now Jules, that’s no way to greet the best older sister in the world,” Rue joked as she brought scrambled eggs and sausage over to the table. Seeing she had done most of the work for breakfast, Jerome grabbed milk, orange juice, and a glass of water over to the table and slid into his chair. They ate in silence until Jerome looked at the clock that was eternally telling them they were late.
“It’s already seven thirty?! Girls, go grab your school stuff and meet me in the car in ten. I’ll call Caesar before I grab a quick shower. Rue, can you call Quincy for me please?” He was already running up the stairs, yanking off his shirt and dashing towards the bathroom. The girls heard the water turn on and Rue laughed, looking over at Jules, who seemed slightly more awake now.
“Alright, you heard the captain, go get ready for school and I’ll call Quincy, see you in the car in ten minutes.” Rue grabbed her cell as Jules rolled her eyes and headed upstairs to get dressed. Dialing Quincy’s number, Rue walked up the stairs to grab her bag and finish getting ready.
Quincy

Quincy blinked awake as his dream about strawberries came to an end. He realized a second later that Keep Me Lovin’ was blaring from his phone. He wondered again why he chose that song for her ringtone. He finally found it and saw Rue’s name and photo pop up, he sat up and slid his thumb over the phone screen to answer.
“Hey” He yawned into the phone. He had learned that with Rue, less was always more because, generally, she was talking at two miles a minutes before you even finished hello.
“Hi Quince, it’s Rue, just calling to ask if you want a ride. We’re running a little late, which I know is a HUGE shocker, but Jerome woke up late and is running around like a chicken with its head cut off, so he asked me to call you.” Rue had finished before he had a chance to answer the question.
“Hey, hey Rue, are you gonna let me talk or what?” He grinned as he heard her stop midsentence and apologize. “I would love a ride. I’ll be waiting at the end of my driveway in five minutes. I’ll get Lina and John to take the bus this morning.”
“Okay, great! Jerome is running down the driveway now, we’ll be there in a few minutes. Can you imagine? Being late on the first day back at school? Sometimes I wonder what Jerome stores in his brain. Hug Lina and John for me!” As he was about to respond, Rue hung up, laughing at something Jerome had said as he climbed into the car. He laughed to himself and ran up the stairs to get Lina and John down to the bus stop. He threw on some clothes as his two younger siblings gathered their school things. They were down at the bus stop in five minutes and were getting onto the bus just as Jerome’s 1990s dinosaur of a car pulled up with Rue in the front seat and Caesar and Jules in the back. He jogged around the car and hopped in the seat behind Jerome’s. Quincy exchanged hellos with everyone in the car before checking his pockets for his lighter and cigarettes, finding them in his backpack, crushed underneath textbooks.
“Hey, chimney, no smoking in the limo.” Jerome cocked his eyebrows in the rearview mirror as Quincy caught his eyes in the mirror and put his hands up, surrendering.
“I know, I know, I was just checking to see if I had them or not.” He stuck them in his sweatshirt pocket and sat back in his seat.
“Frankly, I don’t see why you smoke those things. Do you want to die young or something? ‘Cause I could arrange that for you.” Rue was turned around, looking, at Quincy from her seat in the front. She saw Caesar flinch, but ignored it as she continued to stare at him, one eyebrow raised.
“Well, you know what they say, nicotine is addicting, but hey, if you have a successful way for me to quit, I’m dying to hear it.”
“Give them to me. And your lighter. And any money you have. That way you don’t have them and you can’t buy more!” Rue smirked at him before turning to face the front again. Jerome glanced sidelong at Rue, who caught his eye and winked. Quincy watched the siblings and then turned to look out the window. He really should quit the nasty habit, but he couldn’t find anything to replace the addiction. Ah well, he thought, there’s always tomorrow to quit. When they arrived at school, they split up and went to their respective classrooms, Jules heading towards the east wing, Rue towards the north wing, and the three boys heading towards the west wing. Quincy and Caesar slumped into the desks that were on either side of Jerome’s. Quincy noticed that Jerome was glancing around, and looking, wide eyed as he spotted a girl sitting a few rows back. She caught his eyes, smiled, and waved. Quincy raised his eyebrows at Jerome as he turned around, but Jerome wasn’t paying attention to him.

Lacey

Lacey looked around her new school as she walked in the front doors. She saw that the doors were strangely numbered, and was glad that Maya insisted on dropping her off a little early for her first day in a new school. She ran her fingers through her neatened ponytail and wandered towards the library to sort out the class schedule she had received in the mail the day before. She kept her eyes focused on the schedule and the school map she had found earlier until it was time to head to class. When she was seated in her homeroom, she started looking around. Same walls as my high school in Rhode Island, she thought, this one just has posters covering the walls. Her favorite was one that had a person reading a stack of books with “Oh, the places you’ll go!” written underneath it. She figured that it was supposed to make her feel motivated, but it seemed like a poster for a kindergarten room, not a twelfth grade room. As she continued looking around, she saw a boy turned around in his seat. She looked again and saw that it was the biker she saw on her morning run. His eyes were wide as she saw him recognize her. She smiled at him and waved, just like she did when she saw him in their morning routine. After he turned around, she continued looking around, just in time to see a shock of blue hair walking through the door. After she got over the mass of blue, she noticed the small girl the hair belonged to. She had amber eyes and an open smile as she sat near the blonde boy that was talking with the biker and another boy. The blue haired girl put her combat boot clad feet up on the desk and leaned back, stretching her arms. Lacey caught a glimpse of a deep blue tattoo on her arm before she crossed them over chest. She turned her attention towards the teacher as he went through the normal start of school announcements before the bell rang and Lacey got up. She glanced at her watch. Eight forty-five, in Rhode Island, I would be laughing with my friends in study hall right now. She wandered into her Latin classroom, where the only open seat was next to a girl with neatly plaited braids. As she sat, the girl gave her a wide grin and moved a little closer to speak to her.
“Hey, I’m Rue Westin. You must be new here. What’s your name? Where are you from?” The girl’s voice was light and happy, with an undercurrent of excitement.
“I didn’t realize that when they told me I had signed up for Latin, I was actually signing up for the Spanish Inquisition.” Lacey said as she reached for her pen and paper. Rue smiled and then laughed, sounding like there was nothing wrong with the world.
“Surprise! Welcome to Spanish Inquisition 101! I’m your teacher, Rue Westin. Can I know the name of the student who has graced my presence today?” There was a hint of mischief in her eyes as she watched Lacey form an answer.
“Lacey Page. Originally from Rhode Island, I am completely loyal to Ferdinand and Isabella, and would never dream of compromising my morals.” Lacey wondered if Rue actually knew about the Spanish Inquisition, or just knew the reference from movies.
“Well, Lacey Page, Ferdinand and Isabella are happy to hear that. And I’m eternally grateful that someone actually knows what the Spanish Inquisition is.” Rue smiled and turned toward the board as the teacher began to call the class to attention. What kind of crazy life have I started here? Lacey thought, first the biker and now the Spanish Inquisition girl, Rue, she mentally corrected herself, considering Rue hadn’t been too awful. It’s not like I can tell them my secret, but it would be nice to have a few friendly faces in each of my classes. Ah well, it’s a start in a place where I didn’t even want to begin a new life. Lacey shook herself out of her thoughts and hurriedly scribbled down what was written on the board. Good thing this is just a review during the first day, otherwise I would already be screwed. She took a quick side glance at Rue, who was engrossed in the lesson, and then turned back to her own abysmal notes.

Rue

Rue was thinking about the new girl. She had a quick tongue and seemed like fun to be around. The only problem was that Rue could tell she didn’t want anyone to get too close to her. Well, no harm in at least trying to be friends, maybe being close will come later in the game. Rue adjusted herself in her seat as she tried to take notes on the Latin review. As the bell rang, she collected her things and headed for the door. She was thinking about trying to coax Lacey out of her shell when she ran into something. Or rather someone. The first thing Rue noticed was the smell of Italian food followed by short blue hair.
“Oh Meg, I’m sorry! I was totally distracted thinking about a new girl in class and a million other things and I should have been paying attention!”
“Rue, hey, Rue? I would love to hear all about the last thirty seconds of your life, but we need to get to math before Mr. Keru scolds us. We don’t want to do that on the first day, do we?” Meg smiled, grabbed Rue’s arm, and dragged her down the hallway to their math class. After seating themselves and grabbing materials out of their bags, Meg looked at Rue.
“So, distracted by a new girl, huh? What’s so special about her that you couldn’t focus on walking? You deciding to swing the other way?”
“No Meg, I’m not. She was just really strange. She was really guarded. And she knew what the Spanish Inquisition was.”
“Whoa. She knew about the Spanish Inquisition? It must be a miracle! And wouldn’t you be guarded on your first day in a new school? Actually, you’re way too extroverted, so I doubt you would be.”
“Meg, you know what I mean. Do you know the number of times I’ve made a Spanish Inquisition reference and you’re the only other one to understand? As for being guarded, it was a different kind of guarded. There’s ‘I’m new and shy’ guarded and there’s ‘I will never want friends’ guarded. She was the latter. Ah, shit, class is starting.” Rue turned her head so fast, one of her braids whipped Meg in the face on the way by. She turned her head silently, apologizing with her eyes for the braid slap. Her slender fingers tapped the pencil she had picked up from the table while her left foot tapped a beat out on the floor. She knew she was a little fidgety, but at least Meg didn’t mind like other kids did.

Meg

Meg glanced over at Rue. They had been best friends since kindergarten. Meg had first seen her when they were finger painting pictures for their parents while the teachers talked about getting new books for the classroom in the next book order. Meg remembered being excited. She loved books, and they had read all of the ones in the classroom; she had asked the teachers to let her borrow some to take home and read with Aunt Tina. They had let her, and soon there were no more books to read. Meg turned her focus back to her painting. She was painting a picture of her and Aunt Tina, sitting in the restaurant sharing a big bowl of popcorn as they watched the baseball game on TV. When she finished, she looked around. A girl she knew was named Rue was seated in front of her easel, just staring at it. Her light blue dress was covered with a grown up’s button up shirt to protect it from paint, but she had unbuttoned it and rolled up her sleeves. Back then, Meg had light brown hair, but Rue always looked like a porcelain doll, small face, slender body, black hair, rosy cheeks, and blue eyes. When Meg walked over, she saw that Rue had painted a picture of hills, nothing else, just green, green hills. When Rue saw her looking, she smiled a big smile and told her that the hills were behind her house and that she and her brother run around on them after school. She said the hills were her favorite thing in Earl. From that moment on, Meg and Rue started coloring together and playing on the playground together.
Rue was wearing her usual Prima Ballerina-esque outfit. The light pink dress she wore had a tulle skirt and a cotton bodice. She was wearing her beloved white ballet flats that had ribbon ties and her jean jacket. He black braids hung down her back and her side swept bangs were pinned back on her head. Seeing Rue and Meg together was like doing a study of polar opposites; where Rue was inclined to wear airy pastel items on her slender frame, Meg wore dark everything on her athletic frame. Today she was wearing a black tank top with a dark blue boyfriend cardigan, dark skinny jeans, and her trusty combat boots. Her deep blue hair was probably sticking up in every direction from her running her hands through it, and she subconsciously reached up to flatten it. Rue had deep blue eyes and Meg had light brown eyes. Rue was carefree and quick to make friends, Meg was like a mother to Rue sometimes, making sure her choices didn’t cause any bad repercussions and that she remembered everything she needed. Aunt Tina always made jokes about the two of them being an old married couple, and sometimes she couldn’t help but agree.
As Meg tried to focus on the lesson on polynomials, her thoughts strayed to the new girl Rue had met in her Latin class. Rue read people like Meg read books, so she knew that Rue was probably accurate about her being really guarded and closed off from making friends. She also knew that Rue had a persistent enough attitude that she wouldn’t give up on the new girl until they were close friends or at least acquaintances. Meg smiled. The new girl has no clue what she’s in for. She was doomed to have friends the moment she met Rue. Meg had seen it a million times. A new student, or an outcast, Rue was the first to break through their walls and absorb them into the friend circle. It had been that way with Caesar, Winter, Quincy, and now, it seemed, the new girl. Rue firmly believed that no one really wanted to have no one to talk to when they have problems, which made her the go to person for most of people at school. They knew she could keep secrets and say something to elicit a laugh, no matter how dire their situation seemed. Meg had valued that often when her mother disappeared on one of her “adventures” and left Meg to live with Aunt Tina. Finally, Meg just moved all of her and Morgan’s stuff into Aunt Tina’s apartment above the restaurant. Before they lived a block apart, Meg often called Rue from Aunt Tina’s when her mother left, just to talk, so she could fall asleep. She snapped out of her thoughts just in time to answer a question the teacher had asked her and wrote down the notes on the board to make it look like she had been paying attention the whole time.
A few minutes later, she was back in her thoughts, this time about the boys. Caesar, Quincy, and Jerome had been close friends with her since Rue brought them all into the same space, and she was able to read their moods pretty well now. This morning, Quincy was lost in thought and playing with the lighter he kept in his sweatshirt. Jerome had been listening intently to what the teacher was saying and glancing sideways every once in a while. Meg had seen the girl he was staring at as she had sat down, smiling to herself because of Jerome’s apparent curiosity. Caesar had been in a weird mood, no doubt irked about something, but she didn’t know what could’ve happened so early in the morning. She was yanked out of her thoughts by a slap on the arm from Rue, who was packing up and giving Meg her “you should really pay more attention to your life” look. Meg sighed and packed everything up then left with Rue to go down to the cafeteria.
“Rue, what’s up with Caesar this morning?” Meg asked as her friend grabbed her hand and walked with her down the hallways. No doubt there were rumors spreading that they were closet lesbians, but really, they just liked being touchy-feely.
“What do you mean, what’s up with him?” Rue glanced at Meg to read her expression, making sure it wasn’t something serious.
“He was really vexed about something this morning in home room.”
“Oh. It was probably because I made a joke about dying young in front of him. You know how he is about that kind of stuff now. I didn’t realize it made him that upset.”
“Well, I guess we’ll see what’s going on when we get to the cafeteria”
“No we won’t.”
“We won’t?” Meg was startled by this. Usually Rue was the first to want to resolve problems.
“Nope. We’ll find out right now.” She smiled at Meg’s puzzled expression then raised her light voice to be heard over the din. “HEY! CAESAR!” Meg saw Caesar turn around and saw a black streak go flying down the hallway as Rue jumped on him, wrapping him in a famous “Rue Hug” that was both crushing and somehow gentle at the same time. Caesar looked shocked at first, but then started smiling and talking as Rue talked to him. People in her path looked confused until they realized they had been pushed aside by Rue and went about their normal business. Rue breaking through crowds to get to her close friends was nothing unusual, and people had come to accept it.

Caesar

“Caesar, you know I love you and never meant ill will towards you this morning, riiiight?” Rue had managed to diffuse his anger towards her with her hug and light voice. He smiled at her as he set her down.
“Of course I did Rue. You know how I am in the mornings, especially when I don’t sleep well.”
“Okay, I just wanted to make sure. Meg said you were upset in homeroom. I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t me making you brood.” Rue laughed as Caesar glowered at her.
“I do not, nor will I ever brood, Rue Westin. I wallow in pity or I smile. There is no brooding.”
“Yeah, sure you don’t, Caesar. You only look like you brood because that’s you’re natural face.” Rue laughed as he scowled and collected things from his locker.
“Alright, I’m gonna go see Meg. See you guys at lunch!” Rue was halfway down the hall before Caesar could reply. For as long as Caesar had known the Westin family, this was how Rue was. She was like a mirage, there one second and gone the next. Her constant energy meant she wasn’t good at sitting still and was usually playing something when everyone else just wanted to relax. He was surprised she didn’t run in her sleep, something he thought happened until Jerome debunked his theory. Shaking his head, Caesar grabbed the books he would need in his afternoon classes and headed towards the cafeteria, bumping into Jerome on the way.
“Hey man, where’s Quince? I was looking forward to another lively debate between him and Rue about what the best movie was.” This was an ongoing joke, Rue was passionate about whatever she discussed, whereas Quincy would just agree until she calmed down enough to eat.
“I think he had to go see Lina at school. Someone called him during class to let him know that she was in the nurse’s office and his dad wasn’t available. I let him borrow the limo to go, so he better be coming back, or we’ll all be stuck on the bus.” Caesar nodded. For as long as they had known Quincy, he had been the go to guy for his siblings when they got hurt. His father worked hard to support his three children, even if it meant not being able to help when one of them got hurt. Caesar had never asked where his mom was, but he imagined she didn’t want to be around a workaholic anymore. Caesar and Jerome stopped by the microwave before sitting down so Jerome could heat up his lunch. Jerome always tried to get Caesar to eat healthy, but he preferred his cookies-and-milk diet to the chicken and vegetables diet. Meg had told him more than once that it would catch up with him someday, but he wasn’t too worried about it. As they sat down at their normal table, Rue and Meg came in, hand in hand, and sat down with the boys.
“Hey fellas. Where’s Quince? Not up for another loss in our debates?” Rue began pulling her lunch out of her princess lunchbox and setting it in front of her.
“It seems you scared him enough yesterday for the rest of the week, I think.” Rue laughed at Jerome’s comment and began eating her jelly and fluff sandwich, which Caesar also liked. He and Rue shared a sweet tooth, while Meg and Jerome tended to be the healthiest of the five friends. Suddenly Rue set down her sandwich and got up, looking determined. Caesar wondered if he missed something as she walked towards another table. Looking at Jerome and Meg, they looked as perplexed as he did.
“What a crazy girl. Did I hit the nut job sister lottery, or what?” Jerome smiled. He loved to pick on Rue for being odd, while Jules acted like the world owed her a favor for living.
Rue had come back with the new girl from homeroom in tow. The girl looked like she would rather be alone, but Rue never took no for an answer.
“Everyone, this is Lacey. Lacey, these fine people are Meg, Caesar, and Jerome.” They each waved in turn as she introduced them. Caesar saw a light blush forming on Jerome’s cheeks as he waved. He could see Rue raising an eyebrow slightly as she saw her brother’s reaction, but apparently didn’t want to embarrass him for once. Rue and Lacey sat down, Lacey taking Quincy’s empty seat.
“Welcome to the table, Lacey. I’m assuming Rue dragged you out of whatever peaceful lunch you thought you were going to have?” Rue began to protest Meg’s question as Lacey laughed.
“Yeah, something like that.” Lacey looked at the four friends. They were all smiling at Lacey and laughing at jokes they were making.
“So, Lacey, where are you from?” Jerome asked as he looked up from his chicken.
“Bro, didn’t you hear me say I already supplied her fill of the Spanish Inquisition for today? She’s from Rhode Island, she probably hates Georgia, and doesn’t really want to be friends.” Lacey looked shocked as Jerome rolled his eyes.
“Hey Rue,” he said smiling. “You ever gonna let a person answer a question before you start talking faster than a bullet train?” To Lacey, he said “Please excuse my sister, she seems to think just because she can read people, that gives her the right to speak for them.”
Rue looked put out. Lacey and the other friends laughed as Jerome winked at Rue and she stuck her tongue out at him.
“I am from Rhode Island. I do hate Georgia, and I didn’t really want to make friends here, but it looks like that dream is shattered. Any more questions from the Inquisitors?”
“Yeah, I have one.” She looked at Caesar as he smiled. “Why on earth would you let this crazy little munchkin drag you over here if you didn’t want friends?”
“Caesar! I am not a munchkin! I’m only a few inches shorter than you!”
“Rue, you’re like half a foot shorter. Sorry to burst your bubble about being the next star basketball player.” Rue slapped him and then turned towards Lacey.
“Well, she didn’t really give me a choice, besides, maybe I should at least pretend I like it here. Who knows? Maybe by the end of the year, I will like it here.”
“Methinks you will,” Rue said as she caught Jerome glancing at Lacey again. Caesar, seeing what Rue was thinking, jumped on board with her.
“Yeah, I mean what’s better than our southern drawls, our beaches, and our boardwalk? Nothing, that’s what.” Rue gave Lacey her “see I told you” look before stealing a cookie from him and ate it before he could try and grab it from her.
“And there’s nothing wrong with the men here, either, Lacey. They’re all pretty stand up guys, even these delinquents.” Rue gestured to Caesar and Jerome as she talked which got a “you’ve got to be kidding” look from both boys.
“Rue, let her form her own opinions on the men here. Some of them are a little weird. Lacey, it might not replace Rhode Island, but I’m sure you’ll find it nice enough down here.” Meg looked at her, eyes smiling as she finished her lasagna that her Aunt Tina made.
“Well, it seems that Rue probably can’t lie well, so I suppose the guy scene can’t be so bad down here.” Rue shot Lacey an appreciative look as she turned toward her brother.
“You got any recommendations for the girl, bro? You know all the guys in school pretty well.” Rue smiled as her brother squirmed a little.
“Well there’s Caesar and Quince, they’re both pretty good guys.” Jerome said as he thought about it. “There are probably more, but those two are probably your best bets.”
“Oh…but…I thought Caesar and Rue were dating.” Lacey looked puzzled and embarrassed as she confessed this theory.
“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” Rue and Caesar said at the same time, grinning at each other after.
“Lacey, Caesar and I have known each other for years. I’m about as likely to date him as I am my own brother. Which is A) gross B) illegal) and C) a zero percent chance.” Rue smiled at Caesar. “No offense bro.”
“None taken. I wouldn’t want to date a midget anyways.” This comment earned Caesar another light slap from Rue while the others laughed.
“Anyways, what my lovely forgot to mention is that he is available as well. And let’s be real, he’s the most attractive, don’t ya think?”
“I think I’ll reserve judgment until I meet Quincy, if that alright.” Lacey gave each guy an appraising look while they tried to look innocent.